The French Government has presented to the Council of Ministers a third amendment to the Finance Bill for 2020, which provides additional support for businesses affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Belgium has extended agreements with France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands clarifying the tax rules for frontier workers working from home due to COVID-19.

The French Government has listed the businesses that may exceptionally benefit from a two-thirds reduction in local property tax.

France's General Directorate of Public Finance has launched a scheme that allows small companies to request a specific settlement plan for the payment of their taxes.

The French Government is extending its COVID-19 financial support package for the tourism sector to various additional business types.

The French Ministry of Finance confirmed on August 31, 2020, that several tax agreements applying to cross-border workers during the COVID-19 crisis have been extended.

The French tax authority has announced that it will modify and extend a scheme that allows employers to pay workers tax-free bonuses.

France has cut the amount that tourists must spend to claim back the VAT on their purchases.

In two recent speeches, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has outlined plans to extend COVID-19 supports for French businesses.

The French tax authority has confirmed new rules regarding the calculation of VAT on pleasure yacht charters.

On August 26, 2020, the Swiss Federal Council ratified a new double taxation agreement with Bahrain and a Protocol to revise its DTA with Kuwait.

Lawmakers in Cyprus have rejected the 2021 Budget, for the first time in the country's history.

The Dutch Senate has approved the 2021 Tax Plan package, which introduces a lower rate of corporate tax for small- and medium-sized businesses.

At its December 22 plenum, Russia's lower house of parliament approved revisions to the country's double tax agreements with Cyprus and Luxembourg.

The Hong Kong Government has gazetted legislation to provide tax concessions for carried interest distributed by eligible private equity funds operating in Hong Kong.

At a plenary session on February 11, 2021, Belgium's parliament adopted a draft law for a new annual tax on securities accounts.

On September 28, 2021, the European Commission launched a consultation on a proposed Directive that would obligate member states to introduce the same rules regarding withholding tax on dividend and interest payments.

The European Commission has approved a Cypriot scheme involving the grant of tax breaks to private investors – both natural persons and corporate investors – who invest into early-stage, innovative SMEs.

On May 21, 2020, the Italian Revenue Agency issued a summary of additional tax measures in Decree 34/2020, which are intended to further support taxpayers affected by the COVID-19 virus.

The European Commission has approved under state aid rules four Italian tax schemes to support companies and self-employed workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

On July 10, 2020, the Italian tax authority issued a ruling to explain the rules concerning tax credits for expenditure on adapting workplaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

On July 24, 2020, a Council Implementing Decision was published in the official journal of the European Union authorizing the extension of Italy's value-added tax split payment mechanism scheme, applicable to contracts with public sector entities.

The Italian Government will allow tax payments that were deferred during the COVID-19 lockdown to be paid in instalments over a two-year period.

The Hong Kong Government has gazetted legislation to provide tax concessions for carried interest distributed by eligible private equity funds operating in Hong Kong.

On May 3, 2021, the Hong Kong Inland Revenue Department issued over 2.62 million tax returns for individuals for the year of assessment 2020-21.

Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department has explained COVID-19 tax concessions available for taxpayers struggling to pay their tax dues and has highlighted upcoming property tax obligations.

The Hong Kong Government has issued a statement committing to amend its tax law with regards the tax exemption for foreign source passive income from 2023, to ensure the territory does not end up placed on the EU's tax blacklist of non-cooperative territories.

Authorities in Hong Kong have launched a review into two tax-deductible retirement savings products: Qualifying Deferred Annuity Policies (QDAP) and Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Tax-Deductible Voluntary Contributions (TVC).

The Australian Taxation Office has issued a Taxpayer Alert on mischaracterized arrangements and schemes connected with direct foreign investment into Australian businesses.

The Australian Taxation Office has expressed its concern that some taxpayers do not fully understand the tax implications of cryptocurrency gains.

The Swiss Government has opened the application process for a loan guarantee scheme aimed at helping start-ups facing liquidity problems during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Swiss Federal Council has launched a consultation on the amendments to the VAT law, with a focus on the tax treatment of mail order businesses and the administrative burden on SMEs.

Switzerland has proposed introducing the value-added tax reverse charge mechanism for domestic transactions in emission allowances.

The Swiss Government is anticipating a shortfall in tax receipts of over CHF5bn in 2020.

Switzerland's Federal Department of Finance is extending the time limit within which tourists can export goods purchased in the country tax free.

Switzerland has signed protocols to its double taxation agreements with Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and Malta to implement minimum standards developed as part of the OECD's BEPS project.

Effective August 1, 2020, Switzerland relaxed the rules for tourists seeking to export goods free from tax.

The Swiss Government has confirmed it will extend a tax exemption for surface disinfectants in light of COVID-19.

On August 26, 2020, the Swiss Federal Council ratified a new double taxation agreement with Bahrain and a Protocol to revise its DTA with Kuwait.

Russia's Ministry of Finance has announced that it signed a Protocol to amend its double tax agreement with Cyprus on September 8, 2020.

Russia's Government has approved wording for a draft Protocol that it will seek to conclude with Malta, to revise their double tax agreement to increase withholding tax rates at source for cross-border dividends and interest income.

The Swiss Federal Council has approved proposed legislative changes to alter how the country interprets double tax agreement provisions.

A group of experts assessing the Swiss tax regime has drawn up an action plan on improving Switzerland's international tax competitiveness.

As part of its commitment to fighting cross-border tax evasion and profit shifting, Switzerland sent information on over 3m financial accounts in 2021, according to a new review of the Swiss financial center by the State Secretariat for International Financial Matters.

Saudi Arabia has announced its decision to increase its headline value-added tax rate to 15 percent from five percent, in a surprise break from the Gulf Cooperation Council's harmonized value-added tax framework.

New mechanism for designing antiviral drugs for dengue virus has been identified. The study details are published in iProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences/i.

Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral disease affecting humans globally. In 2019, the World Health Organization identified dengue as one of the

Unless a dengue vaccine protects against all four different virus types, or serotypes, developing a viable vaccine against dengue virus is difficult. The

COVID-19 restrictions limited human mobility and contact, which nearly reduced 750,000 dengue cases in 2020, reveals a new study published in iLancet Infectious Diseases.

National Dengue Prevention Day is celebrated on May 16 every year in India. The day aims to spread awareness about this disease and preventive methods and tips to treat dengue.