Former Colombia president tapped for News Corp board

Media giant News Corp. said Tuesday that former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe and former US labor secretary Elaine Chao have been nominated for the board of directors. They will stand for election at the US-based company's shareholder meeting October 16 in Los Angeles. The move comes with tycoon Rupert Murdoch's conglomerate under pressure from a phone hacking scandal in Britain and also preparing to split the company into an entertainment division and a separate group focused on publishing. Murdoch said Uribe was "a transformative figure who saved his country's democratic institutions, revitalized its economy and restored the security of its people" and would "provide important insights into Latin America for our directors." He added that Chao's "notable career spans the public, private and non-profit sectors" and that she has "vast experience leading complex, large scale organizations." Uribe ended his 2002 to 2010 administration in August 2010 with an 80 percent approval rating, after taking a tough stand against Marxist rebels. Since leaving office, he has defended himself in a probe on whether he ordered Colombia's intelligence service to spy on judges, opposition politicians and journalists. Chao served as labor secretary from 2001 to 2009 in the administration of president George W. Bush. She has also been a fellow at the Heritage Foundation and previously headed the large philanthropic group United Way of America from 1992 to 1996.