Latest news with #Kotin
TimesLIVE
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
DJ Kotin ignites the scene with 'Thethelela' launch
Fresh off a major award win, DJ Kotin isn't slowing down. Instead, he's riding the wave of success straight into his next chapter with the launch of his powerful new single Thethelela — a track that promises to leave a lasting imprint on the Afro-Tech scene. 'It feels good releasing new music knowing people believe in you,' said Kotin, reflecting on the momentum he's carrying into this release. And it's not just any song — Thethelela is deeply personal and spiritually charged. 'The track was inspired by God,' he said. 'It's a prayer song, pleading with God to pave our way.' Musically, Thethelela marks a bold evolution in Kotin's sound. 'This song is different and interesting from all my previous songs. It's a mixture of Afro-Tech and 3 Step — the sound that's dominating the scene now. I believe this is going to be my biggest song to date.' To launch the single, Kotin chose the stylish Villa in Durban, strategically tying the event to the popular Wine Wednesday concept. 'Villa is an upmarket venue and it is spacious. On top of that, it's central. Wine Wednesday is organised by Dogg Durban, a marketing guru. I thought it will give me the mileage I need to push this song.' The title Thethelela carries a powerful message. 'We live by sin in a sinful world, so we are pleading with God to forgive us,' Kotin said. The single also features collaborations with rising talents Skyewanda, Sykes and Drega, adding further depth and energy to the track. Fans attending the launch can expect an electrifying performance. 'Fireworks,' Kotin promised. 'And the guys featured on the track will join me on stage.' Asked how he stays ahead in a constantly evolving music landscape, Kotin credited the youth. 'I work a lot with ama 2000 — seeing their hunger to succeed inspires me. They understand the new sounds and trends better, so it helps me stay relevant as well.' And for those wondering if Thethelela is a one-off? 'Yes, it's part of a bigger project,' he said. With divine inspiration, genre-blending innovation and a wave of young talent at his side, DJ Kotin is proving again he's a force to be reckoned with in the South African music scene.
The Guardian
06-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Unsafe for Russia to restart Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Energoatom says
It would be unsafe for Russia to restart the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and would take Ukraine up to two years in peacetime if it regained control, the chief executive of the company that runs the vast six-reactor site has said. Petro Kotin, chief executive of Energoatom, said in an interview there were 'major problems' to overcome – including insufficient cooling water, personnel and incoming electricity supply – before it could start generating power again safely. The future of the Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe's largest nuclear reactor, is a significant aspect of any negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Seized by Russia in spring 2022 and shut down for safety reasons a few months later, it remains on the frontline of the conflict, close to the Dnipro River. Russia has said it intends to retain the site and switch it back on, without being specific as to when. Alexey Likhachev, head of Russian nuclear operator Rosatom, said in February it would be restarted when 'military and political conditions allow'. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has expressed an interest in taking control of it, though this possibility is considered very remote. Kotin said Energoatom was prepared to restart the plant but it would require Russian forces to be removed and the site to be de-mined and demilitarised. He said such a restart by Ukraine would take anywhere 'from two months to two years' in an environment 'without any threats from militaries', while a Russian restart during wartime 'would be impossible, even for one unit [reactor]'. Kotin said the six reactors could only be brought online after the completion of 27 safety programmes agreed with Ukraine's nuclear regulator, including testing the nuclear fuel in the reactor cores because it had exceeded a six-year 'design term'. That raises questions about whether Russia could restart the plant after a ceasefire without incurring significant risk. The plant was already unsafe, Kotin said, given that it was being used as 'a military base with military vehicles present' and there were 'probably some weapons and blasting materials' present as well. Russia has acknowledged that it has placed mines between the inner and outer perimeters of the plant 'to deter potential Ukrainian saboteurs' while inspectors from the IAEA nuclear watchdog have reported that armed troops and military personnel are present at the site. Last month, the US Department of Energy said the Zaporizhzhia plant was being operated by an 'inadequate and insufficently trained cadre of workers', with staffing levels at less than a third of prewar levels. The US briefing said Ukrainian reactors, though originally of the Soviet VVER design, had 'evolved differently' from their Russian counterparts and 'particularly the safety systems'. Russian-trained specialists acting as replacements for Ukrainian staff were 'inexperienced' in operating the Ukrainian variants, it said. Kotin said an attempt to restart the plant by Russia would almost certainly not be accepted or supported by Ukraine. It would require the reconnection of three additional 750kV high-voltage lines to come into the plant, he said. A nuclear reactor requires a significant amount of power for day-to-day operation, and three of the four high-voltage lines came from territories now under Russian occupation. 'They themselves destroyed the lines,' Kotin said, only for Russia to discover engineers could not rebuild them as the war continued, he added. Only two lines remain to maintain the site in cold shutdown, a 750kV line coming from Ukraine, and a further 330kV line – though on eight separate occasions shelling disrupted their supply of energy, forcing the plant to rely on backup generators. Experts say a pumping station has to be constructed at the site, because there is insufficient cooling water available. The June 2023 destruction by Russian soldiers of the Nova Kakhova dam downstream eliminated the easy supply of necessary water from the Dnipro river. Two civilians were reportedly killed by Russian missile attacks on Sunday, including one in a ballistic missile strike in an eastern district of Kyiv; while Russia said it captured a border village near Sumy in north-east Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had launched more than 1,460 guided aerial bombs, nearly 670 attack drones, and more than 30 missiles over the past week. The Ukrainian president said: 'The number of air attacks is increasing.' US-brokered ceasefire talks have only achieved limited results thus far. Both sides agreed to stop attacking energy targets, though each accuses the other of violations; while a maritime ceasefire agreed to by Ukraine has not been accepted by Russia. A Russian official involved in the negotiations said on Sunday that diplomatic contacts between Russia and the US could come again as early as next week.
