Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has nominated former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe and former US secretary of labour Elaine Chao to its board.

The nominations were made as current News Corp board members Andrew Knight and John Thornton announced they would retire after the company's annual general meeting in October.

Mr Uribe served as president of Colombia from 2002 to 2010, while Ms Chao served as labour secretary under then US president George W Bush from 2001 to 2009.

Mr Murdoch said the new board members would bring leadership experience and an international perspective to the News Corp board.