GNN Tech: 7 Quick Tips & Hacks To Optimize Your Windows 10 Experience

(GNN) - Windows 10 is more than an upgrade from Windows 8, it’s an evolution. We’ve covered many of the big changes, including Cortana integration, the resurrected Start Menu, or new Gaming features.

Lots of minor things changed, too and knowing them could significantly enhance your Windows 10 experience.

We’ve compiled the most useful small tips & hacks for Windows 10. Let’s see whether we can teach you a new trick.

Learn Essential Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are the best way to save lots of time inside Windows. Often, they’re much easier to remember, than the path to a specific feature.

Windows key + A to Launch the Action Center
This is a novel shortcut. It’s essential because not only does the Action Center hold notifications you might have missed, you’ll also find a number of handy shortcuts at its bottom. They provide a quick way to toggle tablet and airplane mode or manage display settings. The exact selection of tiles will depend on your device.

Windows Key + I to Launch Settings App
You will need this shortcut a lot! The Settings app increasingly replaces the Control Panel and it’s much more accessible, particularly if you’re using the touch interface.

Sadly, some advanced features are missing. However, you can still access what remains of the Control Panel, either by searching in the Settings app or by clicking the Windows key and typing away.

Windows Key + X to Launch Power User Menu
This shortcut has been around for a while. In Windows 7, it opens the Windows Mobility Center. Since Windows 8, it launches the power user menu, which contains access to all the advanced Windows features you’ll ever need, including the Mobility Center, Computer Management, elevated Command Prompt, Control Panel, and shut down options. It’s not new, but with so many things changing, it’s good to know how to access the basics.

Extend Battery Life with Battery Saver
The Settings app contains a few new features, including Battery Saver. While it only limits background activity, which may not have a lot of potential to save battery life, it does have a small effect.

Press Windows + I to launch the Settings app, go to System > Battery saver > Battery saver settings, check the box to enable the feature, and pick a percentage at which you want it to kick in.

Under System > Battery saver > Battery usage you can check how much energy is wasted on background processes. If this number is large, you might want to examine what’s starting up with Windows and maybe enable Battery Saver at a higher percentage.

Speed Up Application Launch at Boot
For Windows 8, Microsoft commissioned a dedicated team to reengineer the Windows boot experience. One of their strategies to make the boot time appear faster was to delay the launch of applications.

This start-up delay persists in Windows 10. If you run Windows 10 on a high end machine and have experienced super fast boot times, but are annoyed by apps not being available immediately, you might benefit from disabling this startup delay.

Press Windows + R to launch the Run menu. Type regedit, hit Enter or click OK to launch the Windows Registry, then open the following Registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize

If you can’t find the Serialize key, right click Explorer, select New > Key, and name it Serialize. Under this key, create a new DWORD value called StartupDelayInMSec and set it to 0.

In case you notice longer boot times after adding this key, you could increase the delay to 1 or 2 milliseconds or delete the Serialize key to restore default settings.

Disable Taskbar Search
The new search bar, which ties in Cortana, takes up a lot of space in the Windows Taskbar. If you don’t use the Taskbar search that often and would rather preserve that space for something else, here is an easy way to change it.

Right-click the Taskbar, select Search, and either select Show search icon, which will replace the bar with a much smaller magnifier icon, or Disabled, which will remove it from the Taskbar entirely.

Note that in both cases, the search bar still pops up when you open the Start Menu, for example by pressing the Windows key.

Enable New Command Line Features

Windows 10 adds some overdue improvements to the command prompt. For example, you’ll finally be able to resize the window horizontally and enjoy word wrap. Moreover, the command prompt will support keyboard shortcuts for copying, cutting, pasting, and selecting text. However, these features are considered experimental and are not enabled by default.

To try out the new command prompt features press Windows + R, type cmd and click OK to open the familiar white on black command prompt. Right-click the title bar, select Properties, switch to the Experimental tab, and check the box to generally enable experimental console features. From the list, check the specific features you’d like to enable.

You can read more about these improvements on the Windows Blog or on the Windows Dev Feedback page.

Which new features and shortcuts do you most enjoy about Windows 10? Have you discovered anything that we haven’t mentioned yet? Please share in the comments!

How to Upgrade to Windows 10 via Windows Update

(GNN) - Eager to check out the next iteration of Windows? Here’s all you need to know to upgrade to Windows 10 directly from Windows 7 or 8.1 and start getting to grips with the future of Windows.

Ever since it was officially unveiled last year, Windows 10 has been an intriguing prospect for PC users. Given that Microsoft is set to make the upgrade free for its first year of availability, it certainly seems that the company is looking to encourage people to upgrade in any way that they can.

To that end, Microsoft has made it as easy as possible for users to get started with Windows 10. Using Windows Update, it’s trivially simple to get on board with the future of Windows. Here’s everything you need to know about that process, as well as a guide to some of the major features of Windows 10 that you’ll want to check out for yourself.
Before You Upgrade

While Windows 10 is still in the testing phase, it’s worth taking a moment before you install the Technical Preview to consider the risks of using any kind of pre-release software — particularly a new operating system. This shouldn’t necessarily scare you off, it’s just important to be clear on what the Technical Preview is and isn’t.

There’ll be bugs, it might not work exactly as you expect, and your usage will be monitored so that Microsoft can continue to refine the software ahead of its official release. For those reasons, it’s recommended that you don’t install the Technical Preview on your primary computer.

