shane bauer, josh fattal, free men this morning after two years in prison. more in 20 minutes. >> it's been confusing with president ahmadinejad saying one thing, judiciary saying something else. and the judge being on vacation during part of this time. >> he got back earlier today. they're 11-1/2 hours later. and he got back today. they got the signature and got the men out of the evan prison. they are slowly making your way to the u.s. >> couple of happy guys and happy families. we'll come back for more in a few minutes. >> other news now, if you ever left your car for a couple of moments in san francisco, then come back to find it towed there could be an app for that. board of supervisors president david chiu wants the city to come up with automated system to alert drivers via e-mail or text that the vehicle is about to be towed. users would sign up and specify boundaries covered. 160 cars are towed every day in san francisco. toeing fees and fines to -- towing fees to retrieve vehicle could top $450. >>> a reminder good people step forward when they are

also this morning, american hikers, shane bauer and josh fattal back in the u.s. after their release from prison and they're talking about the fear they faced there every day. they're being a little bit more open about their experience now here on u.s. soil. >> getting incredible details about what they experienced the last two years. great story there. >>> later this half-hour, retro pop music bands that had limited success, let's say. national one hit wonder day on sunday. so we will put bands like ah-ha in the spotlight. this is our favorite story of the day. >> no question there. >> not at all. >>> first, fears about the global economy are dragging down stocks overseas this morning. tokyo, hong kong, lower after a terrible week on wall street. >> the global economic jitters are affecting millions of savings and retirement plans. with more on that, here is abc's david muir. >> reporter: over the last week, stocks sank more than 6%, the worst week in three years, since the height of the recession. stoking fears we're headed for another recession or that we are a

where a shane bauer and josh fattal, the former u.c. berkeley students? i'm terry mcsweeney live in the newsroom. the story on the way. >> i'm amy hollyfield live in san francisco. where police are looking for two men who opened fire in the bay view in the middle of the afternoon. sent a 5-year-old girl to the hospital. >> good morning. a look from downtown san francisco. third consecutive spare the air. i'll show you where the air quality will be poor and when it will cool off. >> sue hall following wednesday morning commute. abc7 traffic center. thick fog on the golden gate bridge. hot spot is san leandro with a big rig accident. we'll get you around it in a minute. >> i'm kristen sze. >> i'm eric thomas. breaking news out of iran where two u.c. berkeley graduates are free men. shane bauer and josh fattal have been released after two years imprisoned on spying charges but there is confusion about where they are and if they have left the prison facility exactly. terry mcsweeney is on top of the story all morning long. we know the next step is get them ho

they're shane bauer and josh fattal.her-in-law nate lindstrom on the line calling in from duluth, minnesota. nate, did you think this moment would ever come? >> pardon? >> nate, this is brooke in atlanta. can you hear me? >> yes, i can hear me. >> did you think this moment, your brother-in-law finally being freed, did you think it would ever happen? >> i knew it would happen eventually, but i just didn't know when. now that it's here, i'm so happy that it's finally going to be over. when did you find out that this moment would finally happen? days? weeks? >> i actually found out at about 4:00 a.m. this morning. my wife called me and said i think something's going to happen today, so be prepared. >> what exactly did your wife say? what had shane said? >> she said pretty much all she could say. she couldn't give me specifics. >> is she there in oman? >> she's with her family right now, yeah. >> okay. because from what i understand, both of their mothers and sarah shourd is there on the tarmac as we're all waiting to see th

. >> reporter: the iranian governor arrested bauer, josh fattal and their friend, sarah shourd, on charges of spying and crossing the iranian border, sarah shourd was released last year, but it was predicted that bauer and josh fattal could be freed in a couple of days, this coming after an iranian court set the bail at half a million each for the men. this comes after more information on the details that they could be released. we hope to say more, the family said, when they're back in our arms. >> i think it is the most horrible thing that could happen for them. >> reporter: students on campus hope that the ordeal will end soon. >> it is really scary knowing that students from my college are actually, you know scared for their lives right now in another country. and i am just happy that these americans are coming back to

shane bauer and josh fattal are back with their families, enjoying their first full day of freedom. the american hikers jumped into the arms of their loved ones in oman wednesday. they were released on $1 million bail after spending more than two years in an iranian prison. >> we are so happy we are free and so relieved we are free. >> reporter: iranian authorities arrested fattal, bauer, and their friend sarah shroud on spying and tres passing charges while they were hiking on the iraq/iran border in july of 2009. shroud released last december. while in prison, bauer proposed to her and while apart, the two finally embraced on the tarmac. >> two years in prison is too long and we sincerely hope for the freedom of on this injustly prisoned people in america and in iran. >> reporter: it came before president obama addressed the united nations. iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad gives he's speech today. president obama says he is thrilled with the news. he, like the rest of his administration, believes the hikers should not have been held in the first place. >> they have a chance n

