Staff Reporter

South Africans should not expect large-scale tax relief in this year’s budget. It is likely that the focus will instead fall on social spending with, among others, the planned national pension fund and possibly a basic income subsidy as the core issues, notwithstanding the fact that room for tax relief for individuals does, in fact, exist.

An Iranian website fiercely critical of the President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been shut down in an apparent fresh crackdown on anti-government dissent on the internet. Baztab, a fundamentalist site which has previously accused Ahmadinejad of betraying the Islamic revolution by attending a female dance show, has been closed for acting against the Constitution

South Africans may be basking in the joy of hosting the 2010 World Cup, but we should not forget that this is a time for the whole continent to rejoice. The event provides all of Africa with the chance to open the eyes of the world to our rich potential — that which will perhaps be the most important legacy of what has been described as "Africa’s World Cup".

Indian police were on Monday investigating a hospital’s involvement in illegal female foeticide after 437 baby bones were dug up close by the complex, a state government said on Monday. Police began unearthing the bones on Saturday from Christian Medical Hospital, in central Madhya Pradesh state, after a tip-off that medical staff were carrying out illegal abortions.

This year’s national budget is expected to introduce further initiatives that promote personal savings and discourage overspending after several years of conspicuous consumption by South African consumers. The national manager of financial planning at MortgageSA says the Treasury will almost certainly focus on putting brakes on consumer spending.

Zimbabwe’s main opposition vowed on Monday to organise more rallies against President Robert Mugabe’s rule despite a brutal police crackdown on the weekend. Scores were hurt and about 130 arrested on Sunday as riot police used tear gas and water cannons to break up a planned rally in Harare by chief opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Twenty four hours after being thrust into the limelight of today’s gossip-obsessed celebrity culture, Britney Spears’ newly freed hair was considering its future. While advisers gathered, agents hovered and rehab beckoned, the hair was said to be resting at a salon in Los Angeles, simply trying to find itself.

Police in Zimbabwe fired teargas and used water cannon to break up an opposition rally on Sunday as it was confirmed that three people had died in a cholera outbreak caused by water contamination in the country’s increasingly chaotic towns and cities.

Lion of Africa Life Assurance, the wholly owned subsidiary of Commlife Holdings, has launched one of the first Zimele-approved products — a funeral plan. The Zimele initiative aims to ensure that South Africa’s estimated 17,5-million low-income earners are given access to appropriate life-insurance products.

Most insurance-related complaints arise as a result of policyholders not being informed or having the time to read the fine print on their policies. A good broker will keep you in the know, but it is always commendable to have an understanding of potential pitfalls.

The Media introduces a new regular feature for media planners this month. Every month, a different media agency will be asked to draw up an advertising plan based on a fictitious brief provided by <i>The Media</i> team. The MediaShop’s Richard Lord was the first to participate.

Metropolitan’s chief economist and head of international portfolio management, Réjane Woodroffe, is working from home this week, so I call a cell number. The line is excellent, and I find it difficult to believe the voice on the other end — so close it could be in the next room — is speaking from a rondavel in the Eastern Cape, reached via satellite phone.

HIV prevalence on the semi-autonomous Tanzanian island of Zanzibar is on the rise, prompting officials to call for a more targeted response to HIV/Aids. According to government estimates, HIV figures have increased from 0,6% in 2002 to 0,9% in 2006.

An astonishing picture of life inside Baghdad’s schools has been revealed by a group of Iraqi teachers who have travelled to the United Kingdom to gain respite from the daily bloodshed they witness. One, Suad Saleem Abdulla, described how she pulled her own children close every morning and said goodbye as if it was the last time she would ever see them.

Widespread desertions from Zimbabwe’s army and police are weakening President Robert Mugabe’s security forces as large strikes loom because of the country’s deepening economic collapse. With inflation now at a global record of 1 600 per cent, the <i>Observer</i> can reveal that soldiers and police officers who cannot feed their families are leaving their posts in large numbers.

General strikes against growing poverty in Guinea have triggered a series of events that may lead to the near collapse of the 27-year-old regime of President Lansana Conte. Close to 100 people have been killed in violent clashes between strikers and the police and recently Conte decreed martial law and a 20-hour curfew that has further antagonised the population.

Lonely hearts may dread Valentine’s Day, but for some industries, February is boom time. Cardies product manager Petra Marais said the chain definitely saw higher sales around Valentine’s Day. "Compared to the rest of the year, it’s anything from 20% to 25% higher."

A South Korean woman has claimed the world karaoke record after singing for nearly 60 hours on Valentine’s Day to cheer up her sick husband, reports said on Thursday. Kim Seok-Ok (52) collapsed in exhaustion after a marathon 59-hour, 48-minute singing session at a Seoul karaoke bar.

A welcome breathing space opened up this week, as those with their hands on the levers of power let policy take precedence over politics. Measures outlined in President Thabo Mbeki’s State of the Nation address, which will be fleshed out in the budget, provide hope for a more meaningful attack on poverty.

The Life Offices’ Association has announced far-reaching new measures aimed at ensuring that South Africa’s estimated 17,5-million low-income earners are given access to appropriate life-insurance products. The new measures are branded "Zimele" — a Zulu word meaning "to stand on your own two feet".