Panama stops N. Korean ship over missile material: president

PANAMA on Monday stopped a North Korean vessel that President Ricardo Martinelli said had sailed from Cuba and tried to illegally sneak suspected sophisticated missile material through the Panama Canal.

"The world needs to sit up and take note: you cannot go around shipping undeclared weapons of war through the Panama Canal," Martinelli said, noting that the ship had been inspected to rule out drugs and was found to have other cargo of greater concern.