A breakthrough for Northern Ireland

David Trimble and Gerry Adams have concluded their negotiations

Downing Street has confirmed that fresh elections to Northern Ireland's suspended Stormont Assembly are to be held on the 26th of November.

Throughout the morning on Breakfast was live at Hillsborough Castle and Downing Street.

Send us your thoughts:

---

More from News Online

The announcement was made on Tuesday after weeks of top-level negotiations between Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists, as well as the British and Irish Governments.

Northern Ireland's devolved administration was suspended a year ago amid allegations of IRA intelligence-gathering in the Stormont government.

Assembly elections were postponed in May.

The deal is believed to include a third act of decommissioning by the IRA.

The confirmation of the Assembly election date is the first step in a complex sequence of developments set to unfold on Tuesday.

Northern Ireland decommissioning head General John De Chastelain is then due to outline details about what is understood to be a major act of IRA disarmament.

After this, an IRA statement is to be released, underlining republican intentions.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble will provide his initial response, probably confirming that he intends to bring any deal to his party's ruling council.

There is speculation the British and Irish Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern could arrive in Northern Ireland on Tuesday to give their approval to the deal.