The OECD Global Forum has released eight peer review reports, for Brunei, Macau, Switzerland, Barbados, the Seychelles, Liberia, Peru, and Tunisia, on the jurisdictions' efforts to adopt and comply with international tax standards on transparency and the exchange of tax-related information on request.

Drugs approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may hold promise in fighting the new infection known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), stated UTSW scientists.

The government of Nigeria has issued a warning over the use of chloroquine to treat COVID-19, after three people got overdosed, and hospitalized due to poisoning.

Medications being used to treat COVID-19 are known to cause prolongation of the QTc in some people. The QTc is an indicator of the health of the heart's electrical recharging system.

Paracetamol, the commonly used painkiller, when administered intravenously, lowers blood pressure. The mechanism underlying this dangerous side effect has been identified.

Heart and kidney patients should keep taking their drugs as inaccurate medical information has flooded social media and other channels, advised researchers.

Two types of diabetes drugs namely SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 drugs were effective in reducing heart complications including stroke, heart attack, and

Regardless of patient gender, age or smoking status, teprotumumab, the first FDA-approved drug for thyroid eye disease, provides significant improvement

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

Improved outcomes of newer drug in some patients could be due to a more complete reversal of the effects of muscle relaxants used during surgery. The

Hydroxychloroquine shows weak evidence of its effectiveness against coronavirus in the new study. The drug has been identified by the US Food and

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.

Aspirin was found to be associated with reduction in the risk of several cancers of the digestive tract, stated new study. The largest and most comprehensive

The pandemic has suddenly changed the medication needs of masses with a clear preference being shown for respiratory, anti-diabetic, cardiac therapies.

A promising new strategy for combating malaria, a mosquito-borne parasite that claims nearly a half-million lives each year has been discovered by researchers.

New study has shed light on how an important front-line ethambutol drug kills the tuberculosis bacterium. The study has been conducted by University of Birmingham scientists.

X-ray CT scanning helps to quantify the tiny microstructures of individual particles from the drug products used for asthma at the nano-scale, according

Most seriously ill COVID-19 patients will be treated with the antiviral medication Remdesivir in America the maker of the drug has announced, as tensions

In treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients, anticoagulants or blood thinners help improve their chances of survival, reported Mount Sinai COVID Informatics Center researchers.

Treating a breastfeeding parent with metformin, a common diabetes drug was found to provide male offspring lifelong protection against diabetes and obesity,

Olanzapine decreases the risk of nausea and vomiting among patients with advanced cancer, according to the study published in iJAMA Oncology/i. Charles Loprinzi, M.

How the long-term use of proton pump inhibitors could increase the risk of developing dementia has been explained in a study published in the journal iAlzheimer's (and) Dementia/i.

The Italian Department of Finance has released new lists of government and private sector entities covered by Italy's split-payment mechanism.

New Zealand's opposition National Party has released its plans for tax reform, announcing it would review whether to lower the corporate tax rate.

On September 6, 2019, the Dutch Ministry of Finance announced proposals to reforms the tax rules for savings income.

The New Zealand Government has announced that it will adopt two tax incentives proposed by the Tax Working Group: a deduction for "feasibility expenditure" for businesses, and relaxed loss continuity rules.

Caribbean territory Trinidad and Tobago announced changes to corporate tax breaks in its 2020 Budget, in which it committed to clear the almost TTD4.5bn (USD664m) in unpaid VAT refunds.

Representatives from US trade and industry associations have voiced concern about a digital services tax proposal floated during the recent Canadian election which they argue will "impose discriminatory requirements on the digital economy."

On June 28, 2019, the Swedish Government announced that it has begun the legislative process to implement European Union e-commerce value-added tax reforms.

A new report has been issued following an audit into how taxes in Malta are administered.

Malta's tonnage tax scheme has been conditionally approved for a period of 10 years by the European Commission under EU state aid rules.

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.

Belgium's tax agency has announced that its MyMinfin portal is now open for multinational taxpayers seeking to correct errors in filed country-by-country reports.

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.

Belgium should continue to pursue structural reforms to its tax, labor, and pension systems, a new report from the OECD recommends.

On March 24, 2020, the Belgian tax authority announced value-added tax will not be levied on medical equipment donated to hospitals and healthcare facilities.

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.

In a new report, the OECD has drawn attention to criminal activity in free trade zones, which typically offer tax privileges and lighter regulation, highlighting that they may be unintentionally fostering growth in counterfeit goods.

Hong Kong's Legislative Council has passed legislation to improve the jurisdiction's tax incentives for research and development spending.

Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department has released new guidance notes on the deduction of foreign taxes.

Hong Kong's 2020 Budget includes plans for a one-off reduction of profits tax, salaries tax, and tax under personal assessment.

Switzerland has released a report on its efforts to resolve tax disputes, noting that the average time to complete mutual agreement procedure cases was 13 months in 2018, significantly below that required under the BEPS minimum standards.

The Swiss Government has released new legislation governing Switzerland's application of provisions in its network of double tax agreements.

The advisory board tasked with reporting on the state of Switzerland's financial center has recommended that the country overhaul its withholding tax system to improve its capital market offering.

The OECD Global Forum has released eight peer review reports, for Brunei, Macau, Switzerland, Barbados, the Seychelles, Liberia, Peru, and Tunisia, on the jurisdictions' efforts to adopt and comply with international tax standards on transparency and the exchange of tax-related information on request.

The OECD's Global Forum has found Switzerland largely compliant with the international standards on transparency and the exchange of information upon request.

The UAE's Federal Tax Authority has issued guidance on whether a supplier or consumer is liable for VAT on goods or services for contracts negotiated before VAT was introduced.

In a new report, the OECD has drawn attention to criminal activity in free trade zones, which typically offer tax privileges and lighter regulation, highlighting that they may be unintentionally fostering growth in counterfeit goods.

The European Commission is to take steps to ensure that EU external development and investment funds cannot be channelled or transited through entities in countries included on the EU's "blacklist" of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.

Citizens from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will newly be able to claim refunds for the VAT they incur when building their own home.