IRA poised for major move on disarmament

THE IRA was last night poised to carry out significant arms decommissioning amid reports of a major breakthrough in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Sources close to the negotiations aimed at breaking the deadlock were hopeful that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the British Prime Minister Tony Blair would travel to the North today to make an historic announcement.

“Hopes are rising. The Prime Minister is expected to confirm November 26 as the date for the Assembly elections with everything else falling into place after that,” a highly placed source said.