Stormont has failed to elect a new speaker, First Minister or Deputy First Minister - meaning an election in Northern Ireland is looming.
The Northern Ireland Assembly was recalled on Thursday morning to attempt to restore the power-sharing agreement that was in place before May's election.
Sinn Féin became the largest party at that point, but the DUP said they would refuse to form an Assembly until their issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol were dealt with.
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The special sitting comes just hours ahead of a deadline for calling another election.
A legal timeframe for the politicians to form a new administration expires on Friday morning.
If a new government isn't formed by then, the UK Government assumes a legal responsibility to call another election.
Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will be expected to call a fresh election - with many believing that December 15 will be the likely polling date.
Sinn Féin leader in Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill had said: "Jeffrey Donaldson and the DUP are in a perpetual stand-off with the public, the majority of whom they do not speak for, or indeed represent,
"He stood for election yet failed to show up. This is his mess, and a failure of leadership by him and his party."
Donaldson had noted before today's meeting "We were given a clear mandate in the Assembly elections, and we would not nominate ministers to an executive until decisive action is taken on the protocol to remove the barriers to trade within our own country and to restore our place within the United Kingdom internal market,
"That remains our position and so today we will not be supporting the nomination of ministers to the executive."
Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said: "I am ashamed to be part of this circus again today. We know elections in Northern Ireland do not solve problems, they deepen the crisis,"
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