TASS agyentstvo Sovyetskovo Soyuza") which was the central agency for news collection and distribution for all Soviet newspapers, radio and television stations. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the agency was renamed "Information Telegraph Agency of Russia" (ITAR-TASS) in 1992, but regained the simpler TASS name in 2014. The origin of TASS dates back to December 1902 when it began operations as the Commercial Telegraph Agency (TTA, Torgovo-Telegrafnoe Agentstvo) under the Ministry of Finance, with Torgovo-Promyshlennaya Gazeta's staff being the main supplier of journalists. As the demand for non-business began during the first battles of the Russo-Japanese War in February
Athens News Agency English (since 1992). The ANA employs about 250 persons, of which 180 are journalists, and has offices in Brussels, Istanbul, Nicosia and Berlin and correspondents in Washington, New York, Montreal, Melbourne, London, Paris, Vienna, Rome, Belgrade, Skopje etc. ANA's General Director is Ilias Matsikas, a former senior editor with the Athens mass daily "Ta Nea". The managing director is noted Greek journalist and international political analyst Nicolas Voulelis, while the Special English Service (wire service) and the electronic "Daily Bulletin" is headed by H.K. (Harry) Tzanis, a University of Houston journalism school graduate. Athens News Agency The Athens News Agency