NAB lags on business customer ratings

NATIONAL Australia Bank continues to lag behind its major rivals when it comes to business customer satisfaction, despite a slight improvement.

NAB, Australia's biggest business lender, had an average customer satisfaction rating of 7.0 out of 10 in March, which lagged behind ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac, which all scored 7.4.

But according to the monthly DBM Consultants Business Financial Services Monitor (BFSM), NAB has improved its standing among small and medium sized business.

DBM Consultants director Maria Claridad said the NAB ranked alongside the Commonwealth and Westpac in both categories, with ANZ lagging behind.

However, the bank's performance had been weighed down by its relatively weak standing among micro businesses.

"The key is to delight the micro businesses, as they make up close to 90 per cent of all Australian businesses," she said.

"NAB's score amongst these businesses is 6.9, although it has shown signs of improving in recent months."

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Nigerian economy becomes biggest in Africa

OFFICIALS say Nigeria's recalculated economy is worth $US510 billion ($A554 billion), by far the biggest in Africa and easily surpassing that of previous continental titleholder, South Africa, at $US353 billion.

Figures announced on Sunday are the first recount since 1990 of the GDP of Africa's biggest oil producer but do little for the 112 million Nigerians scrabbling to survive in poverty.

The International Monetary Fund had used the 1990 base to estimate Nigeria's GDP in 2013 at $US292 billion.

But that did not take into account new industries like telecommunications, information technology, music, airlines, burgeoning online retail outlets and Nollywood film production that didn't exist when the last GDP count was made in 1990.

Then, there were 300,000 landlines, while today, Nigeria has 100 million cell phone users.

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One burger 'enough to max out on salt'

A SINGLE Australian burger can contain more salt than an adult can safely eat in a day.

That's without chips, and even after four years of declining sodium in pizzas, burgers and takeaway chicken.

New research shows fast-food companies are using less salt in their products, but health experts say the reduction is not co-ordinated, and is also too little and too slow.

Too much salt is a killer, causing high blood pressure that leads to heart attacks and strokes. It has also been linked to bone damage and stomach cancer.

Research leader Dr Elizabeth Dunford, of The George Institute for Global Health and the University of Sydney, compared the salt content of more than 300 fast-food products over four years.

It will take government intervention to achieve significant sector-wide improvements, says Dr Dunford, whose study is published in the Medical Journal Of Australia.

The average Australian eats more than double the recommended four grams or single teaspoon of salt a day.

People can consume their entire daily quota in one burger, says Dr Dunford, who compared nutrition information on the Pizza Hut, Hungry Jacks, KFC, McDonald's, Subway and Domino's websites.

Overall salt content fell during the four years, but levels in side dishes rose.

Pizza Hut was the only brand to increase the amount of salt on its menu, mainly because of increased serving sizes and side dishes such as chicken bites.

"Salt levels in Australian fast food remain high. These small reductions in salt levels could be easily undone by the trend towards larger portion sizes," Dr Dunford says.

She urges Australia to adopt a strategy similar to the UK's government-led salt-reduction program, which has achieved lower salt levels than other countries.

"Salt reduction is one of the most cost-effective options for improving public health," Dr Dunford says.

Asked for comment, Professor Garry Jennings of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute called for more action.

"The inconvenient truth is that there's too much salt in many commercial foods and being blind to it can cause significant damage," he says.

"Better labelling and a stronger commitment from processed food companies would go a long way to tackling Australia's burden of cardiovascular disease."

The Heart Foundation's Dr Robert Grenfell described the findings as a step in the right direction.

"But we're mindful that what's in the actual product can, in some instances, vary from what's stated on the company's nutritional panels."

"Research suggests that if we cut the nation's salt intake by an average of three grams a day, we could prevent 6000 deaths every year."

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PM to meet Japan's emperor at palace

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott will meet Japan's revered emperor at his palace ahead of an announcement about the outcome of free trade talks in Tokyo.

Mr Abbott on Monday will be formally welcomed to Japan, after spending the prior day in Tokyo mingling with business leaders and dining with his counterpart Shinzo Abe.

He wants to finalise a free trade deal with Japan during his visit, but negotiators in Tokyo have failed to reach a satisfactory agreement so far.

Mr Abbott is confident a deal can be struck, but as talks get down to the wire he won't miss an opportunity to sell the benefits of freer trade with Australia.

"More trade will make both countries richer and our relationship even stronger," he will tell the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday.

"Eventually, this will be seen as a milestone in our relationship."

Mr Abbott promised at the September election to secure free trade deals with Japan, China and South Korea within 12 months, despite some negotiations having dragged on for years.

The outcome of these latest talks is expected to be announced by both leaders on Monday evening ahead of a formal dinner with Prime Minister Abe at Japan's state guest house.

But before then Mr Abbott will meet Emperor Akihito, the head of Japan's royal family, at the Imperial Palace in the nation's capital.

He will also make history on his first official trip to North Asia when he later becomes the first foreign leader to speak at Japan's high-level National Security Council.

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Guinea passengers screened for Ebola

HEALTH officials in Guinea say all passengers departing from the capital city's airport must fill out a health form and have their temperature taken as part of an effort to combat the spread of the deadly Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

Dr Sakoba Keita, director of prevention at the health ministry, said anyone with a temperature higher than 38 degrees Celsius would be tested for the disease, which has killed 86 people in the West African nation since an outbreak began in February.

