Morning Mail: Queensland cyclone Marcia, NT cyclone Lam, childcare shakeup, Greece v Germany debt

Guardian Australia's Morning Mail Friday 20 February 2015 g
Tropical Cyclone Marcia
Severe tropical cyclone Marcia has this morning been upgraded to a category five cyclone – the largest and most dangerous, with winds up to 295km/h as it moves towards the Queensland coast,where it's expected to hit around 10am AEST. The system went from a category one to a category four storm in just a few hours yesterday, and the Bureau of Meteorology said "it has been intensifying far more rapidly than a typical cyclone would". In the Northern Territory, residents of Goulburn Island have fled in the face of severe tropical cyclone Lam, which crossed the NT coast as a category four storm at 2am. Get the latest cyclone warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology here, and follow our tropical cylone Marcia live blog now.
Australian news and politics
In its final childcare report, the productivity commission has proposed a tougher means test for childcare benefits, which greatly favours low-income earners. After yesterday's news that former Guantánamo Bay detainee David Hicks's terrorism conviction was officially 'vacated', he's told Guardian Australia he won't be celebrating: "I lost. That’s how I look at it. I folded, I gave in, I couldn’t handle it any longer". Australian telcos have questioned the effectiveness of the government’s planned $400m data retention laws, given that it will not apply to popular overseas-based services such as Gmail, Hotmail, Facebook and Skype: "It's clear that there is ample opportunity for customers to avoid their communications being captured" The lead lawyer for the royal commission into trade union corruption will be paid more than $3.36m for less than two years’ work at the inquiry, documents show. After riot police and armoured vehicles descended on Sydney's Downing Centre court complexyesterday, two homes in Merrylands were raided on Thursday afternoon.
Around the world
Germany and Greece are on a collision course ahead of crucial bailout talks after Berlin knocked back a Greek compromise proposal and insisted the country stick to its existing austerity plan. RAF jets were scrambled from their base in Lincolnshire to escort two Russian bombers away from the Cornish coast on Wednesday. According to the official version of events from the Ministry of Defence, the Russian Bear bombers didn't enter British airspace, but an eyewitness has told the Guardian at least one of them flew inland over Cornwall. Evidence in murder cases investigated by Richard Zuley, the Chicago detective turned Guantánamo Bay torturer, is being freshly examined, with DNA testing central to a new effort to free three people each facing more than 60 years in prison. In his most direct remarks yet about Islam and violent extremism, Barack Obama has told Muslims in the US and around the world they have a responsibility to fight the idea that terrorist groups like Isis speak for them. One of the Chelsea fans filmed while racist chants were shouted on the Paris Métro has previously posted a photo of himself posing with Ukip leader Nigel Farage, and was a “vocal” supporter of the party.
One last thing
OK, don't read this article about passive-aggressive behaviour. Honestly, it's fine.