RIO DE JANEIRO, April 1 -- A Brazilian federal judge yesterday blocked plans to build a zipline on Rio de Janeiro's iconic Sugarloaf Mountain, a project that had faced strong opposition from residents and environmental activists.

Construction had begun in September 2022 with drilling into the rock. The project later received approval from the Brazilian Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan).

The case had been in court since 2023.

In his ruling, obtained by AFP, Judge Paulo Andre Manfredini declared Iphan's various administrative actions to install the zipline null and void.

Both the institute and the developer were ordered to pay 30 million reais (RM23.2 million) for "collective moral damages," the judge said, noting the ...