French Health Minister Marisol Touraine said Saturday that French doctors from the Pasteur Institute would be on hand to watch boarding procedures at the airport in Conakry.

Two Ebola deaths have been confirmed in neighbouring Liberia, and suspected cases have also been reported in Mali.

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Three killed by gunmen in Kenyan church

THREE people have died and at least 10 have been wounded after gunmen opened fire in a church outside Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa.

The three gunmen opened fire inside the Joyland Church in a Mombasa suburb of Likoni, killing two people, Kenyan officials said on Sunday, while a nurse at a nearby hospital reported a third person had died while being treated.

Kenya has suffered dozens of small attacks, many on churches, over the last several years. Muslim-Christian tensions on Kenya's coast are high.

Sunday's shooting comes about a week after police on the coast intercepted a car packed with explosives police believe were to be used for an attack.

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Bravery award for shark attack rescuer

A MAN who dived into open water to rescue a shark attack victim on the NSW mid north coast has been awarded one of the nation's highest bravery awards.

Rowan Cutbush was parasailing with two friends at Jimmies Beach, near Port Stephens, when one of them fell off a wakeboard into the water.

The woman was then attacked by a shark, suffering injuries to her arm, neck and face.

On seeing the attack, Mr Cutbush dived off his vessel and swam around 20 metres through "bloodied water" to reach the victim.

Mr Cutbush then held onto the woman until the pair was pulled back to the vessel with a rope.

With a mate, Mr Cutbush assisted the woman out of the water then treated her severely lacerated arm, before driving the vessel at high speed back to ambulance officers at a nearby jetty.

The woman received treatment for lacerations sustained in the attack.

Mr Cutbush was awarded one of 14 Aussies to this year win a Bravery Medal from Governor-General Quentin Bryce.

The Bravery Medal is awarded for acts of "bravery in hazardous circumstances".

It is the third highest Australian Bravery Decoration behind the Star of Courage and the Cross of Valour.

Ms Bryce said the 2014 national bravery awards recognised "the heroic actions of those amongst us who have placed the safety and lives of others before their own".

"We are privileged to have such role models in our society, and it is an honour to be able to recognise their acts of selfless bravery and thank them publicly for their brave actions," she said in a statement.

There were 47 Australians awarded national bravery decorations this year.

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Avalanche kills two skiers at Sochi resort

AN avalanche has killed two skiers at the Russian mountain resort used for the Sochi Olympics the day after it opened to the public.

Six skiers were on the middle section of Labirint run when the avalanche struck, Roza Khutor said in a statement on Sunday.

The snow buried two women, and rescuers who dug them out were unable to save them, it said, while the four other skiers escaped unharmed.

The Kuban regional branch of state Rossiya television, citing witnesses, reported earlier that three people had been killed in the avalanche.

Roza Khutor was the site of the Alpine skiing competitions during the Winter Games in February and the Paralympics that followed.

The resort re-opened to the public on Saturday.

The resort said it was clearing the snow from the run and trying to determine the cause of the avalanche.

The Roza Khutor management also expressed its condolences to the family and friends of the two skiers who died.

A map of the mountain shows the Labirint run located at the far edge of the resort and labelled black, the most difficult of four categories.

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F-35 fighter purchase reasonable: report

AUSTRALIA is likely to push ahead with the acquisition of its first operational F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, according to a report by an independent defence think tank.

In a report released on Monday, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says it makes most sense for the federal government to commit to spending between $8 billion and $10 billion on 58 of the fighters, which are expected to enter service in 2020.

Report authors Andrew Davies and Harry White say the F-35 is a capable fighter with an ability to penetrate sophisticated air defences, but note that other factors, including political relations, point towards a likely buy.

"Because we're an international program partner on the JSF, the economies of scale for other buyers - including the US - will be reduced if we don't purchase the aircraft," they say.

Start-up costs to take on the JSF are predicted to be $2 billion, with a ongoing annual cost of about $200 million.

"In the final analysis, the government seems likely to be prepared to pay a moderate premium to maintain a high-end air-combat capability, and to preserve the other benefits to industry and the alliance with Washington," the report says.

"On balance, that looks like a reasonable decision for Australia."

As the government keeps a watchful eye on Australia's budget, the report suggests an option of reducing the F-35 order to 50, thus saving about $800 million on the initial cost.

Australian industry has secured contracts worth more than $US300 million ($A332.54 million) to manufacture F-35 components, with the injection to the economy possibly reaching $US5 billion over the lifetime of the program.

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Mining tax repeal before the Senate

THE Senate will turn its attention to mining tax repeal legislation after rejecting the Abbott government's plans to scrap the carbon tax last week.

The repeal bill has been listed as the first item of business in the upper house when parliament resumes on Monday.

Trade Minister Andrew Robb has urged Labor to get out of the government's way on the issue.

"Bill Shorten has big responsibilities, he's starting to look like the Bob Brown of the new parliament - walking sovereign risk," he told Sky News on Sunday.

The Abbott government says the tax is anti-Western Australian but WA Labor frontbencher Alannah MacTiernan dismissed that proposition as silly.

"The mining tax has not been a jobs killer," she told ABC TV on Sunday.

Ms MacTiernan admitted there have been times when it has not been a popular tax.

"I think people are pretty smart ... they understand that where you've got those companies paying the tax still investing, still recording record ... profits, that quite clearly the mining tax hasn't been the problem."

Labor supports the concept of a profits-based mining tax and will consult with the mining industry and states over the issue ahead of the next election, she said.

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