Standing rock

Standing Rock: US Army refuses N Dakota pipeline access

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe hailed an "historic decision" and said it was "forever grateful" to President Obama.

Instead, the US Army Corps of Engineers will look at alternative routes, a statement by the campaigners said.

The Sioux have been protesting since April against the pipeline which is near a reservation.

"Today, the US Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not be granting the easement to cross Lake Oahe for the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline," the tribe's statement read.

Why are Facebook users checking in here?

By Monday, hundreds of thousands of people had checked in at Standing Rock Indian Reservation on the social networking site.

But many of them weren't anywhere near the location where demonstrators have been picketing the controversial $3.7 billion pipeline.

A post circulating on Facebook gave one possible explanation for the surge in activity, claiming that the mass check-ins were organized to prevent local law enforcement from tracking protesters on social media.

The sheriff's department denied that accusation on Monday, calling it "absolutely false."