Morning Mail: Deaths feared in floods, Senate blocks 18C changes, Trump in-fighting, Latham shouts at Sky

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Guardian Australia's Morning Mail Friday 31 March 2017 g Hockey: don't be too harsh on Trump Good morning, and welcome to the Morning Mail. Among the stories leading our website this morning: Joe Hockey, Australia's ambassador to Washington, has warned against indulging in constant criticism of the new Trump administration just because it is different from the regimes that have come before it. "While pundits will seek to endlessly speculate [..] it is wise to avoid such speculation and instead rely on the facts," Hockey told the Sydney Institute in a speech yesterday. Keep reading for the rest of the top stories this morning, with more news from around Australia and the world.

Headlines Ex-cyclone Debbie: authorities fear deaths in floods People may have perished overnight and Lismore faces inundation as water flows over levee and structure begins to crack Senate blocks government's changes to section 18C of Racial Discrimination Act George Brandis says 18C will remain in 'current, distorted fashion' as bill defeated in late-night vote by alliance of Labor, Greens, NXT and Jacqui Lambie Angry Trump tells Freedom Caucus to 'get on the team' after healthcare failure Trump initially blamed Democrats after his attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare crumbled, but has since shifted aim to the divided Republican party Mark Latham takes aim at Sky boss in post-sacking Twitter spray Former Labor leader has a(nother) go at ex-colleagues. Plus: the Oz makes a lukewarm attempt to defend its Great Barrier Reef coverage South Australia to get $1bn solar farm and world's biggest battery System will include 3.4m solar panels and 1.1m batteries, with operations set to begin by end of 2017 Australian news and politics Indigenous youth incarceration rate is a national crisis and needs action, PM told In letter to Malcolm Turnbull, Change the Record coalition highlights problems of over-incarceration and mistreatment Can the Labor party become a gang we want to hang out with again? At an event for former political staffers, I appreciated that Labor's core identity remains remarkably robust. The true believers aren't going anywhere Real-life Sharknado? Cyclone Debbie washes up shark on Australian street A journalist filming floods in the aftermath of the cyclone found a dead bull shark in the town of Ayr, prompting residents to draw connections to Sharknado Thousands told to evacuate as ex-Cyclone Debbie wreaks havoc Large parts of Queensland and northern NSW battered by torrential rain up to 500mm, forcing school and office closures Cyclone Debbie's devastation over Queensland: aerial footage – video Aerial footage shows the extent of serious damage to north Queensland and parts of the Whitsunday Islands by cyclone Debbie on Thursday Ex-cyclone Debbie: 52,000 without power in south-east Queensland – live South-east Queensland could get up to 500mm of rain by the end of today as the weather system spreads chaos into NSW. Follow all the updates live … How can Australia improve the mental health of its veterans – Australian politics live Dan Tehan, the minister for veteran affairs, tells Katharine Murphy that cases double when servicemen and women re-enter civilian life. Around the world Russian deception influenced election due to Trump's support, senators hear Former FBI special agent discusses Russia's longstanding 'active measures' – including the spread of fake news – before Senate intelligence committee Syrian refugees: more than 5m in neighbouring countries now, says UN UNHCR announces milestone after six years of war and urges Europe not to put humanity 'on a ballot' in elections this year Climate change: global reshuffle of wildlife will have huge impacts on humanity Mass migration of species to cooler climes has profound implications for society, pushing disease-carrying insects, crop pests and crucial pollinators into new areas, says international team of scientists 'They're going to kill me next': Yemen family fears drone strikes under Trump Before Trump took office, the US drones that killed several members of the Tuaiman family used to come about once a week. Now they come every day Death, devastation and diplomacy: battle for Mosul intensifies – in pictures UN chief Antonio Guterres has called for the protection of civilians to be the 'absolute priority' after arriving in Iraq to assess the humanitarian crisis

One last thing   Ronaldo or bust: sculptor defends mocked statue "It is impossible to please the Greeks and Trojans. Neither did Jesus please everyone." The sculptor who made the bronze bust of Cristiano Ronaldo insists the Real Madrid star had given his seal of approval before it was unveiled. The bust quickly spread across social media, with comparisons to the infamous Ecce Homo restoration. Oh, and it exists because an airport was being named after him. Have an excellent day and if you spot something I've missed, let me know on Twitter at @earleyedition.

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