bauer and shroud got engaged while in prison. the two men then briefly spoke to the media gather on the tarmac in muscat, oman. >> we are so happy we are free and relieved we are free. >> two years in prison is too long and we sincerely hope for the freedom of other political prisoners and other unjustly imprisoned people in america and iran. >> reporter: the two were held as political prisoners in iran for 26 months. during that time, family members were allowed just one visit and three phone calls. >> our deepest gratitude goes towards his majesty, sultan kabuse of oman for obtaining our release. >> reporter: the release of the two americans appeared to be timed precisely the day before mahmoud ahmadinejad plans to appear before the world at the united nations general assembly in new york. bauer and fattal were released only after the payment of $1 million in bail. the international incident began which when bauer and fattal along with shroud, mistakenly crossed the border into iran, while hiking along the boarder in iraq. the

but shane bauer, josh fattal free again this morning, released minutes ago. live in the newsroom, terry mcsweeney, abc7 news. >> all the happening right now, of course nobody has seen the two men yet. the minute we do we'll let you know. san francisco police are looking for the gunman that fired a stray bullet that hit a 5-year-old girl on her way home from school prompting outrage in the troubled bayview district. amy hollyfield is live at san francisco general hospital. how is the little girl? >> she is recovering okay. in stable condition. they think she does not have life threatening injuries but police are looking for the men who fired yesterday afternoon. she was walking home from school. it was 4:30 at third and palou in the bayview. she was with her father. who says he heard the gunfire but it wasn't until his daughter fell to the ground that he realized she had been hit. >> i came out and look at the street. i seen everybody running, the girl on the ground. i seen her father pick her up. he was distraught and upset. >> she is stabilize, doing well. s

she and bauer were engaged while in prison. shane bauer will spend a few days more in oman to recuperate. secretary of state hillary clinton says she is among those looking forward to greeting them when they return to the u.s. >> gas leak near san francisco union square is under investigation. yesterday, the crew working for the utility commission hit unmarked line. two hotel guests there were ordered to shelter in place. two other buildings were evacuated. utility said construction was supposed to start today and the contractor was a day early. >> this afternoon. two san francisco firefighters who died on the job will get a special memorial and hold a line of duty death memorial wall dedication ceremony to honor lieutenant vincent perez and firefighter paramedic anthony valerio. the names will be enscribed on the marble wall at the headquarters. they died after fighting a house fire in the dimond height neighborhood in june. they were the first to rush in the house. >>> the man charged in a san jose crime spree is expected to

bauer, josh fattal and sarah shourd were arrested along the iraq border. the families began repeated pleas to officials, saying the three strayed by mistake, but iran refused to release them, charging them with spying and trespassing. by december of 2009, they had hired an attorney. 2010 would bring the first visit and first release. in may, the americans were reunited with their family, and sarah shourd's mother announced that shane and sarah were engaged. then she was released on bail for medical reasons. the country of oman paid the bail, and she thanked them and made their own plea. >> all of my efforts will go into helping to get the same freedom for my fiancee, shane bauer, and for my friend, josh fattal, because i can't enjoy my freedom without them. >> reporter: the trial would be delayed over and over. in february, it began, sarah shourd was ordered back. she failed to return. later, both men were convicted of trespassing, sentenced to eight years in prison. but oman would once again play a key role, sending a plane, later a million to secure thei

shane bauer and josh fattal. we take you to new york to hear more about this incredible journey. on the flight with fattal and bauer, todd baxter, he'll be joining us soon with details about his conversation with them on the plane. >>> in saudi arabia, a historic decision expanding women's rights. king abdullah says saudi women will be able to vote and run for office in future municipal elections, not including elections coming up this thursday. >> i've spoken to many women's rights activists in the past several hours, after this announcement was made. they are elated at the news. they say it is about time. they say it is one thing to be able to vote, but to also be able to nominate themselves as candidates in the future round of elections, even though the date for the elections hasn't been set yet, they say they're over the moon about this, this is a big step forward toward the empowerment of women in saudi arabia. they say that's something much needed in this country, a country where there is a male guardianshi

while in prison, bauer and shourd were engaged. she was let go last year. but bauer and fattal were found and, in august, convicted of being spies. >> we were convicted of espionage because we are american. it's that simple. no evidence was ever presented against us. >> reporter: the two men were sentenced to eight years in prison. it's not clear why they were released. but iran's foreign ministry calls it a gesture of islamic mercy. they were first reunited with their families on wednesday when they flew from iran to oman. bauer ran right into shourd's arms. >> there is so much to talk about and so many joys to be had and we really only have scratched the surface. >> we want, more than anything, to begin our lives anew and with the new appreciation. >> reporter: the couple has yet to set a wedding date. right now, all three look forward to living life free. drew levinson, cbs news, new york. >>> indiana police are investigating an apparent mass killing. at least five bodies were found sunday at two locations about 50 miles southeast of indianapolis. one ma

