In a victory for thousands of protesters opposing an oil pipeline in North Dakota, the US Government has denied a permit for continued construction of the multibillion-dollar project.
The Army Corps of Engineers denied the permit to the company behind the Dakota Access pipeline to drill under the Missouri River in the north-central US state.
It was a major victory for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, whose protest against the pipeline had gone on for months and grew to several thousand people over the weekend.
The native Americans said the segment of the US$3.8 billion project would threaten burial sites and their water supply.
The Army Corps of Engineers said it had based its decision on a need to "explore alternate routes" for the segment of pipeline.