A round-up of today's other stories in brief

BHP, conceding defeat for the third straight time on a major proposed merger or acquisition, signalled with its revived $4.2 billion share buyback that it had limited opportunities for other big buys.

BHP restarts share buyback after potash bid collapse

BHP Billiton scrapped its $39 billion bid for Canada’s Potash yesterday, and bowed to calls from investors to return cash, a move that came days after regulators blocked the year’s biggest takeover deal.

Shareholders at the world’s largest miner are eager to hear what further growth prospects the company will chase with its cash pile when BHP chief executive Marius Kloppers fronts the group’s annual meeting in Australia today. Canada blocked BHP’s hostile bid for the world’s largest fertiliser maker last week and gave BHP a month to prove the takeover would benefit Canada.

– (Reuters)

Bankers in talks about bonus pool

Some of Britain's biggest banks were said to be in talks about reducing the multi-billion pound staff bonus pot. The bonus pool could be slashed to £4 billion from £7 billion. News of the talks follows warnings from both business secretary Vince Cable and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg about banks paying big bonuses given the state of the economy. A new levy on banks' balance sheets is due to come into force in 2011. Ministers hope it will raise more than £8 billion over the next four years. - (PA)

Anadarko finds oil off Sierra Leone

Exploration group Anadarko has discovered oil in a well off the coast of Sierra Leone, a prospect in which Irish firm Tullow Oil has a 10 per cent stake.

The well, drilled at a depth of about 15,950ft (4,860m) in about 5,250ft of water, is Anadarko's second deep-water test in the Sierra Leone-Liberian basin. It is 40 miles south of the company's existing Venus discovery.

"These results continue to build momentum . . . and our confidence," Anadarko Exploration vice-president Bob Daniels said.

€10m in losses at Readymix

Cement manufacturer Readymix lost €10 million in the first nine months of the year, according to its latest figures. The company said sales were down €13.8 million in the third quarter, and revenues for the first nine months were down 33 per cent on 2009.

"Total losses for the nine-month period, before tax, are approximately €10.1 million, compared to losses of €8.5 million for the first nine months of 2009," it said.