ABC NewsMail - Afternoon Edition

Good afternoon. Here's what's happening now: The New South Wales Government has announced it will legalise UberX and provide a $250 million package to compensate taxi drivers. Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the state needed to change its "out-dated" transport regulations The Australian Taxation Office has revealed how much tax the largest companies pay, or more importantly, how much they don't. It found about one third of companies with incomes of more than $100 million a year paid no tax Federal Government plans for a national facial recognition system have raised concerns about privacy, with one assessment finding it may not do enough to protect data If you're worried about weight gain this festive season then take a look at these five tips to help you avoid a holiday waistline blowout Would you like popular videos or long reads included in NewsMail? Take our survey and tell us what you want in your inbox Here's what's coming up: 7:00pm AEDT: Suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter will appear before the organisation's ethics committee in a bid to clear his name 7:30pm AEDT: Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will be interviewed on 7.30 9:00pm AEDT: German Chancellor Angela Merkel leads a mini-summit of eight EU nations and Turkey to discuss plans to resettle Syrian migrants 9:30pm AEDT: Spanish football giant Barcelona takes on Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande in the Club World Cup semi-final 1:00am AEDT Friday: EU leaders will meet at their final summit of the year to discuss plans for a new European border force to deal with the migration crisis Top Stories Almost 600 major corporations paid no tax in 2013-14 Almost 600 of the largest companies operating in Australia did not pay income tax in the 2013 to 2014 financial year, figures released by the Australian Taxation Office show. 'He will always be a hero to me': Fanning honours brother at Pipe Masters Mick Fanning has taken to social media at the conclusion of what he has described as "one of the most challenging days" of his life to pay tribute to his brother Peter. Government's facial recognition system sparks privacy concerns An assessment of the Federal Government's plan for a national facial recognition system raises concerns about its impact on privacy. MCG announces anti-terror security measures, including perimeter fence A cyclone wire fence is being put up around the MCG as an extra security measure for summer cricket matches, in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris. Woman jailed for life over 'horrendous' murder of ex-lover's wife, grandson A woman who murdered a four-year-old boy and his grandmother after her ex-lover refused to continue a relationship is sentenced to life in prison. 'Kurnellians' rally together via Facebook after storm batters suburb Residents of the tornado-battered Sydney suburb of Kurnell turn to a Facebook group to assist each other in the wake of the storm. Driver sentenced after crashing car through house, critically injuring baby A drugged driver whose car ploughed into a house in suburban Geelong, leaving a five-month-old baby with life-threatening injuries, is sentenced to 23 months in prison. UberX legalised in NSW, taxi drivers to be compensated UberX and other ride-sharing services will now be legal in New South Wales, after the State Government gave them the green light while offering compensation to traditional cab drivers. ACCC takes ex-AFL boss Demetriou's private training company to court The consumer watchdog launches court action against Acquire Learning, the private training brokerage company chaired by former AFL head Andrew Demetriou, over alleged false and misleading behaviour. Ranked: The Force Awakens vs the rest of the films How does The Force Awakens stack up against the original Star Wars trilogy and the prequels? After having seen it, here's the breakdown. Teen punches Spanish PM in the face at election event Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is recovering after being punched in the face during a campaign event for Sunday's general election. World-first 3D-printed hand prosthesis inspired by 1845 design The rediscovery of a prosthetic hand design developed in 1845 inspires the production of the world's first 3D-printed body-powered partial hand prosthesis. Kathy Jackson loses appeal against order to pay union $1.4m An appeal by disgraced former union secretary Kathy Jackson against an order to pay $1.4 million in compensation for misappropriating funds is dismissed by the Federal Court. Analysis and Opinion: The Drum Why I'm a climate optimist heading into 2016 By Clare Wright Humankind went backwards in 2015 - and I'm part of the problem By Michael Bradley Fear not, Star Wars fans: The Force Awakens delivers By Dominic Knight It might be time to rewrite Australia's budget script By Michael Janda Just In Jury retires in child sex trial of former ambassador to Spain's husband December 17, 2015 - 4:12 pm ASIO head has right to speak out, says Julie Bishop December 17, 2015 - 4:09 pm Liberals never wanted public to see tax data, Labor says December 17, 2015 - 4:03 pm World • Masonic grand master linked to 'God's banker' murder dies • We have Fed lift-off ... Now what? • Indonesian speaker resigns after extortion allegations Business • Australian, Asian shares rally on US rate rise • US Fed raises interest rates for first time in 9 years • Almost 600 major corporations paid no tax in 2013-14 Politics • ASIO head has right to speak out, says Julie Bishop • Liberals never wanted public to see tax data, Labor says • Teen punches Spanish PM in the face at election event Sport • 'He will always be a hero to me': Fanning honours brother at Pipe Masters • Slater stands in the way of grieving Fanning winning world title • ARU seals massive rise in TV deal Science and Tech • Satellites to monitor shark movements off NSW north coast • GM debate intensifies as landmark decision on 'gene-edited' food looms • E-health trial improving outcomes for kids with cerebral palsy Environment • Volkswagen emissions component not a 'defeat device', lawyers say • Victoria's first wave power unit installed off Port Fairy coast • Forest fires and traffic congestion plague Indonesia Follow ABC News About this email You received this email because you are subscribed to ABC News email alerts. 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