he teamed up with bauer to shoot a documentary in africa several years ago. he says not a day has gone by he hasn't thought of his friend and fought for his release. >> i'm going to give him a big hug, tell him he can do whatever he wants and he'll get back to doing the work he was doing, which is important work. >> the families released a statement saying today can only be described as the best days of your lives. back in the bay area friends can't wait to welcome the hikers home themselves. it's a wait that's nearly over. >> my message to shane is we're so, so happy to have you back. welcome back. >> of course nobody knows exactly when the hikers will return to the united states, but friends say they do expect them to return home to the bay area. now, uc berkeley did release a statement today saying today's news brings a joyful end to what was a heartbreaking ordeal for our alums and their families. of course everyone can't wait to get their arms around the pair when they return home to berkeley. reporting live in east bay, jodie hernandez, nbc bay area new

but bauer and fattal remained in prison.egally entering iran and then sentenced to eight years in prison. last week iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad said their release was imminent. >> translator: we act upon what we say. when we said we will release them, we will release them. as a humanitarian gesture. >> reporter: their sentences were commuted and $1 million bail was paid for by oman, the same nation that received the newly freed hikers, where their families were waiting to greet them. >> two years in prison is too long. we sincerely hope for the freedom of other political prisoners and other unjustly imprisoned people in america and iran. >> reporter: they are expected to remain in oman with their families for a few days to relax before flying home to the u.s. rob, tanya? >> what a joyous flight that will be for those guys. oh, unbelievable. >> and iranian president ahmadinejad is in new york today for the u.n. assembly. we'll see what he has to say later on. >> a big feather in his cap that these guys are on their

. >> reporter: shane bauer and josh fattal made their first public stop in the u.s.s year, at a jam-packed new york hotel. they called themselves political prisoners. >> the only explanation for our prolonged detention is the 32 years of hostility between america and iran. >> reporter: it also provided the first description of their life inside the notorious evan prison. >> many times, too many times, we heard the screams of other prisoners being beaten and there was nothing we could do to help them. the solitary confinement was the worst experience of all of our lives. it was a nightmare that sarah had to endure for 14 months. >> reporter: sarah shourd had been arrested and detained along with bauer and fattal in 2009 when they had been hiking near the iran/iraq border. they were all accused of spying for the u.s. shourd was released ooh year ago. the three were reunited on wednesday in the persian gulf nation of oh, man. it was particularly emotional for shourd and bauer who got engaged in prison, they ended up spending 781 days in what they called almost complete

fattal and shane bauer are finally home. they arrived in new york sunday morning. for the first time the two men talked about their imprisonment. >> sarah, josh and i have experienced a taste of the iranian regime's brutality. we have been held in almost total isolation from the world and everything we love. >> fattal and bauer's or deal began in 2009 when they were detained after mistakenly crossing the iran-iraq border. all three were accused of illegal entry into iran and espionage. shourd was released for medical ropes a year agoing leaving fattal and bauer in iran. >> when sayre would was released, our -- >> they were led to meet a surprise visitor. >> the first thing he said, he said, let's go home. >> the gulf state was instrumental in securing their freedom on $1 million bail. the men expressed their gratitude but had strong words for their can'tors. >> we applaud the iranian authorities for milliony making -- finally making the right decision regarding or case, but we want to be clear. they do not deserve undo credi

. >> reporter: shane bauer and josh fattal made their first public stop in the u.s. late this afternoon at a jam-packed new york city hotel. the 29-year-olds called themselves hostages and political prisoners. >> the only explanation for our prolonged detention is the 32 years of mutual hostility between america and iran. >> reporter: the duo also provided the first real description of their lives inside tehran's notorious ef inprison. >> many times, too many times we heard the screams of other prisoners being beaten. and there was nothing we could do to help them. solitary confinement was the worst experience of all of our lives. it was a nightmare that sarah had to endure for 14 months. >> reporter: sarah shourd has been arrested and detained along with bauer and fattal in 23009 when the three had been hiking near the iran-iraq border. they were all accused of spying for the u.s. shourd was released a year ago. the three were reunited on wednesday in the persian gulf nation of oman. it was particularly emotional for shourd and bauer who gotten gauged while in priso

she and bauer were engaged in prison. bauer and fattal will spend a few days in iran to recuperate. secretary of state hillary clinton says she is among those looking forward to greeting them when they come back to the u.s. >> this afternoon two san francisco firefighters died on the job will get a special memorial. department will hold a line of duty death memorial wall dedication ceremony. to honor the two. the name will be enscribed on the wall. they died after fighting a house fire in diamond heights neighborhood in june. they were the first to rush in a burning house. >> the man charged in a deadly crime spree is expected to return to court in two weeks to enter a plea. emotional paul castillo was arraigned on murder, kidnapping and carjacking charges. prosecutors say castillo killed 60-year-old cindy nguyen friday after taking her car. police say he shot at a man at a gas station. prosecutors are raising the possibility that castillo could face the death penalty. his lawyer says castillo has mental health issues that could play a role in the defense strategy. >>> yesterday, th

