Sharon Olalia

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, love is in the air – but criminals are in the ether too. Cyber-criminals love a good scam, and they especially love events like Valentine’s Day when people let them in by opening their hearts – and their computer systems.

Nokia is poised to unveil a brand-new strategy at a February 11 briefing to investors in London. Rumour has it the Finnish mobile giant is set to announce some dramatic changes tomorrow morning.

Otago peninsula, the Wildlife capital of New Zealand, has been proclaimed one of the most romantic places on the planet to propose marriage.

Small businesses struggling to recover from recent declines in the economy may need to re-examine the training of their sales force, said Shape Your Business mentor Mike Reddy.

United Kingdom high-end engineering consultancy Frazer-Nash will open its first overseas office in Adelaide, South Australia, to take advantage of commercial opportunities in the defence industry.

Leighton Holdings Ltd (ASX:LEI) says its Thiess Services will benefit from a major five year Telstra contract awarded to Silcar, a joint venture company between Thiess Services and Siemens Ltd.

Average salaries of health and safety professionals increase 9.6 per cent, more than double the CPI, according to a recently released survey.

The number of new Australian owner-occupier mortgages hit a 10-year low in 2010, signaling continued consumer uncertainty about the property market, new data show.

AFP Firearms and Explosive Detector (FED) dog ‘Quatro’ will become the first AFP canine to receive a service medal.

Australia’s national carrier Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) says claims being made by the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) about Qantas pilots’ job security being under threat are completely unfounded.

Minister for Home Affairs and Justice Brendan O'Connor today welcomed the passage of tougher laws against aviation crimes such as bomb hoaxes and endangering an aircraft in flight.

As Queensland copes with the impacts of the 2010-2011 wet season, research undertaken by the Australian Institute of Marine Science shows the frequency of extreme rainfall events has increased since the late 19th century.

Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, Senator the Hon David Feeney, today announced that the government will relax the policy on replacement of Australian Defence Force (ADF) medals so that medals lost during the Queensland and Victorian floods, the impact of Cyclone Yasi and the fires in Western Australia can be replaced.

NSW Opposition Leader Barry O’Farrell’s speech to the National Press Club today makes a reasoned case for reforms to drive better infrastructure and productivity outcomes, says Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, the nation’s peak infrastructure industry group.

Leighton Properties and Grosvenor Australia have commenced construction of the landmark 25,660sqm Eclipse Tower at 60 Station Street, Parramatta after securing tenancy pre-commitments of approximately 70 per cent from two major corporations.

Cigarette lighters that look like children's toys and 'sky lanterns' are among the first 10 permanent product bans made under the new Australian Consumer Law, said Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, David Bradbury.

The Commonwealth Bank Group (ASX: CBA) says it expects to open its first County Bank at Jiyuan in China’s Henan province later this month.

Global miner Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has approved a US$933 million investment to extend the life of the Marandoo iron ore mine by 16 years to 2030.

Suncorp Group Ltd (ASX: SUN) has set up mobile claims and assessment offices in Cardwell and Tully to assist cyclone-affected customers.

A flat property market amid a healing economy, gradually improving consumer confidence and a likely construction boom in the aftermath of the recent natural disasters in Queensland and other parts of Australia are all likely to contribute towards a year of extremes within in the Australian economy, including a period of higher inflation during the second half of 2011, according to national accounting firm Chan & Naylor.

National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX:NAB) has beat market expectations to reveal an 18 per cent lift in first-quarter cash profit thanks to lower provisions for bad debts and increased banking revenue.

Australia's largest investment bank Macquarie Group Ltd (ASX:MQG) said market conditions continued to recover from the worst downturn in its trading history, but warned second-half profit could fall by 5 per cent from the year before.

Australian telco giant Telstra (ASX:TLS) says mobile services should be largely restored by tomorrow after significant progress in restoring thousands of services disrupted and damaged by Cyclone Yasi in Far North Queensland.

The Commonwealth Government will provide assistance for communities in Western Australia hit by severe bushfires over the past 72 hours.

Commonwealth assistance will be extended to areas in Victoria affected by severe rainfall and flooding over the weekend, according to Attorney-General Robert McClelland.

Energy company Jatoil Ltd (ASX:JAT) has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire four coal exploration permits and permit applications in the Galilee Basin in central Queensland.

St.George Bank says customers who are suffering financial hardship as a result of the current bushfires near Perth, should contact the bank as soon as possible to discuss their individual circumstances and seek assistance.

Although the popularity of fixed rate home loans remains higher than the last couple of years, it barely rose as 2011 began.

JB Hi-Fi Ltd (ASX:JBH) has booked a record half-year net profit of $87.9 million, up 15.6 per cent on the first-half of 2009/10.