Updating to Windows 10
While there’s more than one way to install Windows 10 on your computer, the easiest method is to use Windows Update. The installation will preserve all your personal files and installed programs.

However, there’s a little bit of groundwork to lay before you can take this route. First, take a moment to look over the system requirements for Windows 10 and confirm that your computer will be able to handle it.

Afterwards, you need to sign up for the Windows Insider program on the Microsoft website. This is a very minor procedure, and if you already have a Microsoft account, it’ll only take a few clicks. Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to start the update; visit the Technical Preview page on Microsoft’s website and click Start upgrade now to begin the process.

The site will begin downloading the necessary files to prepare your upgrade — launch the executable once it’s downloaded, and it will install those files. Afterwards, you’ll probably be prompted to restart your computer before the final stage of the process can begin. Once that’s done, open up Windows Update and you should see something similar to the above screenshot.

This is your last chance to back out, so be sure that you definitely want to upgrade to Windows 10. If so, click Install and you’ll be taken through the update process just the same as with any new version of the OS.

The installation can take some time, even upwards of an hour, so don’t worry if it seems to be a slow process. Once it’s complete, you’ll have the opportunity to fine-tune some settings to suit your tastes, or simply use the express settings to speed up the process.

When that’s done, you should be up and running with a complete install of the Windows 10.

What Next?
With Windows 10 freshly installed on your computer, it’s time to test out some of the new features that Windows 10 will offer in its full release. Many of these new pieces of functionality are at their best when they’re in use on a touch-enabled or two-in-one device, but even if you’re using a conventional desktop PC, there are things for you to try out.

Changes to the Desktop
Depending on what version of Windows you upgraded from, you’ll see different changes to the Desktop; for instance, Windows 8 users will find that it’s now the first thing to fill your screen as you power on, rather than the Start Screen. This has booting to desktop has been a popular tweak, but it was formerly a customization that individuals would have to implement for themselves — now, it seems that Microsoft is following the wisdom of their users.

However, that’s not the only change that’s been made. The Start Screen has been absorbed into the Start Menu, retaining the same tile-based interface, but being made more easy to access from within the Desktop environment. There’s also a search bar in the Taskbar by default, which can either search your computer or use Bing to search the Internet.

Universal Apps
It seems that what was once referred to as Modern apps is being rebranded as Universal apps, in light of Microsoft’s push to offer software that offers a comparable experience regardless of what device you’re using. An early preview of the touch-enabled version of Microsoft’s Office suite is currently available for users running the Technical Preview to download and test out, with the core lineup of Word, Excel and PowerPoint all included.

Apps in general have undergone quite a sizeable change, too; you can now launch them to the Desktop as a window of their own. This is one of many tweaks in Windows 10 that aim to integrate the Modern interface into the traditional Desktop, rather than previous attempts to keep the two separate from one another.

Task View & More
There are plenty of new features and tweaks to take in following your update to Windows 10 — but if things get too overwhelming, you can always turn to Task View to help simplify things.

This new feature allows users to take stock of all the programs that they have running, and separate them out into different Desktops to perform different tasks. Mac users will perhaps recognize this sort of functionality from OS X’s Mission Control, and it’s certainly a handy tool to have at your disposal.

Between the all-new features and the tweaks to existing functionality, it seems that the future of Windows is very bright indeed. Microsoft will be taking on board user feedback from the Technical Preview to refine the full release, so if you’re keen to play a part in the way that Windows 10 is shaping up, there’s not time like the present to get started.

Have you taken the plunge and updated to the Windows 10? Share your tips for the new OS, as well as any advice on the update process itself in the comments section below.

Avengers Grimm (2015) - GNN Movies

(GNN Movies) - Avengers Grimm (2015)

Download Full Movie Via Torrent

 Movie Info
When Rumpelstiltskin destroys the Magic Mirror and escapes to the modern world, the four princesses of “Once Upon a Time”-Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Rapunzel-are sucked .

Director: Jeremy M. Inman
Writer: Jeremy M. Inman
Stars: Casper Van Dien, Rileah Vanderbilt, Milynn Sarley

Storyline: When Rumpelstiltskin destroys the Magic Mirror and escapes to the modern world, the four princesses of “Once Upon a Time”-Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Rapunzel-are sucked through the portal too. Well-trained and endowed with magical powers, the four women must fight Rumpelstiltskin and his army of thralls before he enslaves everyone on Earth.

User Reviews
Stars : Casper Van Dien,Lou Ferrigno and Snow White,Rapunzel,Cinderella,Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood.Write & Directed by : Jeremy M. Inman Must admit,Have wanted to see this flick since it was announced.

Not disappointed in the least,It has all The Mockbuster goodness,You would expect and more much more in exact dialogue ‘That puts that tongue in that cheek’ and Even a Avengers Hawkeye nod in plot that Rocked ! Casper as an oddly named villain is mucho over-the-top and enjoys every moment of his scenery chewing.Lou Ferrigno may have had that once in a career chance to shine, And he plays with gusto,Not seen in other Superheriocs by major studios.

OK,Don’t think a major spoiler that this looks like a franchise and a welcome one at that.

PK (2014) - GNN Movies

(GNN Movies) - PK (2014)

P. K. is a comedy of ideas about a stranger in the city, who asks questions that no one has asked before. They are innocent, child-like questions, but they bring about catastrophic answers.

