1.   A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called the Supreme Court decision Monday a welcome step.

2.   British Prime Minister John Major took a welcome step beyond the decent minimum in a morale-boosting visit to Hong Kong this week.

3.   Even with these costs, many small businesses saw the new alternatives as a welcome step forward.

4.   Even bigger organizations working on rival systems Thursday called the achievement by the tiny Net Market a welcome first step.

5.   For the troops, it is a welcome step.

6.   Gingrich has taken some welcome procedural steps, such as shaking up the House seniority system.

7.   He has long wanted to apply the ban to securities lawyers, which would be a welcome step.

8.   In a welcome step, Sheldon Silver, speaker of the democratic-controlled assembly, has scaled back his spending demands.

9.   Its signing marks another welcome step toward healing the wounds of a bitter and divisive war.

10.   Still, analysts said the legislation is a welcome first step.