Thursday Papers: Foster’s rejects A$2.7bn bid for wine assets - bid news and gossip

* Greene King, the Suffolk-based pub owner and brewer, reported a 4.4pc rise in sales at its managed pubs, helped by a jump in demand for meals.

* Top institutional investors are to demand that Barclays strengthens its board with extra non-executive directors to ensure a better balance of power when Bob Diamond becomes chief executive.

The Guardian

* Dana Petroleum's largest shareholder, Schroders, dismisses FTSE 250 company's defence strategy in its bid battle with Korean state-controlled oil producer.

Daily Mail

* Italian restaurant group Prezzo is set to revive its growth plans, boosted by buoyant trading in the first half of the year.

* The pace of economic growth nearly halved over the summer, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research said, as it predicted interest rates would remain on hold until next summer.