People who are set in their ways for generations, are forced to reappraise their world when they see it from PK’s innocent eyes. In the process PK makes loyal friends and powerful foes. Mends broken lives and angers the establishment. P. K.’s childlike curiosity transforms into a spiritual odyssey for him and millions of others.

The film is an ambitious and uniquely original exploration of complex philosophies. It is also a simple and humane tale of love, laughter and letting-go. Finally, it is a moving saga about a friendship between strangers from worlds apart.

Exclusive: U.S. Navy wish list has 12 Boeing jets, eight F-35s - sources

(GNN) - The U.S. Navy included 12 Boeing Co F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets and eight Lockheed Martin Corp F-35s on a list of "unfunded priorities" prepared for Congress, defense officials and other sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The Navy's list was reviewed by senior Pentagon officials and the Joint Chiefs of Staff this week, and should be sent to U.S. lawmakers in coming days, said the sources, who asked not to be named because the vetting is still under way.

Top Pentagon officials are skeptical about the weapons wish lists, and worry they help lawmakers "cherry pick" specific weapons programs to fund, while crowding out bigger priorities. However, they say they will not stand in the way of the military services complying with requests from lawmakers.

The total value of the additional 12 Boeing jets is around $1 billion, while the eight extra Lockheed jets would be just over $1 billion, the sources said.

A decision by Congress to fund the extra Boeing jets as part of the Navy's fiscal 2016 budget would help the company extend its St. Louis production line beyond the end of 2017, although it was not immediately clear for how long.

Company officials have said they must decide this summer whether to start shutting down the line or bet their own money to buy titanium and other supplies that take a long time to deliver, before Congress finalize the 2016 budget.

There is great uncertainty about fiscal 2016 funding levels - and any programs on the "unfunded" list - since Congress remains deadlocked over whether to lift budget caps that would cut $35 billion from the Pentagon's base budget plan.

The Navy had hoped to include the Boeing and Lockheed jets in its base budget request, but gave up that funding to protect shipbuilding programs deemed more critical.

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert told Congress the Navy faces a possible shortfall of two to three squadrons of F/A-18 strike fighters, or up to 36 aircraft, given delays in extending the life of older model F/A-18 aircraft, also called legacy Hornets.

Ordering Super Hornets now would also preserve the option of ordering additional EA-18G electronic attack aircraft, or Growlers, which are built at the same facility, if needed by other military services.

Representative Randy Forbes, a Virginia Republican and key member of the House Armed Services Committee, told Reuters this week that lawmakers needed the lists to better understand the tradeoffs that went into shaping the overall Pentagon budget.

Boeing has said it needs to build two jets a month at the facility to maintain current pricing, which means funding for a dozen more jets would extend production through mid-2018.

Analysts say the company is also chasing a possible order from Kuwait that could keep the factory running through the end of 2018.

(Reuters)(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Editing by Soyoung Kim and Andre Grenon)

Bloody arrest of black Virginia student spurs second day of protests

(GNN) - The bloody arrest of an African-American student from the University of Virginia spurred a second day of protests on Friday with the same slogans used in demonstrations against law enforcement's treatment of minority groups in other states.

Martese Johnson, 20, was arrested on Wednesday and in video and photos on social media can be seen bleeding and lying on a sidewalk after a confrontation with state Alcohol Beverage Control agents outside a Charlottesville tavern.

The head of Virginia ABC, Brian Moran, met with about 350 students on campus on Friday but 200 black students stormed out, saying their questions were not being answered, local media said.

Video showed them marching outside and chanting “Black Lives Matter,” a slogan popularized during recent protests against the killing of unarmed black men by white police officers in Missouri, New York and other places.


African-American legislators in Virginia on Friday criticized the arrest.

“These actions by the ABC officers are appalling and totally unacceptable,” the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus said in a statement.

On Thursday, Donald McEachin, an African-American who chairs the state Senate’s Democratic caucus, said the legislature should remove the arrest powers of ABC agents. That same day Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe ordered the state police to investigate.

“So the question becomes, 'Why is this young man prostrate on a Charlottesville sidewalk beaten like a dog?'" McEachin said on Thursday.

The video shows Johnson being held down by what appear to be three white officers.

"His head is bleeding," a voice yells.  

Earlier in the day, Black Dot, a black rights student advocacy group at the university, posted a comment on the university’s website about Johnson’s arrest saying, “We must put an end to this Jeffersonian tradition of racial injustice.”

Thomas Jefferson, a founding father of the United States, also was the founder of the University of Virginia, and a slave owner.

“No longer will we accept complacency with the status quo. We will not allow for the university to continue to operate under the erroneous presumption that race is no longer an issue,” the student advocacy group said in its posting.

Johnson is scheduled to appear in court next week on two misdemeanor charges related to his arrest.

(Reuters)(Reporting by Gary Robertson; Editing by Frank McGurty and Lisa Shumaker)

Petrobras scandal prosecutors seek tougher anti-corruption laws

(GNN) - Prosecutors who uncovered Brazil's biggest corruption case called on Friday for tougher prison sentences and more legal powers to crack down on rampant graft that costs taxpayers more than the annual budget for education and health.

Hoping to ride a wave of national disgust over the latest corruption scandal at state-run oil company Petrobras, the top federal prosecutor's office known as PGR sent Congress proposals to stiffen penalties for corruption to up to 25 years in prison.

