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 OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS has published the outcome of more reviews into territories' preferential tax regimes and on tax dispute resolution through the Mutual Agreement Procedure.

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

The Australian Government has confirmed that it will amend its offshore banking unit regime after it was designated a harmful tax regime by the OECD and the European Union.

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 Department of Finance has announced the launch of a new online tool for individuals taxpayers, which is being developed also for legal entities.

The Swiss Federal Council intends to end the obligation to sign electronic tax returns and to introduce new e-filing requirements for certain documents.

The Swiss Finance Department has said that changes to tax law are not currently needed in response to developments in distributed ledger technology and blockchain.

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.

On July 20, 2020, the French Government published in the Official Gazette a decree to expand the list of jurisdictions exempt from local filing reporting requirements under the country's country-by-country reporting regime.

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

Russia's double tax agreements with Hong Kong and Switzerland are next on the radar for authorities in Russia, who are seeking to ensure the country can subject to at least 15 percent withholding tax outbound dividends and interest payments.

The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released the text of an arbitration agreement between the US and Switzerland, in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2020-35, published August 24.

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.

On September 11, 2020, the Swiss Federal Council launched a consultation on proposals for the total revision of the customs system.

The Cyprus Tax Department has released ten-year government bond yield rates for five new territories, to support businesses in calculating claims for Cyprus's Notional Interest Deduction. The rates are for Bermuda, Denmark, Jordan, Portugal, and Switzerland.

In an October 15, 2020, statement, the Swiss Government announced it will not pay interest on federal taxes paid early.

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

On November 17, 2020, Luxembourg's tax authority published Circular LG – Conv. DI no. 66, outlining the changes made by the BEPS multilateral instrument (BEPS MLI) to the double tax agreement in place with Switzerland.

Germany and Pakistan have deposited their instrument of ratification with the OECD to bring into force the BEPS multilateral instrument for their networks of tax treaties.

On December 23, 2020, Switzerland and Italy signed a new agreement on the taxation of cross-border commuters and an amendment to their existing double taxation agreement.

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.

At its meeting on May 18, 2022, the Swiss Federal Council approved the dispatch on the introduction of the automatic exchange of information on financial accounts (AEOI) with 12 other partner countries.

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.

Researchers report that tap water access in densely populated neighborhoods of Delhi, India, is a strong predictor of the risk of contracting dengue.

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

Novel device developed can be clipped onto a smartphone to rapidly test for Zika virus in a single droplet of blood, reveal researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj held a high-level meeting with all the stakeholders to review the preparedness to tackle medlinkvector-borne/medlink diseases in the national capital.

medlinkDengue/medlink, a recurring tropical disease that experiences outbreaks during the monsoon season, becomes more aggressive and severe in animal

The number of reported dengue fever cases in Bangladesh this year has reached 187,725, with the death toll exceeding 900 individuals, according to data from the health department.

Over the past week, an alarming surge in new medlinkdengue/medlink cases has been observed in Kolkata, causing concern among health authorities as the Durga Puja celebrations approach next week.

Over the past day, Lucknow recorded the highest single-day medlinkdengue/medlink caseload of the year, with 38 new cases reported. h2 Dengue

The escalating impact of climate change is anticipated to expand the reach of medlinkdengue/medlink, a mosquito-borne disease claiming thousands of

VESTA insecticide paint, applied to homes in vulnerable neighborhoods, kills iAedes aegypti/i mosquitos by 98% for at least a year, offering a potential

Chinese scientists found that anomalies in tropical Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures can forecast the severity of global medlinkdengue outbreaks/medlink (!--ref1--).

Experts warn of the increasing dengue burden in India, attributing it to rising temperatures, unprecedented floods, and challenges in public health infrastructure.

In the past 24 hours, Bihar has reported 24 new medlinkdengue/medlink cases, pushing the total count of vector-borne diseases to 299 this year. The

The hospitalization of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, due to West Nile virus last

Tax revenues fell in 2019 in two-thirds of economies across Asia and the Pacific as a result of an economic slowdown prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new OECD report.

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.