"It's a tough business. Progress comes slow. And there are going to be difficult days ahead. Progress comes at a high price. So many of you have stood before the solemn battle cross, the display of boots, a rifle, a helmet, and said goodbye to a fallen comrade. There are few days when I don't sign a letter to a military family expressing our nation's gratitude and grief at their profound sacrifice."

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told the BBC that she has spent a considerable amount of time over the past week reassuring world leaders about the conduct of American diplomacy. She was speaking in Bahrain in the wake of the Wikileaks controversy.

"I have personally expressed my regret to individual leaders as well as publicly to anyone who has been offended or affected. But this is a tough business we're in, and it's a challenging world and most leaders get it."

Mrs Clinton said the leaked diplomatic cables did not reflect US policy but were a way for diplomats to share information. She added that the authorities were examining ways of making confidential documents more secure.

Officials from Kenya's finance ministry have estimated that up to a third of the national budget is being swallowed up by corruption. The officials said the government was losing about $4bn a year.

World News from the BBC

Israeli police have arrested two men on suspicion of involvement in a huge forest fire that's raging out of control in northern Israel. The authorities say they suspect arson in a number of related fires, and investigators are looking for more culprits. An international effort is underway to help Israel with special aircraft and teams of firefighters to control the fire. At least 41 people have been killed, and more than 15,000 evacuated.