The prosecutors are seeking legal reforms to speed up the arrest of corruption suspects and seizure of their assets before they can be hidden. They also proposed reducing Brazil's long appeals process that often lets criminals go scot-free.

A multibillion-dollar kickback scheme uncovered at Petroleo Brasileiro SA has shaken President Dilma Rousseff's government and threatens to further slow a stagnant economy.

The investigation dubbed "Operation Car Wash" has led to the indictment of scores of executives from Brazil's top builders. It has implicated 47 politicians who allegedly received graft money, all but one of them from Rousseff's governing coalition.

"The Car Wash case has angered Brazil but it has not reduced corruption or impunity in the country," said the lead prosecutor in the probe, Deltan Dallagnol. He said the proposals could transform the anger into changes needed to fight corruption.

According to an estimate by the United Nations Development Program, graft amounts to 200 billion reais ($62 billion) a year in Brazil, or twice the 2014 health budget and 2-1/2 times the education budget.

The Petrobras scandal and economic downturn led to protests by about 1 million people across Brazilian cities on Sunday.

The PGR's anti-corruption wish list came two days after Rousseff made her own steps to counter rising discontent over the Petrobras scandal that has undermined her popularity and put her Workers' Party and its allies on the spot.

Both sets of measures call for the criminalization of off-the-books slush funds - known in Portuguese as "Caixa 2" - that are widely used by political parties to finance campaigns.

But the PGR plan goes further, proposing that political parties be held responsible and penalized by exclusion from elections if their members are found guilty of corruption.

On Monday, Dallagnol and his team of prosecutors charged the treasurer of the ruling Workers' Party with corruption for soliciting donations from executives accused of funneling money from Petrobras contracts to politicians.

($1=3.22 reais)

(Reuters)(Editing by Richard Chang)

Petrobras halts giant production unit as safety problems found

(GNN) - Brazil's state-run Petrobras said on Friday it shut its P-58 offshore oil production ship after the country's petroleum regulator ANP found irregularities on board the vessel, one of the company's most important offshore production systems.

The ship was producing 106,000 barrels of oil and natural gas equivalent a day in January, 84 percent of it crude, from seven wells, according to the latest ANP figures. That was 4.1 percent of Petrobras' total Brazilian output in the month.

The floating production, storage and offloading ship (FPSO) received oil from the Parque das Baleias project, a group of fields in the Espirito Santo Basin, about 115 kilometers (71 miles) southeast of Vitoria, Brasil.

The shutdown comes a little more than a month after a deadly explosion on a Petrobras offshore oil and natural gas production ship operated by BW Offshore Ltd, a Norwegian-listed production vessel operator. That and a series of refinery accidents have led unions to attack the company's safety record.


The pressure of a much-delayed $221 billion, five-year investment plan, rising debt and a corruption scandal that has forced Petrobras to stop work with many important contractors, is stretching workers and equipment to their limit, according to FUP, the country's national oil union confederation.

Workers on the FPSO say production began with many systems incomplete, forcing workers to finish construction on the high-seas instead of a shipyard.

"We have been complaining about safety problems since production started, but with other production unit accidents, the ANP finally decided to inspect the production units," Davidson Lomba told Reuters in a telephone interview.

"We finally decided to stop doing any more construction work on the production unit," he added. "Not only is it more expensive to do the work at sea, it's more dangerous."

In statements confirming the shutdown, Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as Petrobras is formally known, said the move was preventative, aimed at improving efficiency at a vessel that has been producing for a year, but is only now receiving its final commissioning.

Thanks to its incomplete systems, the FPSO P-58 was operating at only about 60 percent of its designed capacity of 180,000 barrels a day when output was stopped, Lomba said.

The P-58 was Brazil's No. 5 production unit in January and one of only six that produce more than 100,000 barrels a day.

(Reuters)(Reporting by Jeb Blount; editing by Gunna Dickson)

Brazil antitrust regulator inks first Petrobras leniency deal

(GNN) - Brazil's antitrust regulator has secured the cooperation of some engineering firms and executives in the first leniency agreement arising from a bribery scandal at state-run Petrobras, the agency said on Friday.

The firms, Setal Engenharia e Construções and Setal Óleo e Gás (SOG), agreed on Thursday to admit to price-fixing contracts with state-run Petroleo Brasileoro SA (Petrobras) and provide information to investigators, the regulator said in a statement.

In exchange for their collaboration, the companies and executives will have potential fines reduced by between one and two thirds of the usual amount, regulator Cade said. The engineering firms and executives are accused of forming a cartel. Normally, fines for that offense would be up to 20 percent of a company's gross revenue.

The dozens of companies investigated by various agencies in the multibillion-dollar Petrobras scandal have urged Brazil's government to strike a grand bargain to minimize fallout and prevent possible lay-offs and bankruptcies that would further damage Brazil's fragile economy.

SOG Oleo and Gas is also one of 24 companies being investigated by Brazil's Comptroller, the CGU, and would have to negotiate a separate agreement with that agency to get a reduced sentence for corruption.

Federal prosecutors have opposed leniency deals with the CGU on the grounds they could hurt the investigation, but prosecutors said on Friday they supported the Cade deal.

A spokeswoman for prosecutors said they understand that the Cade agreement will bring to light new facts while the CGU agreements could lessen punishments without revealing anything.

