COMPANIES

Japanese officials said they failed on Sunday in repeated attempts to seal a crack they had identified as one source of radioactive water leak into the Pacific.

Banks now face the need to rebuild customer loyalty as a new survey shows over half of regional and rural Australians have lost faith in their bank and many believe change is necessary.

Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd (ASX:VBA) says its new Airbus A330 Sydney-Perth service will commence operation on 26 May 2011, subject to regulatory approvals.

Biota Holdings Ltd (ASX:BTA) says the US government has awarded an estimated US$231 million contract to its wholly owned US subsidiary for the advanced development of Laninamivir, an influenza antiviral, known as a long acting neuraminidase inhibitor (LANI) and a unique treatment for influenza.

Australians will pay an estimated $821 million extra per year for their private health insurance from today, 1 April, but it’s no April Fool’s Day joke.

Queenslanders’ need for new household goods following the natural disasters of late December and January have contributed to a moderate bounce in retail figures released today, Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA) CEO Margy Osmond said.

Google has announced the launch of Google Fiber in Kansas City to provide users there with Internet access more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have today. The response was overwhelming-nearly 1,100 cities felt the need for speed-and we were thrilled by the enthusiasm we saw across the country for better and faster web connections.

Dealing with the government and private sector in countries Australia and Singapore were perceived to be the least tainted with corruption, a new survey made by Hong Kong-based Political & Economic Risk Consultancy, Ltd.'s (PERC) latest Asian Intelligence report indicated.

Mobile phone giant Nokia has filed another found of complaint with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) against Apple, alleging that the company infringes additional Nokia patents in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, tablets and computers.

Westpac Online Investing, has slashed brokerage rates to bring it in line with larger rivals Commsec and E*Trade in a bid to double its market share by mid-2013according to a report by the Australian Financial Review.

Leading mobile affiliate network MobPartner just closed a $3.5 million first round from Alven Capital and Newfund. This funding will enable MobPartner to accelerate its international growth.

Gaming console giant Nintendo has announced the launch of several new gaming applications which aims to provide entertainment for players of all ages. The company invites players of any to check out new demo versions of games for the WiiWare service - one offering competitive darts challenges, the other giving preschoolers a fun way to learn by interacting with baby animals.

Online shopping giant eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) has announced completion of a plan to acquire GSI Commerce (NASDAQ: GSIC), a leading provider of ecommerce and interactive marketing services, for $29.25 a share, or total consideration of approximately $2.4 billion. The acquisition, which will be financed with cash and debt, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011.

Ratings agency, Fitch Ratings says it does does not expect eBay Inc.'s (eBay) proposed acquisition of GSI Commerce, Inc. (GSI) to have an impact on eBay's ratings.

If you are one of those people who are in pressing financial situations and need money fast, here is a list of companies that can provide you payday loans or cash in no time.

Australian logistics firm Brambles Ltd has announced that it has received final approval from the United States authorities to proceed with its A$1.24-billion acquisition of plastic container pooling service IFCO Systems NV.

Fairfax Media has appointed Craig Frost as Real Estate Director - Domain in Melbourne within the company's new Marketplaces division.

The cities of Beijing and Chongqing, China have recently issued a rule banning outdoor advertising that tends to promote high-end lifestyles and may trigger social unrest.

Japanese authorities will distribute bottled water to some 80,000 families dislocated by the earthquake as that tap water may not be safe for drinking in areas near the Fukushima nuclear plant.

The Australian mobile phones market continue its climb and latest figures from IDC Australia showed that almost 13 million units were snatched by local consumers in 2010 alone, coming from the 10.99 million handsets sold in the previous year.

Following the move of the United States, Australia also imposed restrictions on some food products from Japanese prefectures near the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.

Australia’s emerging mobile commerce (m-commerce) registered total sales of up to $155 million in 2010 despite consumer concerns on security of online purchases, according to a new survey conducted by Nielsen.

Qantas Airways has announced that it would further increase domestic, regional, and trans-Tasman flights for the second time after the forward adjustment made in February due to higher fuel prices.

Deakin University and Chinese steel giant, Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corporation (WISCO), have entered into a partnership to set up a research center to map the future of the global car manufacturing industry.

The Australian Parliament has approved the Commonwealth Government's Flood and Cyclone Levy Bill, which has earmarked some $5.6 billion in funds for the reconstruction of severely damaged townships.

Fortescue Metals' Andrew "Twiggy'' Forrest has jumped from number two to number one on the BRW executives' list of the richest 200.

Symex Holdings Ltd (ASX:SYM) says it is planning to extend White King beyond just the bleach category after acquiring the iconic brand late last year.

Apple has announced that iPad 2, the second-generation of its third post-PC device, will go on sale in 25 additional countries this Friday, March 25.

Boeing and United Continental Holdings, Inc. has entered into an agreement to modify United Airlines' 777 fleet with a Performance Improvement Package with the aim of achieving greater fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.