Today, the French ministry of culture and communication launched season three of 'Mon Journal Offert' ('My Free Newspaper'), an initiative established in 2009 as part of a government bailout of the press, aimed at encouraging people between the ages of 18 and 24 to read daily newspapers in print. The scheme allows any citizen of France or one of its departments, aged between 18 and 24, the chance to claim a free daily newspaper - selected from a range of 61 titles - one day a week for a year.

Young French people have a limited period of time to take advantage of this offer - the window for subscription begins on October 5 and closes December 31, after which 220,000 young people will be able to receive a free daily newspaper. Successful applicants are selected on a first come, first served basis as demand always outstrips supply; in previous years close to 400,000 applications have been made, according to the ministry of culture's website.

The number of monthly unique users on Metro.co.uk should hit five million by the end of the year, the daily commuter title pledged as part of a set of targets outlined today, Journalism.co.uk reported.

According to figures presented by Metro, the site had 3.5 million unique monthly browsers on average in November 2010, compared to around one million in November 2009.

Although this figure is low compared to the numbers at the websites major UK dailies, it is interesting that the freesheet's traffic is increasing even in an arena where most competitors' sites are also free.

The article quoted Rich Mead, Metro's assistant managing director, who said this is just the starting point.

As Guardian's Roy Greenslade noted, Metro is far and away Britain's most successful national newspaper: over the past year its distribution has increased as well as its advertising volume and revenue.

Associated Newspapers, the paper's publisher, would not share individual publications' figures, but the Metro team claimed 2010 was Metro's best year.

Free daily Metro will expand its coverage in Brazil by launching a fifth edition in Rio de Janeiro, Newspaper Innovation reported last week.

This edition will initially have 100,000 daily copies from Monday to Friday, making Metro Brazil the largest paper in the country with a daily average circulation of 330,000 copies. With this addition, the free newspaper will surpass the popular Folha de Sao Paulo, Newspaper Innovation noted.

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French free dailies Metro and 20 Minutes will be expanding their distribution coverage in France, with new editions to be published beginning today, Newspaper Innovation reported.

Metro will be launching new editions in Metz, Nancy and Toulon, thereby expanding its reach in the country from nine to 12 editions, while 20 Minutes will launch an edition for Montpellier. Metro's new editions make it the country's only free daily available in these cities, with a distribution of more than 20,000 copies each day, according to a statement by the newspaper, Agence France-Presse reported. The launch of Toulon edition is expected to further strengthen the newspaper's position in the south, after the successful launch of its Marseille edition in 2002.

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