Vodafone has sunk to a €1.9 billion (£1.6 billion) loss in the six months to September 30 following a Supreme Court ruling in India that could hit the telecoms giant with huge fees in the country.

Organic service revenue during the period was up 0.3% thanks to a strong second quarter and the company also benefited from improvements in South Africa, Spain and Italy, with solid retail performance in Germany and strong commercial acceleration in the UK, the company added.

Vodafone has warned that the end of a long-running court battle with authorities in India could lead to the telecoms giant quitting the country.

The business recently lost a Supreme Court judgment which could leave it on the hook for €3.7 billion (£3.2 billion) and executives said that, without an intervention by the country's government, it would be forced to leave.

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Vodafone chief executive Nick Read said: "The situation is critical. I think the government are left in no doubt on our position.

"We are India's largest foreign direct investment investor and I think there's a moment where you have to say we've been commercially successful and our brand is strong. What we need is a supportive regulator environment and prices that are sustainable.

"It's been a very challenging situation for a long time and, if you look at the share price in India, it is effectively has zero value."

The decade-long battle focuses on how telecoms businesses in the country calculate certain revenues, which are used to calculate regulatory fees.

The nation's sweet tooth helped set Mr Kipling-maker Premier Foods on the road to recovery in the first half, with cake sales rising 8%.

The company, which also makes Oxo cubes and Ambrosia custard, performed better than expected in the six months to September 28, according to new chief executive Alex Whitehouse.

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Boosted by an advertising push, Nissin instant noodles more than doubled sales on the same period last year to capture 4.8% of the pot snacks market.

"It's a more authentic noodle than you'll generally find in the market, and people come back again and again," Mr Whitehouse said.

Mr Kipling's growth followed on from a strong financial year ending in March. Compared with this time two years ago, the brand is selling an extra 22% more cakes across the UK.

rexit fears prompted some customers to start stockpiling products, while cold weather in the second quarter of the financial year lifted Ambrosia.

Mr Whitehouse said the company has become "quite rehearsed" in preparing for Brexit deadlines, and has taken precautions.

"I'm encouraged by our strong start to the year," Mr Whitehouse said. "Our biggest brand, Mr Kipling, has continued its momentum from last year, with sales growth of 8%, while sales of our Nissin branded ranges have more than doubled.

Retailer B&M could abandon its first international market, it revealed on Tuesday, after it was forced to write off its German business Jawoll, taking a major hit to profits.

Profit before tax fell 70.5% to £32.2 million in the first half of the year after it revealed a £59.5 million impairment charge from the German unit.

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Chief executive Simon Arora said B&M would now go back to the drawing board to figure out what to do with the struggling business.

"The performance of Jawoll has continued to be impacted by trading and operational issues and its financial performance remains disappointing.

"The board is carrying out a strategic review of Jawoll in order to determine its future," he said.

Revenue at the German arm increased 3.2% as it opened 10 new stores, bringing the total to 98. But on a like-for-like basis revenue was "held back", the company said, without revealing the figures.