A top US University is holding some 40,000 artifacts from the famed Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, a Peruvian government official heading efforts to return the pieces said.

The Peruvian government was preparing a special session today to review its case against ex-President Alberto Fujimori before formally requesting his extradition from Chile, the government gazette reported.

The Peruvian Government has announced an emergency plan to help many of the areas affected by Saturday's 8.1-magnitude earthquake.