He said the company had asked Icann for a few days' reprieve, but Icann refused and the service will be shut by the Saturday deadline.

Though displeased with the Saturday deadline, Mr. Richard said outside the courtroom that he would work within the parameters set by the court.

"Our Saturday deadline is firm," Stern said, presumably meaning the owners would not extend the no lockout-no strike agreement.

They said the issue would not be resolved before the Saturday deadline for setting up a new North-South ministerial council.

That said, it remains a fact that labor and management are working against a Saturday deadline.

That has appeared to leave only one alternative, an extension of the Saturday deadline.

Iraq's interim leaders missed the Saturday deadline for completing work on a temporary constitution intended to guide the country for at least a year.

The Saturday deadline was 12 noon.

It was not clear yesterday whether all four potential purchasers had submitted proposals by the Saturday deadline for bids.

While American diplomats had said it would send "the wrong signal" to leave before the Saturday deadline passed, they were ordered to do so anyway.