Somali pirates have released a Spanish tuna fishing trawler and its 36-member crew for a ransom of $3.5 million.
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Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain's prime minister, said on Tuesday that the crew is safe but did not mention any ransom. Zapatero said the Spanish government has done what it had to do.

Earlier one of the pirates – Nor - told Reuters by phone that Madrid had agreed to pay a ransom, adding "We hope it will finish in safety."

Zapatero told journalists in Madrid that he can confirm that the Alakrana fishing trawler would be freed to Spain. He said: "They are coming home, these difficult weeks have come to an end. This is very good news for the entire country".

Somali pirates hijacked the Alakrana ship with 16 crew, eight Indonesians and others from the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Madagascar, Seychelles and Senegal last month some 740km northwest of Seychelles.

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