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American Hikers Held By Iran To Be Freed 'In Two Days,' Ahmadinejad Says

Two Americans who have been held in Iran since July 2009 will be released "in two days," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told NBC News.

Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal and a third American — Bauer's finance, Sarah Shourd — were hiking in Iraq in July 2009 when they crossed the border into Iran. They were arrested and accused of spying. Shourd was released on bail last year. All three were later convicted of spying and the two men have been serving eight-year prison sentences, over the protests of the U.S. and despite appeals from their families.

Ahmadinejad broke the news of the men's impending release during a pre-recorded interview aired on NBC's Today show this morning. After word of his comments became known, The Associated Press reported that an attorney for the men, Masoud Shafiei, says that a bail of $500,000 for each has been set. As the AP notes, that is the same amount as the bail set last year for Shourd.

Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

NPR

Meet London's Master Architects In Jell-0

London duo Sam Bompas and Harry Parr have made names for themselves with their wild, experimental food installations. From pineapple islands and banana vapors to re-creations of famous architectural monuments, their work playfully pushes the boundary of how we experience food.
NPR

Meet London's Master Architects In Jell-0

London duo Sam Bompas and Harry Parr have made names for themselves with their wild, experimental food installations. From pineapple islands and banana vapors to re-creations of famous architectural monuments, their work playfully pushes the boundary of how we experience food.
NPR

Stunned By Military Sex Scandals, Advocates Demand Changes

As the nation prepares to mark Memorial Day, outrage has been building on Capitol Hill and beyond over the military's failure to repair a system that has placed service members in more danger of sexual assault than of battlefield injury.
NPR

Google Reportedly Faces FTC Antitrust Probe Over Display Ads

The Federal Trade Commission is in the early stages of opening an antitrust probe into how Google runs its online display advertising business, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing sources who want to remain anonymous because the FTC has not announced the probe.

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