British Gas owner Centrica has clobbered shareholders with an “urgent” dividend cut to shore up its finances as profits fell by more than a third.

Annual profits at British Gas owner Centrica have fallen 35% to £1.75 billion in a “very difficult year” for the company, it said today.

The Irish team faces an uphill journey, but the intrepid Pedal to Poland cyclists face a flat one as they power towards their final destination and that date with Spain.

SEVENTY years ago Billy Conn, weighing 174 pounds and fighting out of East Liberty, Pittsburgh, took on the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis, for the heavyweight title.

BP has not paid its chief executive a bonus in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, its annual report revealed today, but two senior directors will receive combined payouts worth nearly £700,000 (€817,117) on top of their regular salaries.

Further Adventures of James Joyce, Colm Herron. Dakota; €7.50

A new theatrical production marking the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls will be staged this week.

The BP executive in charge of the Texas City refinery hit by a fatal blast two years ago is to step down at the end of August, the oil giant said today.

VATICAN officials cited Church law that called for automatic excommunication in condemning China for appointing bishops without papal consent, but yesterday legal experts said the appointees may be spared formal censure because they may have been pressured.

Alfie Conn has warned Kenny Miller about the grief he faces for crossing the Old Firm divide.

Connacht 1-15 Munster 0-9

Oil giant BP has appointed Tom McKillop, chief executive of drugs group AstraZeneca, as a non-executive director.

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are being asked to return in Grease 3, playing the characters they played in the original 1978 film.