The EU has removed three countries from its list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions and added a further three.

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.

The United Arab Emirates' Federal Tax Authority has issued guidance on obtaining refunds of value-added tax on new homes.

The UAE has recently passed legislation to introduce new country-by-country reporting requirements and new economic substance requirements.

Oman's Government has released a statement confirming that it is preparing to introduce VAT legislation into parliament to implement the levy without delay.

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 Japanese and Danish governments announced on October 11 that they had signed a new agreement for the avoidance of double taxation in Tokyo.

Japan's proposed sales tax hike is expected to go ahead as planned in 2019 after a landslide win by incumbent Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

In introducing its new 2017 International Tax Competitiveness Index, the Tax Foundation, a US tax policy think tank, notes the importance of simple but effective tax regimes and highlights New Zealand as the country that has implemented particularly positive reforms.

Hong Kong has signed a new free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is expected to become effective from January 2019.

The EU's new free trade agreement with Japan, finalized by negotiators from both sides on December 8, 2017, has been described as the European bloc's most comprehensive yet.

In an e-brief issued on December 12, 2017, the Irish tax agency announced that maximum withholding tax rates on cross-border passive income have been lowered under the Ireland-Chile double tax agreement.

Japan's ruling Liberal Democrat Party has approved a tax reform package that will cut corporate rates for companies who increase employee wages.

Japan's Ministry of Finance has reported the signing of a double tax agreement with Iceland in Reykjavik.

Ministers from 11 countries have announced their agreement upon the "core elements" of a new Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Japan's Cabinet recently approved tax reform bills, which have now been introduced into the country's parliament for debate.

Australia's free trade agreements are being widely used by Australian businesses, according to a new report commissioned by the Government.

The fifth round of tariff cuts under the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement have entered into force.

The US Internal Revenue Services has released its annual report on the number of advance pricing agreements and applications and made during the 2017 calendar year.

Following its passage through Japan's parliament, the Diet, measures in Japan's 2018 tax reform package became law on April 1, 2018.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, has announced a task force will be set up to consider ways to mitigate the negative impact of the planned 2019 consumption tax rise.

The EU and Japan have signed an Economic Partnership Agreement that will remove the majority of the EUR1bn (USD1.2bn) of duties paid annually by EU companies exporting to Japan.

The OECD has reported on the progress achieved to improve tax transparency internationally under the new Common Reporting Standard (CRS), ahead of the meeting of G20 finance ministers in Fukuoka, Japan.

South Korea's Government has announced that it will provide tax relief to small and medium size businesses that have been affected by Japan's decision to remove 159 South Korea products from its export "white list."

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

On January 8, 2020, Japan and Morocco signed a double taxation agreement.

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

Highlights: Zika virus can specifically kill brain cancer cells, without harming normal cells It

Highlights: In India, the concept of brain death has been closely linked with organ donation In the ca

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

Highlights: Boron can now be retained within cancer cells using a novel method Trapping boron within ca

Highlights: Bacteria living in household dust particles have been detected These are capable of transmitting

Highlights : A way to utilize existing chemotherapy in a more efficient manner in treating pancreat

Highlights: A low-cost test can identify patients at high risk of requiring dialysis or transplant

Highlights: Quitting smoking at any age significantly reduces the risk of lung cancer Healthy lung cell

Highlights: Early genetic signs, years before diagnosis, could signal cancer development in the future

Highlights: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and brain scanning can predict which treatment is best for de

Highlights: Personalized therapeutic cancer vaccines are likely to be available soon A new type of deli

Highlights: World Encephalitis Day is celebrated annually on 22 nd February Its major objective is to raise awaren

Highlights: A sensor based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been developed The sensor can inst

Highlights: A common intestinal bacterium has been identified that secretes a carcinogen The carcinogen produ

Highlights: The current global crisis with COVID-19 infection provides telehealth the ideal opport

Highlights : In India, over 17,265 confirmed novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases and 543 deaths as of yesterd

Highlights : Coronavirus cases have crossed over 50,000 in India, despite being under strict lockdown Social distanc

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has automatically registered 95,000 businesses for its simplified import procedures, allowing most UK traders up to six months to pay import duties and submit customs declarations, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on October 31, 2019.

On November 5, 2019, the UK Government released the synthesized text of the Luxembourg-UK double tax agreement, as modified by the BEPS multilateral instrument.

New Zealand is the easiest place in the world to do business, according to the World Bank's new Doing Business 2020 report, which looks at the simplicity of setting up, operating, and paying taxes in 190 territories around the world.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that his party intends to cancel a planned cut to the corporate tax rate, which was scheduled for April 2020.

The UK Government on January 10, 2020, released the synthesized text of the 1987 Belgium-UK double tax agreement, as modified by the BEPS multilateral instrument.

The Federal Association of German Industry, the BDI, has urged the German government to forge ahead with corporate tax reforms, warning that Germany's corporate tax regime is becoming increasingly out of step with the country's competitors.