Xenophon selects running mate for election

INDEPENDENT senator Nick Xenophon has selected his running mate for the federal election - his campaign manager.

Stirling Griff will be in the number two spot underneath Senator Xenophon for the Nick Xenophon Group on September 7.

Under new rules agreed to by both major parties, a running mate is required to ensure minor parties and independents are listed above the line on the huge Senate ballot paper.

Mr Griff has a business background, previously working as a retail industry consultant and as the chief executive of the South Australian branch of the Australian Retailers Association.

He is currently Senator Xenophon's campaign manager, and says it is "crucial" he is re-elected to the Senate seat he won in 2007.

"Nick stands up for what counts to South Australians," Mr Griff said.

"It's crucial that he is re-elected to the Senate, so I'll be doing all I can to help get him over the line."

Senator Xenophon says Mr Griff is a long-time friend.

"I have known Stirling since first entering state parliament in 1997 and am thrilled that he has accepted my invitation to be my running mate," he said.

"We are both passionate about South Australia and he is a fantastic ally.

"Stirling is someone who I trust completely, given our long-standing professional association and personal friendship."

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Coal collapses at Indian mine kills seven

AN official says at least seven villagers were killed and five others injured when a heap of coal collapsed on them at a coal mine in eastern India.

Dikken Mehra, a spokesman for state-owned Mahanadi Coalfield Ltd, says the villagers trespassed into the mine on Saturday to steal coal in order to sell it, a common occurrence at coal mines in India.

Mehra says that about half a dozen villagers are feared to be trapped in the debris and that rescue work is continuing.

The coal mine is about 650 kilometres west of Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa state.

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Abbott praises US for its race relations

THE US has bested Australia in overcoming historical racism by putting Barack Obama in the White House, Tony Abbott says.

The opposition leader came straight from the Top End, where he'd flagged a more engaged relationship with indigenous Australians and underscored his belief in constitutional recognition of Australia's first peoples, to address a diplomatic function in Sydney on Saturday night.

Mr Abbott told the Australian American Leadership Dialogue gala dinner that, like the US, Australia had tried to live by the ethos of treating others as they would be treated, but had not always succeeded.

"For all the difficult history ... you have got this so much more right than we have over the years," he said.

"Whatever I might think of the politics of President Obama, the fact that America elected him five years or so back is proof positive that in that great democracy, in that shining city on a hill, the content of a man's character counts for far more than the colour of his skin."

The night offered a breath of bipartisanship after six days of election campaigning, with former Labor leader Kim Beazley, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare and Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr sharing a stage - and a couple of hugs - with shadow immigration minister Scott Morrison and deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop.

"I'm happy to give (Mr Clare) a hug because if you ask the Daily Telegraph, he's the third most sexy man in Australian politics," Mr Morrison joked.

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Obama denies bad relationship with Putin

PRESIDENT Barack Obama denies having a bad relationship with Vladimir Putin, even though he said the Russian leader can appear to have a "slouch" and sometimes looks "like the bored kid in the back of the classroom."

The comments came at a White House press conference on Friday, two days after Obama cancelled a summit in Moscow with Putin due to what the United States called a lack of progress on key issues and Russia's granting asylum to US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.

"I don't have a bad personal relationship with Putin," Obama insisted.

"When we have conversations, they're candid, they're blunt; oftentimes, they're constructive.

"I know the press likes to focus on body language and he's got that kind of slouch, looking like the bored kid in the back of the classroom. But the truth is, is that when we're in conversations together, oftentimes it's very productive," the president said.

Aside from Snowden, Washington and Moscow disagree on issues that include the war in Syria, missile defence, nuclear disarmament and human rights.

As Russia's defence and foreign ministers met in Washington with their US counterparts, Obama said relations have chilled since Putin's return to the Russian presidency in May 2012.

"I think there's always been some tension in the US-Russian relationship after the fall of the Soviet Union," Obama said.

"There's been cooperation in some areas. There's been competition in others. It is true that in my first four years in working with President Medvedev, we made a lot of progress."

Medvedev was Russia's leader between 2008 and 2012 while then former president Putin took a turn as prime minister - having first boosted the powers of the office - before returning to the top job.

This period saw a brief flowering of joint US-Russian projects, including a new strategic arms reduction treaty and a deal that saw Russia help supply US forces in Afghanistan.

"What's also true is, is that when President Putin... came back into power, I think we saw more rhetoric on the Russian side that was anti-American, that played into some of the old stereotypes about the Cold War," Obama said.

"And I've encouraged Mr Putin to think forward as opposed to backwards on those issues. With mixed success."

Obama however said he was against a boycott of Russia's Winter Olympics next year over a controversial new Russian law banning "homosexual propaganda."

Some gay rights activists around the world have called for a boycott, and US Senator Lindsey Graham said he thought Washington should consider boycotting the Games if Russia were to grant asylum to Snowden.