sarah shourd was also with fattal and bauer when they crossed the iranian border. she and bauer have been separated for a year now after she was released last september. all three were accused of spying. all three have denied the charge. the two young men, both 29 years old, appeared thin and pale but clearly happy to be back with their families. president ahmadinejad promised to let them go as a humanitarian gesture. the timing of the men's release coincides with the united nation's general assembly meeting. ahmadinejad is speaking there tomorrow. bauer and fattal free on a million dollars bail, money paid by the omani government. >> we are so happy that we are free. our deepest gratitude goes towards his majesty of aman for attaining our release. we're sincerely government that the government of aman is hosting us and our families. >> two years in prison is too long and we sincerely hope for the freedom of other prisoned people in iran. >> all three are free on bail. it's understood that they will not return to iran for any further court proceedings. president ob

josh fattal and shane bauer contend iran saying there were captured just because they were american.> how can we forgive the iranian government when it continues to imprison some many other innocent people. >> they share gripping details. >> we had to go on hunger strike repeatedly just to receive letters from our loved ones. many times, too many times we heard the screams of other prisoners being beaten. >> they said they're kept in solitary confinement blindfolded, beaten until their families stop writing and diplomats had stopped trying to get them released. >> we have been held in almost total isolation from the world and everything we love them to survive, they kept busy with each other and reading novels and exercising. >> there were serious about their exercise and used water bottles as weights in their cells. >> during the more than two years of activity -- captivity they were allowed only 50 minutes of phone calls and one short visit from their mothers. >> it will be time to catch up with their families. shane bauer proposed to his fiancee in prison and they are celebrating

josh fattal and shane bauer arrived at new york's kennedy airport. last wednesday, pictures right now, released from an iranian jail after being held on two years for spy charges. their first stop was oman, reuniting with family members. todd baxter was on the commercial flight with fattal and bauer from oman to new york. todd, you have an interesting perspecti perspective. what did they say or what did you observe? >> i was sitting in a different section but i did see them come on the plane. josh came on first. a couple family members with him. shane came on, had a huge bunch of flowers. the stewards took the flowers off him and put them in a cup pords to go in his seat. they were dressed down in jeans or hiking type pants. they looked tired. was the main thing. looked tired. it was an 8:30 a.m. flight in london on a sunday morning. you expect people to be tired. they looked tired. they weren't together per se. josh was with his family, what i imagine was some of his friends or family, and shane was following up in the rear. i talked to shane briefl

media that shane bauer and josh fattal would be freed as a humanitarian gesture.ver the last week there have been some ups and downs. bail was set at $500,000 each and there were reports that somebody put up the money. why they would put up the money is unclear. it's just away for them to ease tensions between iran and u.s. and would also ease tensions. either way the money was posted and there was a delay with the signatures. two were needed and one judge was on vacation until yesterday. overnight the attorneys said he had gotten all the necessary signatures from the judiciary officials and hoped they would be free today. at this point they are waiting, where they will go upon release is unclear. we are watching things carefully in tehran and we will keep you updated. news news. >>> >>> a woman who worked at the bakery, they found her body inside a bathroom last night. they looked into reports of an argument between a man and woman outside earlier in the evening but they found nothing suspicious. >>> they searched for the gunman who wounded a five-year- old girl.

bauer and josh fattal are spies, tried and convicted but the men's families say they're simply hikers who took a wrong turn, and now iran's president, perhaps hoping to good publicity in america says that the two will be freed. thieve illegally crossed our borders. we tried last year to free one of the three persons, and we are also trying to make arrangements for their freedom, for the freedom of the other two. i think these two will be freed in a couple of days. >> in a couple of days? >> yes, in a couple of days. >> they will be freed. >> shane bauer, josh fattal and their traveling companion went hiking in july 2009 in kurdistan. their families say if they crossed the unmarked border into iran, they did so entirely by accident. the three were detained by iranian officials and charged with illegal entry and espionage. a year ago, sarah shores was released on compassionate grounds. she remained outside the country while her companions were tried inside iran. now the case against all three appears to be close to an end. >> we have followed this very closely and we are encouraged by w

shane bauer and josh fattal deny any wrongdoing. >>> a diplomatic campaign is underway in new york. palestinians are trying to regain full membership. mahmoud ahmadinejad is leading the charge and today he will meet with french president nicolas sarkozy to try and gather support, however united states is promising to veto membership until they resume peace talks with israel. >> the effort itself will be counterproductive to the goal which is turn to direct negotiations between the two parties. >> mahmoud ahmadinejad is scheduled to speak before the un general assembly and plans on submitting a formal letter asking for membership. >>> president barack obama will meet with the libyan transition council and he will out to the early -- tout the early success of the the mission to remove muammar gaddafi. >>> last year's deadly pipeline explosion, the milestone in the rebuilding process will be marked this morning with a ceremonial shovel of dirt by the mayor and other city officials. eight people were killed and dozens more injured on that explosion and 38 homes were destroyed. >>> the o

