A giant tortoise thought to be one of the world’s oldest creatures has died in a Calcutta zoo, ending a life that spanned much of modern Indian history.

Jewellery retailer Signet revealed today that its Ernest Jones and H Samuel chains had sunk deeper into the red.

Jewellery group Signet lost some of the sparkle from “excellent” first half results today after reporting that trading conditions cooled in August.

Hunters scoured thick forests today searching for a wild elephant that rampaged through villages on both sides of the India-Nepal border, trampling 12 people to death.

A leading American tobacco litigation lawyer will tell the Minister for Health today that the Government potentially has a £18bn case against the industry.