- London's Frieze art fair goes potty for ceramics
- Southgate taking year out from coaching
- US, Europe stocks fall on US inflation data
- Zelensky meets Macron in Paris as part of European tour
- Hurricane Milton shreds Florida stadium roof
- UN probe accuses Israel of seeking to 'destroy' Gaza healthcare
- US consumer inflation eases to 2.4% in September
- England in sight of victory after Brook's triple hundred
- Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt
- World number 2 Alcaraz knocked out of Shanghai Masters by Machac
- Leaders of Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia meet amid regional tensions
- Klopp's Red Bull decision 'ruined life's work' say Dortmund fans
- Han Kang wins South Korea's first literature Nobel
- S. Korea's Nobel winner Han Kang a modest, thought-provoking writer
- Hurricane Milton tornadoes kill four in Florida amid rescue efforts
- The almost impossible job: Beating Rafael Nadal at the French Open
- New French government faces key test with budget plan
- Rescuers say Israeli strike on Gaza school kills 28
- Italy's ex-world champion gymnast Ferrari announces retirement
- Zelensky talks 'victory plan' in meeting with Starmer, Rutte
- South Korea's Han Kang wins literature Nobel
- Federer lauds retiring Nadal's 'incredible achievements'
- Ikea posts fall in annual sales after lowering prices
- Australia beat China 3-1 to resurrect World Cup campaign
- Stock markets diverge, oil gains after China rebounds
- Nadal defied injury woes in record-breaking career
- Nadal v Djokovic, French Open, 2006: Chapter One in epic rivalry
- World can't 'waste time' trading climate change blame: COP29 hosts
- Pakistan at 23-1 after Brook triple hundred takes England to 823-7
- Zelensky meets Starmer, Rutte on whirlwind tour of Europe
- South Korean same-sex couples make push for marriage equality
- Rafael Nadal calls time on epic tennis career
- Mumbai declares day of mourning for Indian industrialist Ratan Tata
- Philippines confronts China over South China Sea at ASEAN meet
- Kim Sei-young shoots 62 to take two-stroke lead at LPGA Shanghai
- The haircuts that help traumatised Ukrainian soldiers heal
- Sinner crushes Medvedev to set up potential Alcaraz Shanghai semi
- 7-Eleven owner restructures to fight takeover
- England's Harry Brook blasts triple century against Pakistan
- Chinese electric car companies cope with European tariffs
- Zelensky in London for whirlwind tour of Europe ahead of US vote
- Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected: World Bank
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as most markets track Wall St record
- Record-breaking Root, Brook both pass 200 as England pile up 658-3
- Football mourns Greek defender George Baldock's shock death at 31
- Uniqlo owner reports record annual earnings
- Hong Kong, Shanghai rally as markets track Wall St record
- Indonesia biomass drive threatens key forests: report
- Home is far away for Madagascar in AFCON qualifying
- Two months on, Donbas soldiers begin to question Kursk offensive
Protests that blocked tourism lifted at Peru's Machu Picchu
Protests that halted tourism at Peru's famed Incan citadel Machu Picchu for six days have been called off after an agreement between the government and residents, both sides said Wednesday.
The strike began after a government decision to privatize ticket sales to the country's most-visited site, and led to the evacuation of some 1,200 tourists by train after they were caught up in the protests -- some without laying eyes on the ancient site.
"We have the good news that the strike is being lifted," Culture Minister Leslie Urteaga said on the RRP radio station, adding that the deal to hand over ticket sales to a private company would be canceled.
A spokesman for the residents, Darwin Baca, confirmed the decision "to lift the indefinite strike," resume operating businesses around the site and lift a blockade of the railway leading to Machu Picchu.
"Tourist activities are normalizing," he added.
Official calculations show the strike lead to daily losses of $263,000.
The new ticketing system was billed by the culture ministry as a means to control visitor flow at the popular historic site and curb corruption with regards to in-person ticket sales.
The Peruvian company Joinnus began running the online ticketing operation on January 20 and was meant to remain in charge until August.
The government and residents agreed the sale of tickets would continue as long as there is a "transition process" toward a new government-run platform.
"Every effort is being made to break with a mafia illegally misusing the (sale of) tickets, and we are not going to take a step back from the need to change this model of corruption," said culture ministry chief of staff, Alberto Otalora.
In January last year, Machu Picchu was closed for 25 days amid protests over the impeachment and arrest of then-president Pedro Castillo.
And last September, Peru temporarily closed three sectors of the site due to the impact of the heavy volume of visitors.
Sitting northwest of the city of Cusco, Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century at an altitude of 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) on orders from the Inca ruler Pachacutec.
It is considered a marvel of architecture and engineering and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.
Tourism is key to Peru's economy, with the country attracting about 4.5 million visitors per year prior to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
The number of daily access tickets to the citadel increased to 4,500 per day starting this month, from an earlier maximum of 3,800.
M.A.Colin--AMWN