The most corrupt countries in the world, ranked in order

Transparency International has released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks 175 countries on their levels of public sector corruption.

A statement released with the report indicated that a low score “is likely a sign of widespread bribery, lack of punishment for corruption and public institutions that don’t respond to citizens’ needs”.

It is pointed out that while no countries score 0 (highly corrupt), there are also none scoring a perfect 100 (very clean).

Bribes and backroom deals don’t just steal resources from the most vulnerable – they undermine justice and economic development, and destroy public trust in government and leaders.

Transparency International

Britain scores 78 which takes it up to 14 on the list and overall the country has seen a steady improvement over the past two years (2012: 74, 2013: 76).

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Chile's Calbuco volcano erupts

The Calbuco volcano has erupted for the first time in 42 years, billowing a huge ash cloud over a sparsely populated, mountainous area in southern Chile.

Chile’s Onemi emergency office declared a red alert following the sudden eruption at around 18.00 local time (21.00 GMT), which occurred about 1,000km (625 miles) south of Santiago, the capital, near the tourist towns of Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt.

An evacuation radius of 20km has been established, authorities said. As night fell, about 4,000 people had so far moved out of the area.

President Michelle Bachelet is scheduled to travel to the affected area on Thursday.

There are no reports of deaths, missing persons or injuries, interior minister Rodrigo Penailillo said. He urged residents to evacuate and warned of possible lahars, a mix of water and rock fragments that flow down a volcano’s slopes and river valleys.

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Stunned France probes deadly Argentina helicopter crash - BBC

Prosecutors in France have opened a manslaughter investigation after two helicopters crashed in Argentina, killing eight French nationals.

Three well-known French sports personalities were among those killed in the collision, which also claimed the lives of the two Argentine pilots.

French President Francois Hollande said it was "a cause of immense sadness".

Both helicopters were involved in the filming of TV survival show Dropped, which airs on French channel TF1.

On the show, celebrities are flown into rough terrain and filmed while they attempt to find food and shelter.

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Fidel Castro's revolutionary lover dies at the age of 89 - BBC News

Natalia Revuelta, a Cuban socialite who emptied her bank account and sold her jewellery to support Fidel Castro when he was planning his insurgency, has died at the age of 89 in Havana.

She caught the eye of Fidel Castro when he was a young revolutionary in 1952.

He used her home for meetings when he was plotting the start of the revolution.

They later had an affair that produced a daughter, Alina, but they never married.

Natalia Revuelta was considered one of the most beautiful women in Cuba.

Blonde and green-eyed, she was a noticeable figure in Havana's social scene when she met Fidel Castro in 1952.

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Uruguay leaders display their love for vintage cars - BBC News

Uruguay's outgoing president Jose Mujica and incoming leader Tabare Vazquez put their love for vintage cars on display at Sunday's inauguration ceremony.

Mr Mujica drove to the ceremony in his 1987 sky-blue Volkswagen Beetle.

Mr Vazquez meanwhile paraded through the city following his swearing-in on the back of a 1951 Fordson lorry.

Mr Mujica, a former rebel who leads an austere life, was dubbed "the world's poorest president".

'Pauper president'
His VW Beetle, valued at $1,800 (£1,170), hit the headlines when it was the only asset listed on the annual personal wealth declaration of the then-president.

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Argentina: President Cristina Fernandez case dismissed - BBC News

A federal judge in Argentina has dismissed a controversial case against President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her foreign minister.

They had been accused of covering up alleged Iranian involvement in a bomb attack against a Jewish centre in 1994.

Judge Daniel Rafecas has concluded that there was not enough evidence to pursue the charges.

The accusation came from special prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who was found dead last month in his flat.

Judge Rafecas said he was throwing out the case after carefully examining Mr Nisman's 350-page report.

There was no proof that an agreement signed by the Argentine government with Iran in January 2013 was an attempt to shield the involvement of senior Iranian officials in the attack, the judge said.

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Mexico president hails capture of drug lord Servando 'La Tuta' Gomez - BBC News

Mexican police have captured the country's most wanted drug lord, Servando "La Tuta" Gomez.

Mr Gomez, leader of the Knights Templar drug cartel, was arrested in Morelia in Michoacan state without a shot fired.

He was taken to Mexico City, where he was paraded before television cameras, before being flown by helicopter to a maximum security prison.

President Enrique Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter that the rule of law had been strengthened because of the arrest.

A police spokesman told local media the arrest followed months of intelligence work in the region.

Police reportedly seized nearby properties in the weeks leading up Mr Gomez's capture and arrested several of his associates, including his brother, Flavio Gomez, who was in charge of the family's finances.

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