By HUGO GYE

An international poll has revealed the world's most and least racist countries - and the results are not necessarily the ones you would expect. The most racially intolerant countries are apparently all from the developing world, with Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Jordan and India topping the list. By contrast, it is the West which is most racially harmonious, despite controversial political arguments over issues such as immigration. Britain, the U.S., Canada and Australia were named among the least racist nations, along with parts of South America such as Brazil and Argentina. The data come from the World Value Survey, which has been measuring the social attitudes of people in different countries over the past few decades, as reported by the Washington Post.

Researchers asked the survey respondents which groups of people they would not want as neighbours, and measured the number who replied with 'people of another race'. The country with the highest proportion of people expressing racist opinions was Hong Kong, where 71.8 per cent of the population would refuse to live next to someone of a different race. Next were Bangladesh on 71.7 per cent, Jordan on 51.4 per cent and India with 43.5 per cent. None of these countries is particularly notorious for racial disharmony - unlike, say, the U.S., where the legacy of slavery is widely believed to have led to damaging racial tensions.

However, racist views are in fact strikingly rare in America, according to the survey, which claims that only 3.8 per cent of residents are reluctant to have a neighbour of another race. Other English-speaking countries once part of the British Empire shared the same tolerant attitude - fewer than five per cent of Britons, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders showed signs of racism. Similarly, fewer than one in 20 people in most South American countries admitted harbouring prejudice against other races. The Middle East, which is currently dealing with large numbers of low-skilled immigrants from south Asia, seems to be a hotbed of racial tension.

Europe is remarkably split - the west of the continent is generally more tolerant than the east, but France is a striking outlier with 22.7 per cent of the French rejecting neighbourhood diversity. Some have pointed out problems in the survey data, claiming that because the polls span a long period of time they are an unreliable guide to current attitudes. However, a more serious flaw could be the fact that in most Western countries racism is so taboo than many people will hide their intolerant views and lie to the questioners.

By PAUL THOMPSON

A teacher who sent text messages to students to come to her classroom one-by-one for oral sex is facing up to two years in jail. Amber Failla pleaded no contest to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse and multiple counts of oral copulation. The 36-year-old had been facing eight charges that could have put her behind bars for a decade.

Failla, who taught at California High School, in California City, California, was arrested last July after a sports coach found out her about inappropriate behavior. The coach overheard a student saying that Failla, who is married, had given oral sex to one of his friends. When the 17-year old was interviewed by police he later admitted the match teacher performed oral sex in her classroom. He also claimed they had sex in her car.

As police carried out an investigation into Failla they discovered she would send students a text message to meet her in an empty classroom where she would perform oral sex. One of the teens claimed that at one point, Failla grabbed his hand and put them on her breasts and said, 'This is like candy to me'.

The teens claim that Failla would send them pictures of herself naked. Police said her victims were aged 14, 16 and 17. California City police took a computer and cell phone from Failla's home as part of their investigation. Prosecutor Marus Cuper said the plea deal was the best result for both sides. As well as a jail sentence Failla will also register as a sex offender for life. 'I think it's a just result for both sides,' Cuper said. 'The victims get some justice and she's not being overly punished.'

Three charges of oral copulation with a person younger than 18, two counts of contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, and two other counts of unlawful sexual intercourse were dismissed. Cuper said the latter two counts can be considered by the judge at sentencing. Defenseattorney Timothy Lemucchi said he believes the plea deal is fair, especially in light of his client's background. 'She has a history of psychiatric problems,' Lemucchi said.

He said her treatment included a drug whose side effect was that made her 'hyperactively sexual'.