The New York Times, boosted by gains in digital readers, rose to the number two spot among US daily newspapers in a sector still struggling with falling print circulation, industry figures showed Tuesday. Overall circulation for 593 US newspapers for the period to March 31 fell 0.7 percent from a year earlier, and Sunday circulation for 519 newspapers surveyed dropped 1.4 percent, according to the Alliance for Audited Media. The industry group, previously known as the Audit Bureau of Circulations, last year revised its reporting to reflect both print and digital readers.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye Wednesday warned Japan against shifting to the right and aggravating the "scars of the past" after Japanese ministers and lawmakers visited a controversial war shrine. The Yasukuni shrine in central Tokyo is seen by Japan's Asian neighbours as a potent symbol of Japan's wartime aggression and imperialist past. It honours 2.5 million war dead, including 14 leading war criminals.

The circulation of almost all larger Estonian newspapers fell in March as compared to the same time last year, National Broadcasting reports. Postimees is still the biggest daily; its average circulation in March was 56,900 copies, a fall by 1,300 from the same time last year.The average number of printed copies of Ohtuleht fell in a year by 2,600 to 51,400. The circulation of Eesti Päevaleht fell by 3,900 to 23,200.

German media giant Bertelsmann said Thursday it will cut its stake in Luxembourg-based television and broadcasting giant RTL by selling shares on the stock exchange. "Bertelsmann confirms its intention to reduce its shareholding in RTL Group by way of a secondary public offering," the German group said in a statement. "The transaction would result in a significant increase of the free float in RTL Group shares, with Bertelsmann maintaining a qualified majority of at least 75 percent."