There is a precedent: the United States boycotted the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics following the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

"I want to just make very clear right now, I do not think it's appropriate to boycott the Olympics," Obama said.

"Nobody's more offended than me by some of the anti-gay and lesbian legislation that you've been seeing in Russia," Obama said.

The most immediate barrier to warmer relations is Snowden, a former US intelligence contractor who fled to Moscow after revealing details of the US National Security Agency's vast electronic spy networks targeting telephone calls and email.

Washington wants him extradited to face espionage charges, and was outraged when Moscow granted him political asylum.

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UK redheads rally in Ginger Pride walk

MORE than a hundred redheads have taken part in the UK's first Ginger Pride march.

A parade led by Canadian comic Shawn Hitchins wound through Edinburgh city centre on Saturday to demonstrate against "gingerism" - described as prejudice or discrimination against people with red hair.

The march created an "amazing" atmosphere as it made its way from the Balmoral Hotel on Princes Street across North Bridge to the city's Royal Mile, Hitchins said.

"Everyone was cheering and we definitely let everyone know that it gets redder," he said.

"I just want to thank all my fellow gingers who took the time attend today's inaugural Ginger Pride event.

"I believe we truly sent a message to the world of how proud we are to be ginger. It was a special moment for gingers everywhere. All hail the red, orange and pale."

Marchers held aloft signs carrying messages such as "For the love of ginger", "All hail! The red, orange and pale" as well as "Ginger and proud".

Hitchins is also performing a show inspired by his hair colour called Ginger Nation at this year's Edinburgh PBH's Free Fringe.

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European stocks mixed before weekend

EUROPEAN stock markets have traded mixed and the euro retreated from seven-week highs against the US dollar as traders banked profits ahead of the weekend pause.

London's FTSE 100 index on Friday gained 0.26 per cent to 6,546.46 points following strong British export data and approaching midday in the British capital.

Frankfurt's DAX 30 fell 0.16 per cent to 8,305.24 points and the CAC 40 index in Paris dipped 0.13 per cent to 4,059.15.

"Markets have hit a lull ... (amid) holiday mode after a busy two weeks dominated by economic figures and news from all the major policy decision makers," said Toby Morris, senior sales trader at CMC Markets, in reference to action being taken by global central banks.

On Friday, the world's second-biggest economy China reported industrial growth for July reached a five-month high.

Industrial production, which measures output at factories, workshops and mines, rose 9.7 per cent year-on-year, well above analyst expectations.

Authorities also announced steady expansion in retail sales and fixed asset investment, and a benign inflation figure of 2.7 per cent, unchanged on last month.

Analysts said the figures pointed to a more stable outlook for China's economy - seen as a key driver of global growth - after months of mounting pessimism.

The data came as Britain's biggest retailer, supermarket chain Tesco, said on Friday that it is in exclusive talks over combining its Chinese operations with those of China Resources Enterprise.

Tesco said the move was in line with the group's strategy of seeking to profit from fast-growing economies, and comes as China seeks to balance export growth with domestic consumption.

Tesco - the world's third-biggest supermarket group after French rival Carrefour and US retailer Wal-Mart in first place - said the proposed joint venture would create a business with annual sales of about STG10 billion ($A17.18 billion).

Shares in Tesco rose 0.87 per cent to stand at 372.3 pence in London morning deals.

Shares in Dutch telecom group KPN leapt by 18.0 per cent in response to a bid for full control by Mexican group America Movil.

The euro edged up to $US1.3383 from $US1.3380 in New York late on Thursday.

The US dollar nudged higher to Y96.68 from Y96.65 on Thursday.

On the London Bullion Market, the price of gold rose to $US1,306.61 an ounce from $US1,298.25 on Thursday.

Asian stock markets closed out the week mixed, while on Wall Street overnight US stocks snapped a three-day losing streak.

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FBI helps Kenya police probe airport blaze

International flights have resumed at Nairobi airport after a huge fire at the arrivals terminal. Source: AAP

THE FBI is helping Kenyan authorities investigate the cause of a huge blaze that paralysed Nairobi airport, a police official says.

Investigators have still not established what caused Wednesday's blaze, which raged out of control for several hours.

The airport's arrivals hall was gutted in the fire, which forced east Africa's main hub to close.

"We are not carrying out our investigation alone, we're getting help from our partners including the FBI," a senior police official said on Friday on condition of anonymity.

"Other agencies have also expressed their support and promised to join in."

The fire broke out 15 years to the day after the twin bombings by al-Qaeda targeting the US embassies in Nairobi and in the Tanzanian economic capital Dar es Salaam that left 224 people dead.

However, there is no indication that the incidents were linked, and the government has urged people not to speculate about the cause of the fire.

