News in Brief

N Korea reopens hotline to South
Afp, Seoul

North Korea yesterday reconnected a military hotline to the South that was cut earlier this year at the height of cross-border tensions, Seoul's government said.
The line -- one of the two remaining inter-Korea military hotlines -- was disabled in late March weeks after the North's third nuclear test and the following month a joint industrial zone was shut down.

India business favours Modi to be PM
Afp, New Delhi

India's business community strongly supports Hindu hardliner Narendra Modi to be the next premier, a poll showed yesterday, with the ruling Congress party's heir-apparent, Rahul Gandhi, trailing a distant second.
The Nielsen/Economic Times newspaper poll of 100 corporate leaders showed 74 percent wanted Modi to be prime minister while just seven percent believed Gandhi would be the best choice.

EU court scraps Iran nuke sanctions
Afp, Luxembourg

One of the European Union's top courts yesterday annulled an EU asset freeze imposed on seven Iranian banks and other companies for their alleged involvement in the country's contested nuclear programme.
The European Tribunal said its action would not have immediate effect and the sanctions will remain in place for two months and 10 days pending an EU appeal against its findings.