Last week owner Rupert Murdoch emailed employees informing them that the newspaper would launch "soon".

However, Murdoch decided to dispense with the secrecy today (20 February) by splashing the news of the launch on the front page of The Sun.

It states: "This is not the weather forecast. Next weekend will see the birth of the first ever Sunday edition of your favourite newspaper. Rupert Murdoch announced last week that The Sun on Sunday would be coming 'very soon'. Now that momentous new dawn is here."

At this stage, the publishing giant has not confirmed the run-length or pagination of the title, which will be printed at its print plants in Broxbourne and Knowsley and Johnston Press's plants at Dinnington and Portsmouth.

News International closed News of the World last July amid the phone hacking scandal, the fallout from which continues to plague journalists at The Sun.

Murdoch was clearly pleased with the way the launch has gone so far. He tweeted this weekend: "Just for the record: Newscorp shares up 60c on news of Sun on Sunday. Highest for year."