Kenya Airways resumed international flights on Thursday and foreign carriers started using the airport on Friday.

"Most companies are operating, even foreign ones," Eric Kiraithe, head of security at JKIA told AFP.

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Zanzibar offers reward after acid attack

ZANZIBAR has offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of men suspected of hurling acid in the faces of two young British women.

Information and Tourism Minister Said Ali Mbarouk said Wednesday's attack on the two 18-year-olds - the first such assault on foreigners in the popular tourist destination - was "a shame on the people of Zanzibar".

He said anyone providing information leading to the arrest of the assailants would be given 10 million Tanzanian shillings ($A5000).

Two men on a moped threw acid at Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup on Wednesday evening as they strolled through Stone Town, the historical centre of the capital of the semi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago, splashing their faces and chests.

"We have to work harder to make sure that Zanzibar is safe for visitors and citizens," the minister said on Friday.

Wednesday's incident was the first assault on foreigners in the Indian Ocean island but acid has been used in a number of recent attacks.

The women were flown to Tanzania's economic capital Dar es Salaam for treatment, and then flown home.

The two women were spending three weeks doing volunteer teaching in a local school, a placement organised through i-to-i Travel, a Kent, Britain-based company that organises Gap year volunteer work.

The attack occurred at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and as people began to celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Tourism is the main foreign currency earner for Zanzibar, famed for its white-sand beaches and historical buildings in Stone Town, listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

In Zanzibar, some more conservative elements of the Muslim community object to foreign tourists who wear revealing clothes, as well as bars selling alcohol.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who visited the two young women in hospital in Dar es Salaam, called the attack "shameful" and said it "tarnished the image" of Tanzania.

He ordered the security forces to step up their investigation and find the culprits.

Zanzibar police chief Mussa Ali Mussa said seven people have already been questioned over the attack.

Politicians and religious leaders in Zanzibar also condemned the incident.

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Austrian gun tycoon loses alimony battle

THE multi-millionaire octogenarian founder of Austrian handgun giant Glock has lost a lengthy legal battle over alimony payments to his ex-wife in the country's top court.

Two lower courts had ruled that Gaston Glock, 84, did not have to pay any allowance to Helga Glock, whom he divorced in 2011 after 49 years of marriage, because she was wealthy in her own right.

But Austria's supreme court has overturned the rulings, saying Helga Glock's own financial situation was irrelevant, court spokesman Christoph Brenn told AFP.

"The plaintiff is entitled to make claims on the income of the ex-husband, just as is the case with normal levels of income," Brenn said. "The allowance level now has to be examined."

The court made the ruling on August 3 but was only delivered to the Glocks this week.

According to media reports, Helga Glock is also involved in legal proceedings to obtain a stake in Glock the company, a major supplier to law enforcement agencies including the US police.

Gaston Glock, one of Austria's richest people with a fortune estimated by Trend magazine in 2012 at around 550 million euros ($A814.63 million), divorced Helga in order to marry a woman about 50 years his junior.

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Watchdog probes UK's migrants ad

BRITAIN'S advertising watchdog says it has launched a formal investigation into a government campaign urging illegal immigrants to "go home or face arrest", after receiving dozens of complaints that it was racist.

Trucks carrying billboards with the words, "In the UK illegally? Go home or face arrest" drove through London for a week last month in a pilot scheme by the interior ministry that has sparked widespread criticism.

In a campaign that critics have dubbed the "racist van", the trucks were driven through several areas of London with large ethnic minority populations.

Posters, leaflets and advertisements in local newspapers are still carrying the message as part of the campaign.

"The Advertising Standards Authority has launched a formal investigation into the Home Office 'Go Home' ad campaign following 60 complaints," a spokesman for the watchdog said on Friday.

Complainants said the phrase "go home" was particularly "offensive and irresponsible" as it was reminiscent of slogans used by British racist groups in the past, he added.

The adverts feature a huge picture of a pair of handcuffs together with a number said to represent the number of arrests in the local area. They tell people to text the word "HOME" to a given phone number to get help to leave Britain.

A spokesman for the Home Office, the interior ministry, said it was in contact with the ASA over the investigation and would respond "in due course".

Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman defended the vans last week, saying it was "clear that this is already working" and that helping illegal immigrants to leave voluntarily was the most cost-effective way to reduce their numbers.

But the campaign has caused a rift in Cameron's Conservative-led coalition government, with several senior members of junior partner the Liberal Democrats, blasting it as offensive.

For years, immigration, along with the economy, has regularly topped polls of voters' concerns.

A Home Office spokesman said the ministry could not provide a figure for the number of illegal immigrants living in Britain, but in 2005 it estimated that it could be up to 570,000.

Some 14,000 migrants were forcibly removed from Britain in the year ended March 2013, while 28,000 left voluntarily, according to ministry figures.

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