Now current owners the MS Society said it had signed an initial agreement with a locally-based care centre.

BBC: Helen Ley centre

De Hoop Scheffer said NATO ambassadors reached an initial agreement on Allawi's request at a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday.

CNN: Bush, NATO focus on Iraq

Zhejiang is investing in additional highways, and has signed an initial agreement for a stake in Wenzhou Bridge in its home province.

CNN: TARRED BY A BROAD BRUSH

The ECB may have been central but, like other institutions, it signed off on an initial agreement that was widely criticized because it would have taxed all depositors in Cyprus banks, even those with small accounts.

WSJ: Cyprus Deal Hurts Credibility All Around

The Court ruled that just because an agreement barred further exercise of the termination right, it did not run afoul of the statute which does not permit an initial agreement that prospectively eliminates the termination right.

FORBES: Fighting For The Right To Superman's Copyright: More Brutal Than Anything Lex Luthor Could Have Imagined

However, the deal is yet to be finalised, as the LSE Group is trying to renegotiate terms of an initial agreement made in April, prompted by new European rules that require clearing houses to hold more capital.

BBC: LSE cleared by OFT to buy LCH Clearnet

Under the terms, Funai will pay a cash consideration of EUR 150 million and a brand license fee, relating to a license agreement for an initial period of five and a half years, with an optional renewal of five years.

ENGADGET: Philips sells off its Hi-Fi and DVD business to Funai for $201 million

The agreement will run for an initial period of one year but may be extended.

BBC: Allergy test firm Omega Diagnostics signs India deal

While traditionally one would trade bonds to make such bets, by entering into either side of an interest rate swap agreement, you would gain immediate exposure to interest rate movements with virtually no initial cash outlay.

FORBES: Demystifying The Swap Market