Belgian king warns against racism

The Belgian monarch, King Albert, has used his traditional Christmas Eve address to warn of the dangers of racism and right-wing extremism.

Correspondents say the king's remarks are being seen as veiled criticism of the right-wing political party the Vlaams Blok, which campaigns for independence for Belgium's Flemish population.

Recalling his visit to Kosovo in October, King Albert said hard lessons could be drawn from a decade of conflict in the former Yugoslavia.

He said Belgians had to be on their guard against all forms of racism.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service