Uncovering Brazil's largest-ever corruption scheme, where engineering companies are accused of funneling bribes from state-run oil company Petrobras to enrich themselves, political parties and politicians, has relied heavily on plea bargains.

Prosecutors have signed plea bargains with 12 people to date over the course of the year-long investigation.

The investigation has so far led to 20 indictments of 103 people on racketeering, bribery and money laundering charges, including three former Petrobras senior managers and executives from Brazil's leading construction and engineering firms.

(Reuters)(Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Grant McCool)

At least 15 kidnapped by unknown gunmen in eastern Cameroon

(GNN) - At least 15 people, including a mayor and local government officials, were kidnapped by unknown gunmen in eastern Cameroon near the restive border region with Central African Republic, authorities said on Friday.

The delegation, which included local councillors, was returning from a funeral on Thursday night when they were attacked near Garoua-Boulai, about 600 km (373 miles) northeast of the capital Yaounde.

Samuel Ivaha Diboua, governor of Cameroon's Eastern Region, said in a statement that everything was being done to free the hostages.

The victims were taken across the border into Central African Republic, one of the three members of the delegation to escape told officials.


Armed rebel groups from Central African Republic have carried out similar types of raids since their country descended into chaos in March 2013 after the Seleka rebel group seized power.

(Reuters)(Reporting by Anne Mireille Nzouankeu and David Wanedam; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Daniel Flynn)

Ethiopian pilot who hijacked plane sentenced to 20 years in jail

(GNN) - An Ethiopian court sentenced an Ethiopian Airlines pilot to 19 years and six months in prison on Friday for hijacking his own plane and flying it to Geneva, more than a year after he surrendered to Swiss police and sought asylum.

The high court in Addis Ababa issued its ruling on Hailemedhin Abera Tegegn in his absence. He had been convicted in absentia on Monday.

"The court sentenced him to 19 years and six months in jail for the crime he committed," Shimeles Kemal, the government's spokesman, told Reuters.

Shimeles said an extradition request had been rejected by Switzerland and that Swiss authorities had said Hailemedhin would face charges there. There were no details on his current whereabouts.

The 32-year-old was second-in-command on the Feb. 17, 2014 flight to Rome. According to Swiss police, he took control of the aircraft when the main pilot, an Italian, left the cockpit for a toilet break, then sent a coded signal announcing he had hijacked his own plane.

With the Boeing jet on the tarmac, an unarmed Hailemedhin scrambled down an emergency rope and surrendered to police without harming the 193 passengers, mostly Europeans, on board.

Swiss officials have said Hailemedhin asked for asylum, saying he did not feel safe in Ethiopia.

Opposition politicians and rights campaigners in the Horn of Africa nation often accuse the government of stifling dissent, a charge it rejects.

Thousands of people from north and east Africa travel to Europe each year to flee poverty and conflicts, although Hailemedhin left behind a relatively well-paid job at the flagship airline of one of Africa's fastest-growing economies.

Ethiopian officials have noted that, as a pilot, Hailemedhin had a visa allowing him to travel freely to Europe.

(Reuters)(Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Catherine Evans)

Niger troops say find mass grave outside town taken from Boko Haram

(GNN) - Troops from Chad and Niger have discovered what appears to be a mass grave outside the northern Nigerian town of Damasak, liberated from the Islamist group Boko Haram at the weekend, Niger military sources said on Friday.

The sources said investigations were underway to establish the number of bodies and that they were awaiting the arrival of Nigerian authorities to take charge of the operation.

"Niger and Chad's troops have discovered a mass grave at Damasak, which appears to contain the bodies of Boko Haram's victims," said one of the military sources, who asked not to be identified.

The dusty streets of Damasak were largely deserted following its liberation on Saturday, after many inhabitants had fled the Islamists' four-month rule. Shops and businesses were looted and Boko Haram's black and white insignia were scrawled on buildings around the town.

The military sources said they had requested Nigeria's military to occupy the town, which lies close to the border with Niger, but had yet to receive a response.

"As far as I know, as of yesterday, the Nigerian army has still not arrived in the area. We are waiting," said one of the sources.

The regional offensive launched this year by Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Nigeria comes as Africa's most populous country and biggest economy prepares to hold presidential elections on March 28.

At the start of this year, Boko Haram controlled around 20 local government areas, a territory the size of Belgium. With the help of foreign allies, Nigeria's army said on Tuesday it pushed the rebels out of all but three districts.

President Goodluck Jonathan has been criticized for not doing enough to tackle the insurgency. His challenger Muhammadu Buhari has campaigned on a reputation for toughness gained when he was military ruler of Nigeria in the 1980s.

(Reuters)(Reporting by Abdoulaye Massalaki; Writing by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Crispian Balmer)

Tanzania warns of violence in Burundi if president seeks third term

(GNN) - Peace mediator Tanzania warned of the risk of renewed violence in Burundi if politicians do not abide by a new constitution that would prevent the president there running for another term.

Under the Burundian constitution and the terms of a peace deal to end more than a decade of civil war, no leader is supposed to hold power for longer than 10 years.

But supporters of President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has been in power in Burundi since 2005, argue his first term should not count since he was picked by lawmakers rather than voted in.


"If people decide to violate the constitution and the Arusha peace agreement, there is a risk of a new violence that will be hard to stop,” Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said late on Thursday, at the end of a two-day visit to Bujumbura.

