Americans say Russians are releasing Bliss

United States officials say Russia has agreed to allow the American technician Richard Bliss -- who has been charged with spying -- to go home for Christmas and the New Year.

But the charges against him have not been dropped, and he's been told he will have to return to Russia on January the tenth.

Mr Bliss was detained last month in Rostov on Don and charged with surveillance of restricted sites.

He denies this; his employers and the American government say he was helping to install a telecommunications system.

The Russians have now reached agreement with Mr Bliss's employers -- the American firm Qualcom -- allowing Mr Bliss to leave on a chartered plane, possibly today Tuesday.

The American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright discussed the Bliss case in Brussels last week with the Russian foreign minister, Yevgeny Primakov.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service