<span style="color: black;">The Taliban have offered a three-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of 7,000 insurgent prisoners. An Afghan government negotiator said today, as the group continues a sweeping offensive across the country.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: black;">It was not immediately clear how the government would react to the ceasefire offer, which comes as the United States accelerates the pace of a troop withdrawal due to be finished by 31 August.</span><br />''  <br />