Tanzania brokered the deal in 2000 to end fighting between the Burundian Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups, which is known as the Arusha peace agreement after the northern Tanzanian city where it was signed.

The deal has helped to end years of ethnic conflict in the tiny east African coffee growing nation but the debate over whether Nkurunziza is eligible to run has angered the opposition.

Nkurunziza has not yet said he will run in June's election.

There was no immediate reaction from the Burundi government on Kikwete's comments.

Two weeks ago, the Roman Catholic Church, which is followed by more than two-thirds of the population and played a key role in the peace talks, said the constitution did not permit Nkurunziza to seek a third term.

A visiting U.N. Security Council delegation last week also appealed for strict adherence to the constitution to consolidate the fragile peace in the country.

(Reuters)(Reporting by Patrick Nduwimana; Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Alison Williams)

African troops' morale 'sky high' as they push back Boko Haram

(GNN) - "Boko Haram is finished" shouted a jubilant soldier from Niger as his comrades danced and waved their rifles in the air to celebrate the liberation of the northern Nigerian town of Damasak.

Graffiti painted on walls in Arabic and Boko Haram's black and white flag fluttering on the dome of a mosque are now among the few reminders of the Islamists' four-month reign over the town, which forces from Chad and Niger freed on Saturday.

The town's recapture was the latest victory in a regional offensive that has turned the tide against the six-year old jihadi insurgency. If troop morale is a guide to military success, then the regional force fighting Boko Haram looks set to press home its battlefield gains.

Hundreds of heavily armed soldiers from Chad and Niger paraded triumphantly in Toyota pick-ups through the dusty streets of Damasak on Wednesday, cheering and waving their weapons after the town's former occupiers fled into the surrounding countryside.

"Troop morale is sky-high," said Niger force leader Colonel Toumba Mohamed. "We faced an enemy who had truly occupied this area and it wasn't easy to push them out, but we did and now they are reduced to almost nothing."

It was a stark contrast to late last year when Nigerian forces scattered as the rebels, who are fighting to carve out an Islamist state in northern Nigeria, seized a swathe of towns in Borno state including Damasak and bore down on the regional capital Maiduguri.

By the start of this year, Boko Haram controlled around 20 local government areas, a territory the size of Belgium. In a dramatic reversal, Nigeria's army said on Tuesday it pushed the rebels out of all but three districts.

The regional offensive launched this year by Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Nigeria comes as Africa's most populous country and biggest economy prepares to hold elections on March 28. The vote was delayed by six weeks after security chiefs said they could not guarantee security owing to operations to combat Boko Haram.

President Goodluck Jonathan has been criticized for not doing enough to tackle the insurgency. His challenger Muhammadu Buhari has campaigned on a reputation for toughness gained when he was military ruler of Nigeria in the 1980s.

In Damasak, abandoned vehicles and motorbikes lay by the side of the street, with shops and garages standing empty. The town was partially looted before it was recaptured but witnesses said it bore few battle scars.

Commanders said most of the fighting took place outside the town. Chadian soldiers displayed scores of weapons, many of them battered AK47 assault rifles, captured from the Islamists.

"The resistance was fierce. The enemy even had armored personnel carriers," Mohamed said, estimating that 300 insurgents were killed. "It's good to grind down the enemy."

NEVER AGAIN

Analysts question how long regional armies can sustain the tempo of the current offensive, without financial and logistical support from Western powers. The African nations want the United Nations to set up a trust fund to finance the operations.

And even if Boko Haram is driven from the main towns of northeast Nigeria, analysts warn that it will remain a potent rural guerrilla force, capable of bombing attacks. But the speed of recent gains against the group has taken many by surprise.

The recapture of Baga, a town to the southeast on the shores of Lake Chad that was the scene of one of Boko Haram's worst massacres in January, was hailed as a major psychological victory for the allies. The town was host to a Multinational Joint Task Force for the Lake Chad Basin until it fell.

A Reuters witness saw the flags of Nigeria, Niger and Chad fluttering above the base, near a sign post riddled by bullets.

"We have taken back our base. Tell the world never again," soldiers shouted at visiting journalists.

In the recaptured village of Shagui, taken by Boko Haram in early November, students who have returned to school remain wary of the Islamist group, whose name in the local Hausa language means 'Western education is forbidden'.

"We are not afraid of being in school because we have soldiers here," said Asmoah Yusuf, 17, who fled into the bush during the initial attack. "But we still feel a bit afraid because when the town was attacked, the soldiers ran."

(Reuters)(Additional reporting by Isaac Abrak in Baga; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Giles Elgood)

Eyeing Russia nervously, Poles enrol in volunteer militias

(GNN) - Spurred by the war in Ukraine, growing numbers of Poles are joining volunteer paramilitary groups to get basic military training and prepare to defend their homeland from what some see as a looming Russian invasion.

The Polish government has kept its distance from the unofficial civilian militias but, with anxieties about Moscow's intentions growing, the professional military is now looking for ways to harness the volunteer groups.

There are an estimated 120 such groups in Poland, with total membership around 10,000. Eight hundred members gathered on Friday in Warsaw at a meeting organized by the Defense Ministry, the first time they have been given official recognition.

Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak told them his ministry would pay the wages of 2,500 people who would form the backbone of local volunteer units to be mobilized in the event of a war.

