Belfast/London - The formerly terrorist Irish Republican Army (IRA) has relinquished its leadership structures and would no longer be able to wage a terrorist campaign, an independent report on the disbanding of the organization said Wednesday.

The report by the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC), set up to monitor paramilitary groups under the 1998 Belfast Peace Agreement, also stated that the IRA Army Council - the organization's ruling body - had "become redundant and serves no function."

Belfast - A memorial service to mark the tenth anniversary of the worst single atrocity of the Northern Ireland troubles, the Omagh bombing, was held in the County Tyrone town on Friday.

The attack, carried out by the Real IRA, a dissident Republican group, on 15th August 1998 killed 29 people.

Irish President Mary McAleese said in advance of the ceremony that "Omagh '98 will always be remembered for the horrific loss of innocent life and the terrible suffering caused to so many. But the way that its people responded to that tragedy will also mark Omagh '98 as a monument to the triumph of hope over despair."

Belfast/London  - A new leader of the regional government of Northern Ireland is to be nominated Thursday, following the departure from office of Ian Paisley, the veteran Protestant politician.

He is to be succeeded as First Minister by Peter Robinson, his long-term protege who has also taken over the leadership of the main Protestant Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP).

As Paisley before him, Robinson is to work with Martin McGuinness, of the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party, as his deputy in a power- sharing government.

Belfast  - A leading US company specializing in the handling of internet payments Wednesday announced the planned opening of a research and development centre in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland.

The pledge by CyberSource came on the opening day of a major business conference designed to attract investment to Northern Ireland.

The firm said it planned to recruit 56 software development professionals, at graduate level, for its new operation.

CyberSource chairman Bill McKiernan said Belfast won out against potential sites in China, India and Russia.

"The talents we can obtain in Northern Ireland are unmatched," he said.

Belfast  - Peter Robinson, 59, has been elected leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to replace Ian Paisley, who announced he would step down in March.

The DUP's 36-member Assembly Group recommended Robinson for the top party job on Monday in Belfast. It was expected that Robinson's elevation to leader after 28 years as deputy would be formally ratified at a party executive meeting on Thursday.

Robinson, who is a member of the British parliament for East Belfast, will now also replace Paisley as first minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly in June.

Robinson will face his first test later Monday when he meets with the future Irish prime minister, Brian Cowen, who takes over from Bertie Ahern in May.