International

Almost 900 evacuated from Machu Picchu area as rains slam Peru

AFP

Almost 900 people were evacuated from the tourist town serving Machu Picchu, the Inca jewel of Peru’s travel industry, amid rains and floods that left one person missing and several homes destroyed, the tourism ministry said Monday.

“So far, in coordination with the Inka Rail and Peru Rail companies, 889 tourists who were stranded by the overflow of the Alccamayo River last Friday at dawn have been transferred from Machu Picchu Pueblo to Ollantaytambo,” another nearby tourist town, the ministry said in a statement.

The heavy rains in Machu Picchu Pueblo caused flooding last Friday when the Alccamayo river, which passes through the town, burst its banks.

One person was reported hurt and another missing, and several buildings as well as the railway suffered structural damage due to the rising waters.

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On Monday, access to neighboring towns was also interrupted by farmers protesting the rise in fertilizer prices and demanding the resignation of the agriculture minister, local media said.

The protest included the closure of the railway to Machu Picchu that was being used in the emergency caused by the rains.

The railway is the main means of access to the Inca citadel from Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire, as well as to other locations.

Due to damage to the track caused by the rains, the rail link was already slated to be suspended for tourist services until January 27.

Some 447,800 people visited the Inca ruins in 2021, a figure far below the 1.5 million visitors it used to attract before the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Central America

U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme

The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.

Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.

The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.

According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.

International

Elon Musk skips French court appearance over X investigation

Billionaire Elon Musk did not appear this Monday before French authorities, who had summoned him for a voluntary statement as part of an investigation into his social media platform X, prosecutors told AFP.

The platform has been under investigation since early 2025 following complaints from lawmakers alleging bias in its algorithms, which may have altered its functioning and interfered in politics in France.

The probe has since expanded to include other alleged offenses, such as complicity in the distribution of child sexual abuse material, as well as the role of Grok in spreading denialist content and sexually explicit fake images.

In early February, investigators raided X’s offices in Paris. The company has denied any wrongdoing, describing the searches as “political” and “abusive.”

At that time, the Paris prosecutor’s office summoned Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to provide voluntary testimony as those responsible for the platform during the period under investigation.

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Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau also stated that X employees were called to testify as witnesses between April 20 and April 24.

International

Four injured in shooting at Teotihuacán archaeological site in Mexico

Four more people were injured by gunfire during the ആക്രമ attack at Teotihuacán, one of the most emblematic archaeological complexes in Mexico, authorities confirmed.

The Secretary of Security of the State of Mexico, Cristóbal Castañeda, reported that the victims include two Colombian nationals, one Russian, and one Canadian. Additionally, two other individuals were injured due to falls, according to a statement from local authorities.

President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed concern over the incident, stating on social media that “what happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us.”

Federal authorities recovered a firearm, a knife, and ammunition at the scene, which remains under the protection of state police and the Guardia Nacional, according to the federal Security Cabinet.

Located about 50 kilometers from Mexico City, Teotihuacán is a major tourist destination frequently visited by both domestic and international travelers.