Six journalists, including Rebekah Brooks, the flame-haired former chief of News International, and her husband Charlie have been arrested in the ongoing investigation of the phone-hacking scandal that rocked the UK when Brooks was arrested for the first time last July.

The new arrests in that same investigation opened those wounds anew, even while Brooks and her husband have reportedly been released on bail.Continue reading...

American Airlines calls for quick labor-cost savings.

Apple faces upstarts in smartphones as company prepares to unveil new products.

BP reportedly considers $14-billion spill settlement as trial is delayed.

Chrysler's Ram Trucks brand boosts country-music cred.

Del Taco realigns management team to redefine brand experience.

Dunkin' Donuts offers video-resume app.

Ericsson eyes future in software.

Fifth Third bank campaign focuses on curiosity.

Ford expands Sync footprint, crowdsources mobile vehicle innovations.Continue reading...

Facebook appears ready to go public with $10 billion IPO in early February, despite ire at leak.

Exxon Mobil sells Japanese subsidiary for $4 billion in move to cut refining.

News Corp. reportedly woos Bloomberg exec as Twitter-happy Murdoch sees weekend arrests at The Sun tabloid.

ABB buys Thomas & Betts for $4 billion.

Angry Birds boss doesn't fear piracy.

Apple aims to sell 40 million iPhones in China next year.

Altria sees tobacco users embrace discount brands.

Bank of America shakes up investment banking division.

Barnes & Noble takes on Amazon with fifth Nook device.

Beyonce sees university class focus on her.Continue reading...

AT&T risks customer defections with higher data pricing.

Baskin-Robbins utilizes coquettish voice of Mad Men's Christina Hendricks.

David Beckham, happily back with LA Galaxy, mulls becoming Major League Soccer franchise owner.

Carnival suspends some cruise marketing in wake of Italian shipwreck.

Chevrolet launches Game Time App for "immersive" Super Bowl marketing experience.

Fox makes American Idol available by VOD as first-week ratings dip.

GM claims 2011 global sales crown (incl. record for Chevrolet) but sparks dust-up over tally.Continue reading...

News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch kicked off the new year in a surprise move, for an executive who has been suspicious of social media in the past — he has joined Twitter, where he's been tweeting as @rupertmurdoch since Dec 31st. 

Confirmed by a News Corp. spokesperson and already spoofed by Taiwan's faux news service, NMA TV, so far Murdoch is following four accounts (Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, Google co-founder Larry Page, Amshold Group chairman Alan Sugar and Zynga CEO Mark Pincus) and has weighed in on such matters as the new Steve Jobs bio, promoted his Wall Street Journal team (for an op-ed on Ron Paul) and FOX Studio (for releasing We Bought a Zoo), and praised Michael Bloomberg as "the best mayor" in New York City history. The Guardian posted Twitter tips for Murdoch, including not being so self-promotional.

Update: The Guardian also reports that Murdoch's wife, and self-appointed Twitter czar, Wendi Deng is also on Twitter, where she's been flirting with Ricky Gervais and defending her husband. Update2: It's not Wendi, even though Twitter verified the account.

Apple's environmental impact concerns China.

AT&T has an 11th hour plan to salvage T-Mobile deal and win over reluctant FCC.

American Airlines parent AMR files for bankruptcy protection to restructure debt as talks with pilots end.

American Express launches $20-million giveaway to spur online sales.

BSkyB holds annual meeting as James Murdoch survives investor vote; singer Charlotte Church alleges coverage trade-off for singing at Rupert Murdoch's wedding; and The Guardian reports broadening of News Corp. hacking scandal to include a North Ireland government minister.

Chevrolet gives three-day Sonic test drives to Klout leaders.

Cyber Monday sales come in 15-20 percent higher than a year ago.

Facebook targets $10 billion IPO for spring that would value social network at $100B.

Groupon shares plummet post-IPO.Continue reading...

Rupert Murdoch’s son James will be giving a second round of evidence to a House of Commons select committee this week. According to PaidContent, evidence has emerged that Murdoch's now-shuttered London-based newspaper The News of the World hired a private investigator for video surveillance of Mark Lewis and Charlotte Harris over the past 18 months, two lawyers representing phone-hacking victims as “part of an attempt to gather evidence for false smears about their private lives.” 

Lewis and Harris represented Gordon Taylor and Max Clifford, the first hacking victims to sue the company for hacking their phones. PI Derek Webb has been employed by News of the World since 2003 and physically trailed “hundreds of targets including members of the royal family and serving cabinet ministers,” writes PC. Webb’s surveillance included family members and associates of Lewis and Harris, even targeting Harris’ two young children as well as John Prescott when he was deputy prime minister and Charles Clarke, former home secretary.Continue reading...

Apple reports China as its second-largest market by sales after US. Apple stores will close for a few hours today for an employees-only memorial webcast celebrating Steve Jobs' life.

Amazon's IMDb sued for disclosing actress' real age, while digital deal with DC Comics irks rivals.

Audi-Ford price gap is widest since 1999.

Bank of America is no longer America's largest bank.

Deezer to launch music streaming service in more than 100 countries.

Diageo triumphs in alcohol brand battle.

Disney battles environmentalists at parks, while fans crash website in search of princess dolls.Continue reading...