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.
Portugal's President Anibal Cavaco Silva has signed next year's budget which includes big tax increase described by critics as a fiscal earth quake. This coming at the start of the new year. The government says the tax increase is a necessary if Portugal is to reduce its debts as agreed with the international creditors.
Rebels in the Central African Republic who made rapid advances towards the capital Bangui have dismissed a series of concessions after on Sunday by President Francois Bozize. The rebels told BBC it was impossible to trust the president because his security forces was still attacking their supporters in Bangui. Here is our West African correspondent Thomas Fessy.
The rebel coalition warned that it will act soon if President Bozize doesn't stop what it calls a campaign against its supporters. It says still committed to talks but accused Mr Bozize of sending out contradictory messages. The main human rights group in the Central African Republic told the BBC that dozens of people suspected of supporting the rebels have been arrested in the capital. There was not possible to confirmed these reports and the government has denied them.
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A ban has been imposed in Ghana on the import of second-hand refrigerators which often contain chemicals banned in many western countries because they are seriously harmful to the environment. The Ghana energy commission saying people handing in old fridges will also be able to buy new ones at a discount. The head of Ghana energy commission Alfred Ofosu-Ahenkora told the BBC he hopes the move will provide new employment opportunities.
I know some investors have already drawn up plans to come and visit Ghana to see how they can go ahead. So it is not a matter of stopping some business but it rather encouraging manufacturing. I think manufacturing will create more jobs than importation of second-hand of refrigerators.
Israel has confirmed that it start to allow some building materials into the Gaza Strip supply which has been banned under the long running Israeli blockade. The decision is a part of a ceasefire deal which ended the eight-day conflict between Israel and Hamas run Palestinian territory in November.
The daughter of the former Iranian President Ayatullah Akbar Rafsanjani has been moved to solitary confinement at a Tehran prison where she serving a 6-month sentence. A spokesman for the Iranian judiciary said Faezeh Hashemi was putting in solitary confinement after participating in a protest against condition of the jail. Faezeh Hashemi, who is herself a former MP was sentenced in September for propaganda against states.
Burma has welcomed in the New Year with public firework display for the first time, the latest sign of easing of political control on daily life. Public gatherings were banned on the military rule, but organizers said tens of thousands of people congregated in Rangoon this year to watch the fireworks. The display was held against the backdrop of Burma most secret sight - the golden Shwedagon Pagoda.
BBC News
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巴基斯坦官员称已释放阿富汗塔利班的另外8名高级官员，他们全部是前政府的部长及省级部长。阿富汗政府对此表示欢迎，但表示将安置这些官员，让他们参与到和平进程中。
据巴基斯坦官员称，所有获释人员为塔利班前司法部长图拉比及赫尔曼德省前省长Abdul Bari。据悉图拉比健康欠佳，但巴基斯坦最受关注的塔利班囚犯即前副领袖阿卜杜勒·加尼·巴拉达目前仍在拘留中。上月，就在阿富汗和平委员会主席访问伊 斯兰堡后，巴基斯坦释放了至少另外9名阿富汗塔利班。
美国政治家在最后时刻仍努力达成协议以避免所谓的“财政悬崖”，新的一年将同时实施重大的开支削减和增税措施。总统奥巴马很乐观，他认为可以达成协议。Paul Adams在华盛顿报道。
据悉协议已有眉目，奥巴马来到白宫讲台试图再次说服众人。奥巴马身后站着两排中产阶级人员，他说，阻止对最富有者之外美国人增税的协议已有眉目，但 尚未最终敲定。年收入在40万以上的美国人将按比尔·克林顿在位期间的税率。这项协议还将原定于当地时间午夜开始实施的苛刻的自动开支削减政策往后推迟。
葡萄牙总统席尔瓦签署了明年的预算，内容包括被批评者成为“财政地震”的大幅度增税政策。预算将于新年年初开始实施，政府称如果葡萄牙希望按照与国际债主签署的协议来削减债务，那么增税政策就很有必要。
中非共和国叛军已朝首都班基方向快速挺进，他们没有接受总统弗朗索瓦·博齐泽周日提出的让步条件。叛军称无法信任总统，因为其安全部队仍在袭击叛军在班基的支持者。BBC驻西非记者Thomas Fessy报道。
叛军联盟警告说，如果总统博齐泽不停止对其支持者的袭击，那么将快速反击。叛军称仍愿意和谈，但指责博齐泽表达了相反的信息。驻中非共和国的人权组织告诉BBC，数十名有支持叛军嫌疑的人已在首都班基被捕。目前尚无办法确定这些报道的真实性，政府也对此否认。
加纳发布禁令禁止进口二手冰箱，因为这些冰箱里含有为西方国家禁止的有害环境的化学物质。加纳能源委员会称那些处理旧冰箱的人也可以折价购买新冰箱。加纳能源委员会主席Alfred Ofosu-Ahenkora告诉BBC，他希望此举能提供新的就业机会。
我知道有的投资者已经准备来加纳了解情况，但这并非是要阻止一些商业活动，而是鼓励制造业的发展。我想与进口二手冰箱相比，制造者可以创造更多就业岗位。
以色列称将允许一些建筑材料进入加沙地带，长期以来由于以色列的封锁，这些材料一直被禁运输到此地。这是停火协议的一部分，该协议结束了11月份以色列和哈马斯控制的巴勒斯坦领地之间为期8天的冲突。
伊朗前总统阿里·阿克巴尔·哈什米·拉夫桑贾尼之女进入德黑兰一所监狱进行单独拘禁，她将在那里接受6个月的监禁。伊朗司法部发言人称法伊泽因参与抗议监狱环境而被单独拘禁。法伊泽本人曾是议员，9月份她因反政府宣传获刑。
缅甸首次在公众场合点燃烟花以庆祝新年，这是政治放松对日常生活控制的最新迹象。军事统治期间禁止公众集会，但组织者称今年数万人集会仰光来观看烟花。烟花燃放点设在缅甸最神秘的地点仰光大金塔。