embassy here, came out and delivered the good news that josh fattal and shane bauer, after two years of hope and heartbreak for themselves and their families were on their way out of iran. >> two years in prison is too long. and we sincerely hope for the freedom of other political prisoners and other unjustly imprisoned people in america and iran. >> reporter: what this ordeal and this case has highlighted, though, are deep rifts between the ruling elite, something president ahmadinejad wanted to avoid before addressing the u.n. general assembly this week. ali aruzi, nbc news, tehran. >>> back here at home, the diplomat standoff continues at the annual meeting of the united nations general assembly. palestinian president mahmoud abbas remains determined to take his bid for statehood to the u.n. despite pressure from the u.s. for abbas to instead resume peace talks with israel. nbc's tracie potts joins with us more from washington. tracie, good morning. >> reporter: lynn, good morning. president obama and the u.s. seem determined to convince him that the united nations is not the plac

josh fattal and shane bauer embraced loved ones yesterday. they were found guilty of spying after they crossed into iran while hiking in iraq but a judge granted their release after oman paid a million dollars. coming up at 6:15, we'll have a live report on what is next for those two released hikers. >>> the release comes as iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad speaks at the united nations general assembly today. he is expected to talk about global management and a reform of the united nations. now, president obama addressed the assembly yesterday saying now is not the time to grant palestine's request for statehood. the president says an independent palestine need to emerge from peace negotiations with israel. >>> the names of two fallen firefighters are going to be added to a san francisco memorial today. lieutenant vince perez and firefighter paramedic tony valerio were killed while fighting a house fire that june. their funeral was the largest in san francisco in six decades. their names will be displayed at the line of duty memorial wal

shane bauer and josh fattal are finally free. we obtained this exclusive footage of the pair. the iranians wanted to show that they were treated well in detention. they were detained with another american more than two years ago in the on march region between iran and iraq. the iranians accused them of spying but the americans said they were simply hiking. one was released last year on grounds of ill health. she said that none of them could have been supplies. >> we had no equipment on us. we had no intention to come into iran and we are no threat. >> the families were allowed to meet shane bauer and josh fattal last year. >> iran's president said this before the release. >> we did not make this decision under pressure. this is a humanitarian decision. >> this has only deepened the mistrust between iran and washington. iran says that their nuclear program is peaceful. western countries suspect iran of wanting to make a nuclear bomb. there has been problems with relations since the 1979 revolution. tehran and said they did it for better relations. >> they want to be a part of t

cnn still reporting that shane bauer and josh fattal have been released.ces on the ground say they are still physically at the prison, still filling out the final paperwork. earlier, our sources spotted bauer and fattal's attorney walking into the prison with swiss diplomats who represent american interests in iran. and swiss representatives from oman. that's where they may be headed first out of iran after being jailed for over two years there. this is all happening after a second judge finally signed off on the bail paperwork that was supposed to happen over the weekend. but he was on vacation. bauer and fattal's attorney earlier mentioned there's one last minor technical hurdle, the transfer of $1 million in bail money. so far no official word on the status of that and also who is paying that money. their sarah shourd was also released last year on half million dollars bail and flown to oman. so we'll be following the developments on this long han waited homecoming. >> thank you. >>> the latest shooting in san francisco's bay district sent a little girl

shane bauer and josh fattal reflected on their release two years after they were taken into custody. and nbc's francis coe reports. >> reporter: americans shane bauer and josh fattal spoke out on their third day of freedom. the two gave a brief press conference in oman, the country which paid their $1 million bail leading to their release. >> it was the most incredible experience of our lives. we will never forget the excitement of seeing our loved ones waiting for us at the foot of the plane. the joy of embracing them all after so long will stay with us forever. >> reporter: they were moments treasured after the men spent two years in a prison with charges of espionage and illegally crossing a border. after delays and disappointment, wednesday was the milestone moment reflected upon by fattal and bauer in their prepared statements today. >> just hours after we left prison, we were able to swim in the calm waters of the gulf. we stayed up all night with our loved ones and we watched the most beautiful sunset we've ever seen. these experiences will be with us for the rest of our lives

berkeley students shane bauer and josh fattal were free to leave. they had been held as spies in iran, sentenced to eight years in prison. along with sarah shourd, who was freed last year. their families said all along they were hiking in 2009 when they may have accidentally crossed the border. former professors have told us this morning it's been a roller coaster ride. >> i've already gotten a number of text messages from students who were in the same class with shane and just very, very happy. so, we had a small class of about seven students that worked on a magazine at the journalist school. we all have been watching and praying. >> i think it's a good policy move for iran, though. they've really been stagnating in terms of press and last thing people think of when they think of iran is political fairness. >> reporter: both the men's families are overseas waiting for them. so is sarah shourd. just a short time ago, u.c. berkeley released a statement to the public affairs department, saying in part, they are certainly relieved and thankful at the

