WORLD BRIEFING

Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged that corrupt officials would have no place in his new administration -- a demand made by Washington and its international partners as they ponder sending more troops to confront the Taliban and shore up his government.

Also, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization reported the combat deaths of three soldiers -- one American and two Britons -- in areas of the west and south where there is a large Taliban presence.

NATO forces said they were still searching for two American paratroopers who disappeared Wednesday while trying to recover airdropped supplies that had fallen into a river. Afghan police said they were swept away by the current and may have drowned.

As the number of casualties rises, corruption has become a front-burner issue in Afghanistan, with President Obama and other leaders under pressure at home to explain why they are sending troops to fight in defense of a government riddled with graft and cronyism.