Panama has charged the crew of a North Korean ship seized while carrying obsolete weaponry from Cuba hidden under bags of sugar

AN American jailed for two years in Afghanistan on charges of torturing alleged terrorists in a makeshift jail was freed two months early on yesterday under a government decree.

A four-day riot that left six inmates dead and exposed security failings at Afghanistan's main prison ended today after 1,300 prisoners who had run amok in their cell block surrendered to authorities.

THREE Americans accused of torturing Afghans in a private jail were jailed for up to ten years yesterday after a trial denounced by the defence as failing to meet basic international standards of fairness.