Morning Mail: only one way to save Barrier Reef, Russian spies charged over 500m Yahoo accounts breached, Dutch election, $2bn Snowy hydro expansion

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Guardian Australia's Morning Mail Thursday 16 March 2017 g The journalist who got Trump's tax return Good morning, and welcome to the Morning Mail. Among the stories leading our website this morning: David Cay Johnston, the journalist who got Trump's tax return, says, "All I cared was whether it was authentic, and the White House confirmed it." Johnston details the events leading up to yesterday's reveal of Trump's 2005 tax return, and says it's possible the president leaked it himself. Keep reading for the rest of the top stories this morning, with more news from around Australia and the world.

Headlines Stopping global warming is only way to save Great Barrier Reef, scientists warn Improvements to water quality or fishing controls don't prevent underwater heatwaves damaging coral, studies of mass bleaching events reveal Dutch election: Mark Rutte's VVD party leads in main exit poll – live Rolling coverage of the Dutch general election as incumbent prime minister Mark Rutte faces challenge by anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders Turnbull to announce $2bn expansion to Snowy hydro-electric scheme Proposal comes days after South Australia's dramatic intervention in energy market and would boost the scheme's generating capacity by up to 50% US charges two Russian spies and two hackers in Yahoo data breach Four indicted in conjunction with the hack of a billion Yahoo accounts, amid intense political controversy over Russian interference in the US election Call for more support for parents as data shows one in 33 children in protective services Children's commissioner Megan Mitchell says 'we need to encourage help-seeking' in hard-to-reach families Australian news and politics Richard Di Natale: 'Our politics has become very difficult' – Australian Politics Live podcast The Greens leader joins Katharine Murphy and Gabrielle Chan to discuss how his party is shifting debate in Australia without getting credit for it Closing the Gap committee says PM's promise to Indigenous Australians being broken Committee takes state and federal governments to task over update showing that just one of seven targets is on track Why are Bill Shorten and Labor scared to run on the economy? Labor has long been reluctant to argue on economic management. But if it doesn't make a full-throated case, that poll lead could easily be whittled away Royal commission: former guard denies then admits grabbing Dylan Voller around neck Inquiry told Alice Springs facility had minimal training and failed to pay guards for up to 11 weeks Turnbull kicks the energy hornets' nest and goes Full Metal Export Training the spotlight on energy security and climate, the PM opens a deadly serious set of issues – which he has made his government entirely responsible for fixing Malcolm Turnbull gets gas industry guarantee on domestic supply Prime minister warns if commitment not met the commonwealth would use power to control exports 'in national interest' Penalty rate cuts should be phased in over 15 months, retail associations say National Retail Association and Australian Retailers Association favour phase-in, with no orders to guarantee current workers' take-home pay Around the world France's Front National suspends party official over Holocaust denial Benoît Loeuillet, head of FN in Nice, secretly filmed saying 'there weren't mass deaths as we've been told' Libya national army recaptures oil ports at Sidra and Ras Lanuf Escalating violence intensifies row over US claims of increasing Russian influence in country At least 31 people killed after Damascus suicide bombings, reports say Blasts at restaurant in Syrian capital and at the Palace of Justice follow another double suicide bombing there at the weekend Trump travel ban: opposition rallies as new order set to take effect New ban, same problems: activists and lawyers will challenge the revised travel ban they say is motivated by 'the same religious animus' as the first Erdoğan ratchets up anti-Dutch rhetoric despite German verbal ceasefire plan Tensions high as Istanbul scraps twin-town scheme with Rotterdam and red meat association orders expulsion of 40 Dutch cows

One last thing   The Australian is howling offence. But calling Bill Leak a racist is 'free speech' too | David MarrThose who thunder over a protest on Q&A miss the point entirely. An often brilliant cartoonist was afforded the right to insult – just as his critics should be: "Seems The Australian only recognises free speech when it's speaking. The paper is demanding an apology from the ABC because demonstrators in Monday night's Q&A audience called Bill Leak a racist. Are they joking? Surely it is not news to a newspaper that citizens have free speech too." Have an excellent day and if you spot something I've missed, let me know on Twitter at @earleyedition.

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