bauer and fattal have been in prison for two years. they were arrested for illegally crossing in iran. they have also be accused of spying for the united states. charges they both deny. the two u. c. berkley students were each given an eight-year prison sentence. though the iranian lawyer says there is reason to be optimistic, they say there is one more roadblock on the path to freedom. ayatollah comain any has the final say in any matters. some are suggesting the release of the two men as being tied with all dinjad's visit later this month. >> we hope they come back. thank you. at this hour a shelter in place expected to be lifted in contra cost a county. this was lift last night after four boys escaped from the detention center. the warning to stay inside with doors locked was for people in byron and discovery boy. one of the four boys is considered dangerous. >>> new concerns at san jose state university with two sexual assaults in the campus area in less than a week. warnings now for the students there. stephanie, good morning. >>

shane bauer and josh fattal describes this as the best day in their lives. they are enjoying a reunion in gnomon. -- in oman. >> the joy of freedom. the relieved u.s. hiker's raced into the arms of their waiting family. this is the day they have all been waiting for. they are finally free. close your happy we are free -- >> we are happy that we are free. we thanked the king of all montfort obtaining our relief. -- we thanked the king of oman for obtaining our release. >> we sincerely hope for a freedom for those who are unjustly imprisoned in america and around the world. >> they were arrested along with a third american, sarah shourd, , in the region between iran and iraq. the iranians accused the trio of spying. the americans said they were simply hiking in northern iraq. sarah shourd was released last year on grounds of field house. -- of ill health. >> it is clear that we had no intention to come to iran. we were no threat. "the families were allowed to meet shane bauer and josh fattal briefly last year turned to relatives are calling this the best day o

meanwhile, shane bauer officially engaged to fellow hiker sara shourd. you see him putting the ring on her finger right there. josh fattal, who was freed with him on wednesday, is going to be the best man. sarah and him agreed to wed while they were in prison. >> >> at night time it gets busy here. >> he's the pastor at true vine ministries in oakland. it's a place tame during the day but dramatically changes at night with drug deals, prostitution and even murder.

. >>> after spending more than two years locked up in iran, hikers shane bauer and joshua fattal are finally free. yesterday they were released from prison and into the arms of loved ones. nbc news tehran's bureau chief has more from iran. >> reporter: after over 780 days in tehran's notorious prison, shane bauer and joshua fattal finally get to taste freedom. during fast-moving events, their iranian lawyer was summoned to the judiciary to come and finalize their $1 million bail arrangements. once that had been done, swiss delegates rushed to the prison to see how long it would take to get them out. the swiss ambassador who deals with american interests in iran because there is no u.s. embassy here came out and delivered the good news that shane bauer and joshua fattal, after two years of hope and heartbreak for themselves and their families, were on their way out of iran. >> two years in prison is too long. and we sincerely hope for the freedom of other political prisoners and other unjustly imprisoned people in america and iran. >> reporter: what this ordeal and this case has highl

but that was the last time bauer and josh fattal saw their family in prison. then, sarah shourd was released on humanitarian grounds due to health problems. right now on ktvu you can watch the raw video on the reunion with the families in oman. just click on the hikers tab. >>> and the man cried today as he was arraigned on criminal charges, 33-year-old paul castillo facing eight charges, including murder. his attorney says his client has been placed on suicide watch. the district attorney says that castillo shot a man at a san jose gas station last friday, then carjacked and kidnapped 60- year-old cindy nguyen. her body was found saturday morning. >>> and we are learning more details on how michelle le's body was found. the spokesperson was with her search dog on saturday when her dog suddenly stopped. >> she had stopped by a flat area and was waiting patiently for me. i approached her, noticed remains. >> reporter: authorities determined the remains were those of the missing nursing student. mcgonigal's own daughter, amber was kidnapped and killed in 2009. h

shane bauer, josh fattal are on a plane at this hour heading for the u.s. them for allegedly straying over the border from iraq in july of 2009. now they were accused of being spies and sentenced to eight years in prison but on wednesday, bauer and fattal left ir iran. a third american sarah shourd was released a year ago for medical reasons. >> swimmer die and nap nyad is not giving up on her dream. last night she the began a new attempt to swim from cuba to florida. this time, the 62-year-old briefly got tangled up with a jellyfish and related for stings, then she took off again. she hopes to make it to florida by monday. >>> i have to tell you about this. an ugly altercation for sarah palin's daughter bristol while shooting her own reality show. a film crew is tracing bristol's move from alaska to los angeles to work for a charity. but things went sour when she saddled up on a mechanical bull and this be west hollywood bar. she faced up to some very public vitriol against her and her famous family. and i want to bring in maureen o'connor from the website

