Huffington Post launching Italian edition

The Huffington Post announced plans Thursday to launch an Italian edition in the latest international expansion of the news and opinion website.

L'Huffington Post Italy will go online before the end of the year and will be a partnership with Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso, publisher of La Repubblica newspaper and L'Espresso news magazine.

The Huffington Post was launched by Greek-American author and columnist Arianna Huffington in May 2006 and sold to Internet company AOL in February of last year for $315 million.

Huffington, editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, and Monica Mondardini, chief executive of Gruppo Editoriale Espresso, announced the plans for L'Huffington Post Italy in a joint statement.

They said an Italian editorial team is currently being assembled.

The Huffington Post UK and The Huffington Post Canada launched last year and Le Huffington Post France launches on Monday.

Le Huffington Post Quebec is to launch in February followed by El Huffington Post Spain in March.

The flagship US edition of The Huffington Post receives some 36 million unique visitors a month, according to tracking firm comScore.

Besides La Repubblica and L'Espresso, Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso publishes 18 local daily newspapers and operates radio and television stations.