BBC News with Marion Marshall
Pakistani government officials said they released another eight senior members of the Afghan Taliban, all are ex-government ministers or provincial governors. The Afghan government welcomed the move, but said they need to locate those released to get them involved in the peace process. A P of the BBC Pashto Service reports.
Among those released according to Pakistani officials, all the former Taliban Justice Minister Mullah Nooruddin Turabi and the former governor of Helmand province, Abdul Bari. Mullah Turabi is told to be in poor health. But Pakistan's most high-profile Taliban detainee, former deputy leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar remains in custody. Last month Pakistan freed at least nine other Afghan Taliban following a visit to Islamabad by the head of the Afghanistan peace council.
Politicians in the United States are making a final pushed to reach a deal that would avoid what become known as the financial cliff. A combination of major spending cuts and tax rises is due to begin automatically on new year's day. President Obama expressed some optimism that deal could still be reached. Paul Adams reports from Washington.
Amid reports that the deal was beginning to take shape, Mr Obama took to the podium at the White house to cajole congress one more time. With two rows of middle class American stand behind him, the President said the deal to prevent tax increase on the all but the very wealthiest was now in sight but not yet in place. Those making over $400,000 a year would find their taxes going up reverting to rates last in placed during the presidency of Bill Clinton. A deal could also also put off the swingeing automatic spending cuts that supposed to coming into a fact at midnight local time.