To develop an effective vaccine against dengue and Zika viruses, it requires the E protein to spread across the entire surface of every viral particle.

Dengue has killed about 41 people and over 36,000 have been infected by dengue across Sri Lanka, report health authorities. So far in August, 1,075

Nafamostat mesylate, a tryptase inhibitor, can treat severe dengue disease, according to the team of researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School. The

Highlights: People with mental disorders are more likely to develop other health conditions Mapping the

The IMF has said that the recent changes to the US tax system could make Canada a less attractive destination for investment.

Last year, the tax burden in OECD countries reached its highest level recorded, at 34.2 percent of gross domestic product, up 20 basis points on 2016, largely due to increasing taxes on personal consumption and companies.

Three-quarters of Europeans want the European Union to do more to tackle tax evasion, according to a new survey by Eurobarometer.

The European Parliament has begun its inquiry into the Panama Papers with a hearing with the investigative journalists behind the leak.

On October 12, the Italian financial police said it had broke up a value-added tax fraud ring allegedly involved in transactions totaling EUR930m, through 180 companies in 15 European Union (EU) countries.

The total loss to EU member states from the schemes revealed in the Panama Papers could be in the region of between EUR109bn (USD119bn) to EUR237bn, according to a new study commissioned by the European Parliament's PANA committee.

Cyprus's Tax Department has released details of a tax amnesty, which entered into force on July 3, 2017.

Cyprus should consider reinstating the immovably property tax to boost revenues, the International Monetary Fund has said.

China plans to actively expand imports and open up to foreign investment by reducing tariffs and taxes, according to a work report released by the Government ahead of the annual parliamentary session.

Chinese authorities are working on a long-awaited property tax to cool the country's overheated property market, according to a senior government official.

Governments raised about USD33bn in carbon pricing revenue last year, a 50 percent increase from 2016, according to a new update by the World Bank.

China's Government announced recently that a local insurance company had issued the country's first tax-deferred pension insurance policy, saying it marked the beginning of tax-deferred pension plans in China.

The OECD recently released the seventh round of stage one peer review reports, assessing eight jurisdictions' efforts to implement the BEPS Action 14 minimum standard on tax dispute resolution.

A new pneumonia vaccine that is more effective and less expensive than those currently used in Brazil is being tested in human patients, said researchers

EIDD-2801, the new antiviral drug shows promise in reducing lung damage. Testing in mice is completed and it will soon enter to human clinical trials.

Kanpur administration has directed all pharmacies to register the name, address and contact number of people buying paracetamol or medicines for cough, cold and fever or breathing problems.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the experimental remdesivir (anti-viral medication) to treat COVID-19 patients.

On March 12, 2020, the Italian Revenue Agency announced the suspension of its audit activities in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

New Zealand has released a new consultation on proposals to further clarify the deductibility of holding costs (rates, interest, insurance, etc.) where land that is subject to tax on sale is used privately while it is held.

The Government of Ukraine has announced plans to introduce a special tax regime for certain intellectual property income.

On September 17, 2019, Dutch State Secretary for Finance Menno Snel presented the Government's 2020 Tax Plan to the House of Representatives. It includes revised plans for corporate tax cuts.

Malta's Minister for Finance, Edward Scicluna, recently announced the launch of a number of fiscal incentives, which are intended to boost the take-up of voluntary private pensions.

Estonia has topped the Tax Foundation's International Tax Competitiveness Index for the fifth successive year, being deemed to have the "best tax code in the OECD."

Last year, the tax burden in OECD countries reached its highest level recorded, at 34.2 percent of gross domestic product, up 20 basis points on 2016, largely due to increasing taxes on personal consumption and companies.

On January 10, 2018, the Belgian Ministry of Finance reminded taxpayers letting and leasing certain real estate that they can opt in to the value-added tax regime.

On May 2, 2019, Belgium's finance ministry confirmed that the Tax-on-web portal has been opened for personal and corporate income tax returns for the 2019 fiscal year.

The OECD on August 13, 2019, released follow-up reports for Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States on their efforts to implement BEPS recommendations on dispute resolution.

On December 18, 2019, the Belgian Federal Public Finance Service announced that start-up companies can request accelerated refunds of value-added tax credits from January 1, 2020.

On February 19, 2020, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz issued a statement to say that he remains "committed" to the introduction of a financial transactions tax at European Union level along the same lines as that proposed by the German Government last month, despite opposition from within the EU, notably from Austria.

On March 29, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced that value-added tax refunds will be accelerated for all declarations relating to the month of February 2020.

Invest Hong Kong, Hong Kong's inward investment agency, has encouraged Mainland Chinese companies to make use of new tax incentives in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's Government says it is studying the feasibility of introducing a tax on vacant "first-hand" private residential properties.

On June 14, 2018, Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department released guidance on the tax obligations of landlords.

The OECD recently released the seventh round of stage one peer review reports, assessing eight jurisdictions' efforts to implement the BEPS Action 14 minimum standard on tax dispute resolution.

Costa Rica's Ministry of Finance has released a statement clarifying its decision to exclude a number of territories with low effective income tax rates from its list of non-cooperative territories.

On October 22, 2019, the Swiss Federal Finance Department uploaded a series of publications concerning the value-added tax rules for those participating in and organizing sporting events.

Liechtenstein and Switzerland have agreed a new cooperation pact in the area of value-added tax administration and enforcement.

Higher tax receipts helped Switzerland to another surplus in 2019, with withholding tax and direct federal tax performing particularly well.

The UAE's Federal Tax Authority has announced that it will waive late registration penalties for businesses that have not yet registered for VAT, on the condition that they do so by April 30 of this year.

The OECD is seeking input from taxpayers on dispute resolution mechanisms in place in Aruba, Bahrain, Barbados, Gibraltar, Greenland, Kazakhstan, Oman, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, as part of follow-up work under BEPS Action Plan Action 14.

The United Arab Emirates's amended excise tax regime entered into force on December 1, and now covers sweetened drinks and electronic smoking devices and liquids.

The OECD is seeking taxpayers' input on the mutual agreement procedure frameworks in place in the fourth batch of countries that will now be peer reviewed under the base erosion and profit shifting project: Australia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, and Portugal.

Japan's sales tax rose from eight to 10 percent on October 1, 2019, following two previous delays to the hike.

Highlights: Risk of autism can now be predicted by analyzing the sperms of prospective fathers Mutations

Highlights: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed changes to the drugs and cosmetics

Highlights: Leading a healthy lifestyle could prolong the lifespan of men and women It could also