But lawyers for both the plaintiffs and the city have remained committed to the settlement, which was brokered last month after two years of negotiations on suits dating to 2003.
Even Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi who has been on the committee negotiating the deal has not publicly committed to the settlement.
Worse still, more than a hundred thousand dollars of public funds were committed to the private settlement, along with the threat of a twenty-thousand-dollar fine for anyone who leaked news of its existence.
The deadline was important because the Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble, whom Britain considers essential to keeping the unruly Protestant party committed to the peace settlement, faced being ousted that night as head of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
A spokesman for the department said: "Australia remains committed to the processing and settlement arrangements in place in Nauru, and to working with the government of Nauru to help it realise the enduring social and economic benefits of becoming a refugee settlement country".
Palestinians and Israeli opposition politicians said the move demonstrated that Mr. Sharon's government was committed to the overall development of settlements, despite his talk of a unilateral withdrawal from some of them.
As you would be aware, the Australian Government remains committed to the regional processing and settlement arrangements in place in Nauru.
Dutton declined to respond personally, and instead a departmental official wrote in May 2016 that they noted the recommendations made and said Australia "remains committed to the regional processing and settlement arrangements in place on Nauru".
The DCMS said yesterday: "The government is firmly committed to the multi-year licence fee settlement with the BBC, and will continue to respect it as this is a crucial element of the BBC's independence.
But the less the United States is constructively involved and committed to the process of reaching a settlement, the less likely it is that a lasting peace will emerge, that the points of the Minsk agreement will get implemented and that Kiev will fulfill its obligations.
