The US state department has formally recommended the rejection of a controversial crude oil pipeline.
The state department denied a permit for the 1,600-mile (2,700km) Keystone XL pipeline, saying it had insufficient time to review the plans.
The Canada-Texas project has been delayed amid objections by the state of Nebraska and environmental groups.
At the end of 2011, Republicans forced a final decision on the plan within 60 days during a legislative standoff.
US President Barack Obama said he was disappointed that the deadline set by Republicans in Congress had caused the state department to reject the project before a full study could be undertaken.
"This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the state department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people."
But Canadian ...