Terrorism
Was a ransom paid?
23 August 2010
Presseurop
Público 
Público, 23 August 2010
“The end of a nightmare after 267 days," proclaims Público's front page. The two Spanish volunteers kidnapped in Mauritania last November have been freed after almost nine months of captivity. “The longest kidnapping by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has ended with the extradition to Mali of a terrorist condemned in Mauritania,” it says. The Spanish government is reported to have paid between five and 10 million euros for the hostages’ liberation as a part of the deal.
As Greece pimps its ancient monuments to bring in the tourists, lovers of cultural heritage are up in arms. But the country is only doing openly what the whole of Europe is: looting historic sites to drum up more ready cash. 
Asserting national values is central to the political project of the Hungarian PM. Since the start of the year, fifteen paintings, specially commissioned for an exhibition in the Castle of Buda, have been putting this ambition on show. 
The game has gone on for nearly two years: Athens pretends to comply with the demands of its creditors and partners, and they pretend to believe in Greece’s commitments. As the spectre of default comes nearer, however, the Greek bluff cannot go on much longer, writes an El Mundo editorialist.