The first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court has announced her retirement.
Judge Sandra Day O'Connor, who is 75, is viewed as a centrist and has often cast the deciding vote on the nine-member court.
She is the first Supreme Court justice to retire since 1994, giving President George W Bush his first opportunity to name a judge.
Her retirement has sparked speculation that Mr Bush will appoint a conservative to the most powerful court in the United States.