this came after an iranian court set bail at half a million dollars each for bauer and f attal.he family said that it was a huge relief that they are going to be freed. >> i benefit from the outside world. i think it's the most horrible thing that could happen for them. >> reporter: students on campus are hopeful the ordeal will end soon. >> it's really scary knowing that students from my college are actually scared for their lives right now in a different country. and i'm just happy that these americans are coming back to our country. c ount -- >> we obviously hope that we will see a positive outcome from what appears to be a decision from the government. >> reporter: the state department is getting news about the two americans through swiss envoys. >>> a group battling the sex trafficking of youth in oakland is looking for help tonight. they said there has been a decline in prostitution ever since those billboards were first installed on international boulevard, tonight they're asking for funds to keep the board up. >>> a class action suit was filed today in san mateo county s

josh fattal and shane bauer. they were convicted of spying and illegally entering the country two years ago. and now we are being told that $1 million in bail has been submitted. $500,000 each. so, these two can walk free. and our cnn producer shirzad is right there outside of iran's most notorious prison where they have been held. as soon as you see them, we'll keep you up live, keep connections with you. zain verjee, i know we were going to talk about a totally different story with you out of london, but i would like to get you to weigh in on this because you have been talking about this since yesterday when we got word they were going to walk free. what do you know about this prison and how this might unfold? you heard shirzad is there waiting for them and then the question is, where will they go next? our sources telling us, possibly oman. >> evin prison is one of the most notorious prisons in iran. as what could happen next, they're likely to go to a third country. reports that they would go to muscat in ome

this came after an iranian court set bail at half a million dollars each for bauer and f attal. was a huge relief that they are going to be freed. >> i benefit from the outside world. i think it's the most horrible thing that could happen for them. >> reporter: students on campus are hopeful the ordeal will end soon. >> it's really scary knowing that students from my college are actually scared for their lives right now in a different country. and i'm just happy that these americans are coming back to our country. c ount -- >> we obviously hope that we will see a positive outcome from what appears to be a decision from the government. >> reporter: the state department is getting news about the two americans through swiss envoys. >>> a group battling the sex trafficking of youth in oakland is looking for help tonight. they said there has been a decline in prostitution ever since those billboards were first installed on international boulevard, tonight they're asking for funds to keep the board up. >>> a class action suit was filed today in san mateo county superior court against

shane bauer and josh fattal have been released. claudine wong joins us live from uc berkeley with all of the developments this morning and where the two men are expected to be headed. good morning, claudine. >> reporter: good morning, tori. certainly we've been watching everything coming out of iran. we've been waiting for this confirmation that they've actually left the grounds of the prison because we've known since early this morning that there were a couple of cars with swiss diplomats there. they pulled up to the gates. they had not left yet. but they have now left. this all started overnight as word came from the attorney for these two men that all of the necessary signatures were in hand, then diplomatic vehicles were arriving at about 3:30 our time to the prison and then about 4:45 this morning. there was a -- about 4:45 this morning, there was word that the two men were freed after spending two years in that prison. details are still coming in about about how this happened. >> i'm sure there are so many things that we don'

hikers josh fattal and shane bauer have been freed.cer in iran that omani government officials were seen entering the prison a short while ago. we know they have been freed, we don't know where they're going next, but a lot of speculation their first stop, once they leave iran. last year when the hiker sarah shourd was released her first stop out of tehran was here. the reason for that being that the omanis had paid her bail. a lot of speculation that they had been intricately released. no confirmation on that yet, but officials were seen going into the prison and we do know that those two hikers have been freed. >> mohammed, about the conditions of their release. it's a bail under which they may be called back for trial. i can't imagine they're ever going to go back to iran, is that actually part of the condition of their release? >> we don't yet know all the conditions of the release. we know the bail has been posted, that's according to the lawyer and according to two judges that signed off that the bail had been posted. we were tol

the torturous wait continues for josh fattal and shane bauer. signature is all that stands between the imprisoned hikers and freedom. the ink pen is ready but the judge is nowhere to be found. terry mcsweeney is live in the newsroom with details. >> reporter: now we are getting word freedom will not come today for the two u.c. berkeley students. they are back in court to seek second signature for bail deal to free them but the judge did not show up. the vacationing judge did not return as expected today and it's 5:00 in the evening. they have to return to the revolutionary court tomorrow. fattal and bauer were arrested in 2009 along the iran/iraq border charged with spying. they were charged to eight years in prison. saturday, the iran foreign minister said the sentence would be canceled soon. it means bail of half a million dollars each. the attorney talked about his frustrating day. >> after what i was told two days ago, i went to the court again today. but the judge has not turned up yet. since i have another trial to catch up on at 10:30, i

