Cross-party talks bid to break impasse in North

A drive to break the political deadlock in the North has been launched by the Irish and British governments.

A round of all-party talks is to be convened to deal with contentious issues such as parades, flag-flying, and how to deal with the past.

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan said the move was needed after efforts by US peace envoy Richard Haass ended in failure last year.