MUMBAI: Rupert Murdoch's London-based The Times newspaper announced that it will launch a US edition on 6 June 2006 and will be available to subscribers at $1, in retail outlets across New York and New Jersey.

The 64-page newspaper will be printed and distributed by the New York Post, also owned by Murdoch's News Corp. It will however, repackage stories from the British publication and be edited by John Mair, presently the editor of the International edition.

The US edition will also be printed in a smaller tabloid-style format.
Commenting on the launch, The Times editor-in-chief Robert Thomson said, "This is a key moment in the development of The Times as an international media brand. We have seen a large increase in our Times Online readership in the US and the appearance of the newspaper on the streets of New York marks the next stage in our print and web expansion.

"The Times has one of the largest international networks of any newspaper in the world and US readers want and need sophisticated global political and economic coverage."

As part of its strategy, the US edition has been timed to coincide with the football World Cup that kicks off on 9 June in Germany, for which it will be giving extensive news coverage.