1.   This afternoon it came a step closer when the Health Authority voted to shut it down and transfer facilities to the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

2.   HOPES for one long Liverpool waterfront lined with thriving shops, offices and leisure facilities came a step closer today.

3.   THE University of New Lanarkshire comes a step closer today with an agreement on partnership between a local college and Strathclyde University.

4.   Biogen Corp. came a step closer Monday to getting its drug beta interferon to market when it formally filed a new drug application for Food and Drug Administration approval.

5.   A telecom accord came a step closer to completion today when the U.S. presented a revised offer to further open its telecom market to competition.

6.   Last week the Patent and Trademark Office came a step closer to dealing more efficiently and effectively with software-related inventions.

7.   PROGRESS ON SOFTWARE PATENTS The Patent and Trademark Office has come a step closer to dealing more efficiently with software-related inventions.

8.   When Brisby came two steps off the line and began to slice inside he knew he had cornerback J.B. Brown beaten.

9.   When Floyd resigned as head coach at Iowa State on Wednesday, that scenario came one step closer to realization.

10.   A BILL allowing Thai companies to buy and sell derivatives to hedge their business risks came a step closer to reality after the Cabinet approved the draft legislation Tuesday.