josh fattal and shane bauer stayed in seclusion with their families in the persian gulf state of oman. that was just hours after iran released them on $1 million bail. meanwhile, friends and neighbors back in the u.s. are anxiously awaiting their return. >> got a lump. my wife started to cry. >> i can't wait to see them. i'm going to hug them myself, you know? >> fattal and bauer were arrested along with sarah shourd in iran while hiking along the iraq-iran border. they were accused of spying. shourd was released after a year. it's not clear when josh fattal and shane bauer will return to the u.s. >>> dozens of protestors have taken over a hall on the uc- berkeley campus after marching across campus. the protest began at noon over the proposed tuition hikes and budget cuts for the uc system. tuition could rise as much as 16% per year for four years. police say there have been one confrontation with the university police officer involving pepper spray. >>> it's being called the biggest nursing strike in northern california history. [ chanting ] [ singing ] >> as many as 23,000 register

remember, she's engaged to shane bauer.aid when she was released, she said back in january of 2010, shane got down on a bended knee and had fashioned an engagement ring out of a thread from the shirt he'd worn to present that to her. so she will be there also. we are told. we're waiting for a statement from the family at any time, presumably it will be when the plane touches down. they're being escorted by a representative of oman. that country enjoys, of course, a good relationship with both iran and the united states and acted as a intermediary. did the same thing when sarah was there. once they are there, we are told they may spend at least a couple of days before heading to the united states. >> that's a very nice romantic story there about the ring. that's really sweet. we know that they've been released, that they'll be reuniting with their families shortly. do we have any idea how they were actually released? who paid that $1 million for their bail? >> that remains a mystery. it was never publicly disclosed who paid

cnn is reporting that the uc- berkeley alumni josh fattal and shane bauer have been released from anson but cbs source on the ground are telling us that the two are still in custody because they are filling out paperwork. this morning, their attorney said that iranian courts have approved a million-dollar bail- for-freedom deal. >>> a shootout in san francisco's bayview district has injured a 5-year-old girl. she is recovering from gunshot wound this morning. officers are still searching for two suspects. >>> and pg&e will be purging gas from a pipeline in san mateo county starting at 7 a.m. it's part of an ongoing series of pipeline tests in the wake of last year's deadly explosion in san bruno. >>> attorneys in georgia plan to file a last-minute appeal to halt the execution of a convicted killer who reignited the death penalty debate. troy davis is scheduled for lethal injection this evening. the state's pardons board rejected clemency for him yesterday. he was convicted of killing an off-duty police officer. his attorney says it was based on flawed recanted testimony. >>> music ic

. >> reporter: shane bauer, josh fattal and sarah shourd were arrested more than two years ago while hiking along iraq's border with iran. they were convicted of espionage by the iranian government. shourd was released last year. today, bauer and fattal's iranian lawyer told cbs news that the two men would be released on half a million dollars bail each. the bauer and fattal families issued a statement that said "it's a huge relief" adding "we hope to say more when they're finally back in our arms." in an nbc news interview, iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad called the planned release a humanitarian gesture. >> ( translated ): we are also trying to make arrangements for the freedom of the other two. i think these two persons will be freed in a couple of days. >> reporter: but secretary of state hillary clinton remains cautious. >> we are encouraged by what the iranian government has said today, but i'm not going to comment further than that. >> reporter: iran's president ahmadinejad will address the united nations general assembly next week. this iranian journalist who was jailed

cindy hickey is bauer's mom. >> they trusted each other, they read books, they had questions for each other to answer the next day. they exercised. >> reporter: fattal's mother laura says they cut shoe laces from those blindfolds so they could run in sandals. >> they were very serious about their exercise and they used water bottles as weights in their cells to build muscles. >> reporter: with their ordeal behind them, the hikers still maintain their innocence. >> we do not know if we crossed the border. we will probably never know. >> reporter: fellow hiker sarah shourd was also detained. she and bauer got engaged in prison but shourd was released a year ago. >> a lot of people are scratching their heads saying how could they... why would they be hiking there? >> we weren't in a war zone. that said, i do feel that we made a mistake in not researching more the area that we went hiking in. >> reporter: that mistake trapped them for 26 months, but now they say they've never felt more free. seth doane, cbs news, new york. >> pelley: imagine being charged nearly 500% interest for a loan.

josh fattal and shane bauer arrived in oman under $1 million bail deal and were embraced by relatives. also on hand was sarah shourd who was freed last year. the three u.c. berkeley grads were detained in july of 2009 hiking along the iran/iraq border. >> we are so happy we are free and so relieved we are free. our deepest gratitude goes toward his majesty, sultan for obtaining our release. >> two years in prison is too long. we sincerely hope for the freedom of other political prison e prisoners. >> shourd and bauer got engaged in prison. bauer and fattal are expected to stay in oman before they fly back to the u.s. >> more changes coming to facebook and the 750 million users. many already sounding off over a new look and interface unveiled this week. the big announcement comes at the facebook developer conference in san francisco today. terry mcsweeney joins us live with the scoop. terry? >> yeah, changes already in the books so to speak. more changes coming today. not all of them popular to the world's largest online social network site. look at the pictures from yesterday. this is