The Polish president's chief security adviser, General Stanislaw Koziej, told Reuters the new approach had been prompted by the conflict in neighboring Ukraine, where Russia is accused of fighting alongside pro-Moscow separatists.

"Until recently, paramilitary organizations treated defense as a pastime," he said. "Today, as we face a war across our border, they realize that this pastime could contribute to the country's security."

SELF-RELIANCE

Poland is a member of NATO, but the defense alliance rejected requests from Warsaw to establish a substantial permanent presence on Polish soil. That has shaken Poles' faith in NATO's resolve, officials in Warsaw say.

Instead, Poland is counting on a bilateral defense partnership with the United States, while building up its own defense capability, both conventional and unconventional.

On a Saturday morning in March, 15 volunteers from the National Defense militia, an informal volunteer group, gathered in the rain and bitter cold in a forest near Minsk Mazowiecki, 40 km (25 miles) from Warsaw, to plan their weekly maneuvers on a map sketched in the sandy soil.

Dressed in full military camouflage with fake rifles in their hands, the volunteers eagerly consulted a dog-eared photocopy of a military handbook before splitting into teams to practise ambushing an enemy.

Bernard Bartnicki, a student who led the drill, said the war in Ukraine boosted the organization's ranks.

"Back in the day we would have two, maybe three people at our recruitment days, now it's 20, sometimes 30" he said.

General Boguslaw Pacek, a defense ministry adviser, has conducted a countrywide survey and estimated total membership at around 10,000.

Some of the 120 or so groups have as few as 30 members, Pacek says, and their skill levels vary. But because they are scattered all over the country, they could form a useful line of local defense in the event of war.

He said the army was looking into compiling training manuals for them and supplying them with surplus equipment.

PARTISAN FORCE

During World War Two, when Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany, the Polish government-in-exile commanded an underground partisan "Home Army" that ambushed German troops, staged acts of sabotage and mounted the ill-fated 1944 Warsaw Uprising.

Many defense analysts say a Russian attack on Poland is highly unlikely. Countries such as Moldova, Latvia or Estonia, with substantial Russian-speaking minorities, are much more likely targets, they say.

But suspicion of Moscow runs deep in Poland, which was ruled by Czarist Russia for over a century and under Soviet domination for over four decades after World War Two. It borders on Russia's Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad.

Moscow denies it has any plans for an offensive and says it has no direct role in the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Robert Przybyl, a 42-year-old project manager, joined a civilian militia unit after Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 came down over eastern Ukraine in July last year, killing all 298 passengers and crew.

Kiev and its Western allies blamed Russia and the Moscow-backed separatists, who responded that Ukraine's military had shot the plane down.

Przybyl said he was shocked at what happened and started to worry Poland was again coming under attack by a foreign power.

"I want to decide what country my son lives in, and what language he speaks," he said.

His unit, also part of the National Defense militia, was carrying out exercises in a forest near Otwock, near Warsaw. New recruits took 5-km (3-mile) marches to test their stamina.

"Let's be honest, at war we would likely be cannon fodder," Przybyl said in an interview. But he said it was his duty to serve if war does break out.

"I never considered running away," he said.

(Reuters)(Writing by Wiktor Szary; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

Russia, Ukraine and EU to hold further gas talks in April

(GNN) - Russia, Ukraine and the European Commission will hold a new round of gas supply talks next month in pursuit of a deal that could help to defuse wider tensions between Moscow and Kiev.

A preliminary meeting in Brussels on Friday had never been expected to yield major progress, with the two sides still far apart as they jostle for position in the negotiations while European Union officials have set a target date of June for a new accord on how much Ukraine should pay Moscow for its gas.

Speaking after the talks, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Russia would be willing to consider a discount, but a take-or-pay clause that requires Kiev to buy a certain amount of gas whether it needs it or not would apply from April 1.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said she hoped a deal could be reached soon, adding that it "may contribute to reducing the existing tensions in the energy relations between the two countries".

The Commission, the EU executive, brokered an accord in October to keep gas flowing over the peak-demand winter months despite the political arguments between Kiev, Moscow and Brussels over Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Under that deal Ukraine pays $329 per thousand cubic meters for gas in the first quarter and Novak had said the price will rise to $348 after expiry of the "winter package" on March 31.

Ukrainian Energy and Coal Minister Vladimir Demchishin said he expected a price of $250 for the second quarter, according to Interfax news agency.

The Commission said the talks had been constructive and confirmed comment from Ukraine and Russia that further talks are expected in April.

In addition to ensuring supplies for Ukraine, the Commission wants to avoid any impact on European Union gas supplies piped from Russia via Ukraine.

In televised comments, Novak said that Ukraine had promised to guarantee transit and that Russia would consider cutting export duty.

"The discount could be provided by a government decision for the second quarter. We agreed to consider this issue each quarter, taking into consideration volatile prices on the market," Novak said.

Even after the winter deal expires, Ukraine can buy cheaper gas through reverse flows from the European Union, but that would not be enough to fill storage adequately over the summer months.

The Commission has estimated that Ukraine would need 4-6 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia to boost reserves it says need to be built to 19-20 bcm by around October, from about 7.3 bcm now.

(Reuters)(Additional reporting by Clement Rossignol, Herve Verloes and Bell Johnson in Brussels and Katya Golubkova in Moscow; Editing by Dominic Evans and David Goodman)

Russia moots higher gas price for Kiev ahead of three-way talks

(GNN) - Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Ukraine's gas prices could rise to $348 per 1,000 cubic meters (tcm) in the second quarter as he arrived for gas supply talks with Kiev brokered by the European Commission.

