9am Zedlines

This is Amy and Ha-Teya with your 9am Zedlines.

Coles has “caved” on their plastic bag ban amid pressure from angry shoppers.

To help customers “adjust”, Coles offered to give the 15 cent reusable bags away free of charge, ending today.

However, the supermarket chain has promised to hand out free “reusable” bags indefinitely.

A Coles spokeswoman confirmed today the supermarket giant will not be putting a stop to their free distribution of the “reusable” bags since customers “aren't coping” with the change.

Sharknapped: shark smuggled out of an aquarium in the US

A 45 centimeter shark was smuggled out of an aquarium in a baby stroller in the US last night.

Leon Valley police Chief Joseph Salvaggio said two men and a woman stole the shark from an open pool where visitors were allowed to reach in and touch the animals in the tank.

Chief Salvaggio said one of the men had grabbed the shark while the others wrapped it in a wet towel and put it in the stroller.

Police have recovered the shark and returned it the aquarium.

Hikers stranded in Lombok, Bali have been rescued following earthquake

Hundreds of hikers stranded in Lombok, Bali have been rescued following an earthquake on the island.

Retrieval efforts are continuing after 16 people were killed and more than 350 injured by the earthquake triggered by landslides.

Out of the 543 hikers rescued, close to 200 were foreigners.

Queensland should expect an "El Nino" summer

Parts of south-east Queensland have recorded the hottest July temperatures on record this year, with Australian climatologists warning of more to come.

Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes expert Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick says “we are heading towards an El Nino summer, so are more likely to have hotter weather.”

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) will today release weather figures showing maximum temperatures on record for areas including Brisbane, Oakey, Gatton, and parts of the Gold Coast.  

My Health Record: Federal Government to protect privacy

The Federal Government has confirmed the law will be changed to protect privacy in the My Health Record System following crisis talks last night with the Australian Medical Association.

Amidst concerns police and government agencies could access private health records, Health Minister Greg Hunt says legislative amendments to the online health system will be made that require a court order or warrant in order for documents to be accessed by anyone other than a health professional.

Residents angered by early-morning construction

Early-morning construction work has prompted hundreds of Brisbane residents to call for a review into the city’s construction hour times.

Woolloongabba resident, Leah Govorko, launched a petition arguing the construction start time of 6:30am was too early and needed to be pushed to a later time.

The petition has gained over 500 signatures and is open until August 25th.

Queensland schools pushing for more aircon

State schools in Queensland are calling for the state government to make air conditioning a priority, suggesting the quality of student’s learning is negatively affected by poor climate control.

President of the Queensland Teachers’ Union, Kevin Bates, says “it is important students are effective as learners, and that happens when the climate is controlled.”