Report: Afghanistan, Somalia and North Korea most corrupt --- The United States continues to lag behind the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and numerous Scandinavian countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2013, a list that is the most widely used indicator of national corruption. -- This year the US ranked 19th out of 177 countries and territories, with an overall score of 73. Scores range from zero to 100, with a higher score indicating less corruption. While the US score remained unchanged from last year, other countries have improved their performances relative to the US. The UK, for example, which was ranked 17th in 2012 with a score of 74, has now climbed to 14th place. Denmark and Finland share the top spot. -- It’s troubling that Afghanistan continues to be plagued by some of the worst corruption in the world despite the US pouring over half a trillion dollars into the country. Earlier this year a dramatic showdown in the Afghan parliament had lawmakers openly flinging allegations of corruption at each other. Following this, the director of Integrity Watch Afghanistan blamed international aid and military organizations for fueling the cycle of corruption in the country.- More, Salon, at: http://www.salon.com/2013/12/03/report_afghanistan_somalia_and_north_korea_most_corrupt/