Apple reportedly cuts licensing deal with EMI and moves closer to cloud-based music service, as iPad sales impact HP and Dell.

AT&T presses case for T-Mobile merger.

CBS brings Ashton Kutcher and his Two and a Half Men co-stars at advertisers' fall upfront.

Citigroup awards CEO Vikram Pandit with big retention package.

Coca-Cola launches 2012 Olympics promotion a year early.

Delta cuts capacity to Europe with Air France as airline’s executives recount complex merger with Northwest.

Disney reportedly seeks to develop TV series about SEALS team that killed Osama bin Laden.

Facebook gets new scrutiny over kids in social ads.

Gap CEO undertakes urgent revamp of the brand.Continue reading...

Apple's latest iPad 2 customer: the Queen of England.

AT&T defends T-Mobile acquisition.

Cisco predicts more hardship and further job cuts.

Deutsche Borse head urges NYSE shareholders to approve merger.

Goldman Sachs reputation suffers in poll.

Hermes results quantify comeback of luxury sector.

J&J recalls HIV drug as its Cordis unit loses patent dispute to Boston Scientific.Continue reading...

As Japan nuclear crisis continues, Tokyo Electric Power downgraded by Moody's.

BlackBerry owner RIM locks horns with wireless carriers over mobile-payment data.

Disney reminds TV advertisers that Mom is watching too.

General Mills is in talks to buy $1.1 billion stake in Yoplait for more than 50% of brand.

GM considers expanding into dealer-inventory financing.

Honda tries to patch supply chain back together in Japan, while GM shutters Louisiana pick-up truck plant due to parts shortage from Japan.Continue reading...

It's getting to the point where one might consider LVMH the European Union of brands.

The French conglomerate, which legitimately calls itself a "world leader in luxury goods," owns 60 upper echelon brands, many of which have the kind of global cachet most brands can only dream about. These brands accounted last year for more than 20 billion euros in sales and 3 billion euros in profit.

The LVMH stable includes Dom Perignon, Krug and Hennessy in wine and spirits; TAG Heuer and DeBeers in watches and jewelry; Celine, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton in fashion; Christian Dior, Emilio Pucci and Fendi in perfumes and cosmetics; and beauty products purveyor Sephora in specialty retailing.

Add the one billion-euro Italian luxury jewelry brand, Bulgari to the list, acquired this week by LVMH.Continue reading...

The biggest news at Paris Fashion Week continues, as Dior chief today attends ousted designer John Galliano's private label fall runway showing in Paris (above), and says he will keep continue to financially support Galliano's label for now. Other fashion news:

• Also making a splash at Paris Fashion Week: Chanel fetes Blake Lively as brand's latest handbag ambassador ... LVMH circles its next target: Hermès ... Former Burberry ambassador and Harry Potter star Emma Watson is collaborating on an eco-friendly fashion collection for Alberta Ferretti.Continue reading...

Alfa Romeo lures European auto giants. 

AOL said to acquire Outside.In, a hyperlocal media network.

Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Nelly Furtado caught up in Gaddafi scandal.

BP denies bonuses to three top executives over oil spill. 

Burberry designer lauded for tech savvy by Vogue.

Chevrolet readies experiential events for SXSW. 

Chrysler recalls a quarter-million vehicles, while spider prompts Mazda recall.Continue reading...

Super Bowl ads start to rev up as Audi sets the stage, CareerBuilder returns with monkey theme, PepsiCo boosts spots to seven, Skechers taps Kim Kardashian, and CarMax signs up for first national Super Bowl TV spot.

Adobe boosts privacy in Flash.

Borders closes in on refinancing.

Chrysler bailout is criticized by federal watchdog panel.

Delta takes “bumping” online.

Groupon discusses an IPO.Continue reading...

Altria, R.J. Reynolds and Lorillard face tougher tobacco marketing rules in US.

Apple launches app store for Mac software.

Bank of America categorizes clients, adds fees.

Boeing loses major 747 order due to delays.

BP spill inquiry to report that disaster "likely" to recur; and hears that microbes may have mitigated methane damage in the Gulf.

CNN books Oprah as first guest for Piers Morgan's post-Larry King debut on Jan. 17; Madonna still banned as "boring."Continue reading...