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The cigarettes giant British American Tobacco still managed to fire up its rewards to shareholders despite a continued decline in smoking in western Europe and the United States.

US Outlook: Those optimistic investors who are paying 10 times annual revenue for a share of LinkedIn ought to look over their shoulder.

Facebook is planning to announce that advertising will soon be allowed on its mobile apps, a move designed to bolster its flotation price.

Laura Chesters asks why we in Britain can't come up with a tech giant like Facebook

When James of Vitry, new Bishop of Acre, arrived at his see in 1216, he apparently wasn't terribly impressed. The earlier Christian Crusades had left behind a string of Crusader statelets down the Mediterranean coast and Acre, close to Jerusalem, had become the most important port in the region, a gateway for pilgrims and a centre for trade. Piety it didn't do nearly as well. In fact, Bishop James thought it was all a bit Gomorrah-on-Sea, distressing proof that the ideals of the earlier Christian adventurers had been corrupted by economic power and pragmatic exchange. In the last of his interesting series The Crusades, Thomas Asbridge showed us a rather literal token of this accommodation between theological purpose and day-to-day profit – gold coins minted by the Crusader knights in imitation of Egyptian Islamic originals. When it came to cash they were open to multi-faith dialogue, however intransigent they might be when on their knees praying.

Welcome to the corporate Premier League, John Browett. The Dixons Retail boss has been poached by Apple to run its fast-expanding retail operation and shareholders are anything but happy about his departure. The fact that he has more or less kept the show on the road is seen as no small achievement.

Outlook: Welcome to the corporate Premier League, John Browett. The Dixons Retail boss has been poached by Apple to run its fast-expanding retail operation and shareholders are anything but happy about his departure. The fact that he has more or less kept the show on the road is seen as no small achievement.

International universities are weaving a worldwide web of opportunity for their students, Jessica Moore discovers

Police say gunmen have killed a local television journalist in a mosque in northwest Pakistan.

With youth unemployment at over one million, entrepreneurship holds the key for the UK to recover out of the recession, says Rajeeb Dey

Around 80 traders at money broker Tullett Prebon have lost their jobs in the City and on Wall Street as austerity bites.

Despite high hopes at the start of the year, takeover activity in the Square Mile ended up being rather subdued during 2011. However, punters praying the next 12 months may prove to be different will have been cheered yesterday by the revival of takeover talk around a number of stocks. One of them was Go-Ahead, the transport group which has been frequently suggested as a possible target. Vague rumours of a potential approach were doing the rounds last November, and yesterday it was back in the spotlight thanks to Liberum Capital.

Nine years after his death, The Clash's rhythm-guitarist, Joe Strummer, is still supporting new talent. By Ian Burrell