Ukraine has been paying $329 per tcm for gas in the first quarter under a deal negotiated by the Commission last year.

A rise would run counter to falling market prices linked to cheaper oil, but Novak told reporters it was "a preliminary figure" and did not rule out a discount.

The Commission, the EU executive, brokered an accord in October to keep gas flowing over the peak demand winter months despite tension between Kiev, Moscow and Brussels over Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Friday's talks are an initial step towards a deal to replace the "winter package" that expires on March 31, EU officials said, adding they had a target date of June to reach a new agreement.

After the winter deal expires, Commission officials said Ukraine could buy cheaper gas through reverse flows from the European Union, but that would not cover all its needs.

They estimated Ukraine would need 4-6 bcm from Russia to fill storage over the summer months.

Friday's talks in Brussels brought together Russia's Novak, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Minister Vladimir Demchishin and Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic.

The Ukrainian delegation did not speak upon its arrival in Brussels just before 4 p.m. (1500 GMT).

In addition to ensuring supplies for Ukraine, the Commission also wants to avoid any impact on European gas supplies which are piped from Russia via Ukraine.

The Commission said Naftogaz Chief Executive Andriy Kobolev was also taking part in the talks. Gazprom Chief Executive Alexei Miller would not attend, a spokesman said.

One of the aims of Friday's trilateral talks is to agree on figures, including on the volume of gas Ukraine might need as it seeks to fill storage over the lower-demand summer months.

The Commission calculates that Ukraine needs to boost its reserves to 19-20 billion cubic meters (bcm) by around October from about 7.3 bcm now.

Another issue is the duration of any deal, with the Commission keen that it should cover the gap until international arbitrators in Stockholm rule on a dispute between Kiev and Moscow on the size of Ukraine's debt for past gas deliveries.

A court decision on that is not expected until late 2016, the Commission said.

(Reuters)(Additional reporting by Jan Vermeylen and Clement Rossignol in Brussels and Katya Golubkova in Moscow; editing by Jason Neely)

ChemChina close to Pirelli deal that would trigger buyout offer

(GNN) - China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina) is close to becoming the biggest single shareholder in Pirelli (PECI.MI) in a deal that would trigger a 7 billion euro ($7.5 billion) buyout of the Italian tire company.

Three sources familiar with the deal, which would be the latest in a string of Chinese investments in large Italian companies, said ChemChina was discussing a deal with Pirelli's top shareholders to buy a holding company called Camfin, which owns 26 percent of Pirelli and is 50 percent owned by Russia's Rosneft (ROSN.MM).

Without identifying the possible buyer, Camfin said it was in talks with an international industrial group to sell its Pirelli stake at 15 euros per share, valuing the tire group at 7.1 billion euros.

It said the stake would be transferred to a vehicle controlled by the new partner, after which a takeover offer for the rest the world's fifth-largest tire maker would ensue.

If the offer succeeds, Pirelli will be delisted. The deal comes as Pirelli's rivals Michelin (MICP.PA) and Continental (CONG.DE) look around for growth opportunities in Asia.

State-controlled ChemChina and Rosneft declined to comment.

Previous Chinese investments in Italy include State Grid Corp of China [STGRD.UL] buying into electricity grid company Terna (TRN.MI) and gas network operator Snam (SRG.MI).

Besides Rosneft, Camfin's owners are a holding company comprising Pirelli chief Marco Tronchetti Provera as well as Italian banks Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) and UniCredit (CRDI.MI).

LARGEST SHAREHOLDER

Rosneft bought the Camfin stake a year ago, before the Russian economic crisis set in.

But it is now under international sanctions because of the situation in Ukraine. It has also been hit by the plunge in oil prices, is heavily indebted and in need of billions of dollars to fund field expansion and refinery modernization.

The deal with ChemChina would allow Rosneft to cash in on part of its Camfin stake, worth about 1 billion euros at current market prices. The Russian group will not exit Pirelli altogether for the time being but may sell out later, two sources said.

Tronchetti Provera, a former head of Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI), has revamped Pirelli several times in recent years to beef up its balance sheet and fund investments.

He would remain in management control for five years after the ChemChina deal, one of the sources said. Camfin had about 380 million euros of debt at the end of 2013.

Pirelli shares closed 2.2 percent up at 15.23 euros, above the proposed buyout price and extending gains made on Thursday after a press report it was seeking to bring on board an unnamed Asian investor.

Mediobanca said in a note that there was not much of a premium in the offer price and it did not expect other shareholders to tender their shares at that level.

One of the sources with knowledge of the matter said the deal on Pirelli would involve the company's less profitable truck tire business being spun off or the setting up of a joint venture with ChemChina's Aeolus unit.

Broker Banca Akros argued that a spin-off could add 6 euros to Pirelli's share price -- another reason why shareholders may be reluctant to tender their shares at the proposed 15 euros level.

($1 = 0.9295 euros)

(Reuters)(Additional reporting by Valentina Za, Pamela Barbaglia, Silvia Aloisi and Chen Aizhu; Editing by Greg Mahlich, David Holmes and David Goodman)

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• ChemChina in Talks to Buy Pirelli Stake (wsj.com)
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