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South Africa Palabora Mining Company has signed its self-arranged $125m 4-1/2 year club financing. The amortising term loan pays a margin of 150bp over Libor.

Hong Kong Co-ordinating arrangers BOCI Capital and HSBC are waiting for potential lead managers to gain credit approval from their head offices before closing the underwriting stage of the HK$12bn dual tranche fundraising for Hutchison Whampoa.

Europe * Delphinus 2001-I BV

New Zealand The NZ$420m financing for Independent Newspaper, arranged by National Bank of New Zealand, is said to be moving smoothly with a strong response from the market.

It has been Royal Ascot Week as well as the Euromoney annual jamboree in London for borrowers and investors. Which event was socially the most important? We will not be drawn into any argument which might ruffle the sensitivities of our chairman - suffice to say that the standards of behaviour among the Euromoney delegates were far superior to those of the Ascot race-goers. But this is, after all, the summer party season. Many of the ladies at Ascot looked stunning in their finery and we always ask ourselves why hats are not worn on more occasions other than Royal Ascot, weddings and funerals. Ladies' hats do not cover up. Instead, the right choice can accentuate beauty, highlight good bone structure and soften profiles. We are also not being in the slightest way anti-feminist when we say that ladies walk with much more gracious poise when they are expensively hatted.

Hungary Bidding banks are waiting for the City of Budapest to award a mandate for its Eu100m EIB guaranteed facility.

Export Development Corp has issued a ¥600 million ($4.97 million) note that matures in July 2016. It pays interest semi-annually and has a final coupon of 1.7%. The issuer has used three currencies this year: yen, euro and US dollar. US dollar accounts for almost 90% of its trading volume in 2001.

Electricite de France has raised the limit off its programme for the issuance of debt instruments to $5 billion from $3 billion.

French state owned Entreprise Minière et Chimique (EMC) this week awarded JP Morgan and Natexis Banques Populaires the mandate to arrange a Eu1.5bn EuroMTN programme. The banks said the programme will be signed next week and that an inaugural transaction off the programme will follow soon after.

Enterprise Inns, the UK pubs owner, will partially finance the £260m acquisition of 432 pubs from Scottish & Newcastle with a £66m one for six rights issue. HSBC and Deutsche Bank will lead the deal, which was announced on Monday and will be wrapped up soon after shareholders approve the acquisition on July 4. The shares will be offered at 490p, a discount of 19% to the share price at the launch of the offer.

Hungary * Republic of Hungary