Russia's President Vladimir Putin has abolished the country's state-owned news agency RIA Novosti.
In a surprise decree published on the Kremlin's website on Monday, Mr Putin announced it would be replaced by a news agency called Russia Today.
The new agency will be headed by journalist and keen Kremlin supporter Dmitry Kiselev.
The state-owned Voice of Russia radio station has also been closed. The decree was effective immediately.
Additional story at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25299116
And from Voice of Russia
President Vladimir Putin has ordered the merger of the RIA Novosti news agency and the Voice of Russia broadcasting company to set up Rossia Segodnya (Russia Today) international news agency. The reorganization aims to ensure cost-effectiveness of the agencies, the head of the presidential administration Sergei Ivanov said.
The relevant decree, entitled "On certain measures to raise the operational effectiveness of state-owned mass media" is posted on the presidential website.
In line with the decree, as of the moment of the liquidation of RIA Novosti, the rights of its founder will be transferred to the "Rossia Segodnya" agency.
Pursuant to the decree, the news agency will manage the property, including foreign property, used by RIA Novosti for reporting Russian government policies and Russian public life abroad.
The "Rossia Segodnya" news agency will have its headquarters at 4 Zubovsky Boulevard in Moscow.
The core business of "Rossia Segodnya" will be "the coverage of Russian state policy and public life in the Russian Federation" for foreign audiences, the decree says.
The same decree liquidates the Voice of Russia state-owned broadcasting corporation. Its property will be placed under the management of "Rossia Segodnya" news agency.
Dmitry Kiselyov was appointed General Director of the new "Rossia Segodnya" news agency.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_12_09/President-Vladimir-Putin-issues-decree-to-reorgonize-Voice-of-Russia-RIA-Novosti-to-Rossia-Segodnya-news-wire-1689/
