Latest news with #Moya
New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Science
- New Straits Times
UK lab tech promises air-con revolution without polluting gases
THE soft, waxy "solid refrigerant" being investigated in a United Kingdom laboratory may not look very exciting, but its unusual properties promise an air-conditioning revolution that could eliminate the need for greenhouse gases. The substance's temperature can vary by more than 50 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) under pressure, and unlike the gases currently used in appliances' solid refrigerants, it does not leak. "They don't contribute to global warming, but also they are potentially more energy efficient," Xavier Moya, a professor of materials physics at the University of Cambridge, told AFP. Approximately two billion air-conditioner units are in use worldwide, and their number is increasing as the planet warms. Between leaks and energy consumption, the emissions associated with them are also increasing each year, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Moya has been studying the properties of these plastic crystals in his laboratory at the prestigious UK university for 15 years. On his work surface, a large red and grey machine, topped with a cylinder, tests how the temperature of a substance changes under pressure. The aim is to identify the best refrigerants among this class of materials, which are already used by the chemical industry and are relatively easy to obtain, even if the exact composition of the crystals eventually selected remains a secret. The phenomenon is invisible to the naked eye, but these crystals are composed of molecules that spin on their own axis. When the substance is squeezed, that movement stops and the energy is dissipated in the form of heat. When released, the substance cools its surroundings in what is known as the "barocaloric effect". "We're expecting demand for air conditioning to increase hugely, globally, between now and 2050," Cliff Elwell, a professor of building physics at University College London, told AFP. He believes barocaloric solids have the potential to be as efficient as gas, if not more so. "But whatever we introduce as new technologies always has to have the basic requirements," which include being compact and quiet enough for use in homes and cars, he said. The first air-conditioner prototype is the size of a large suitcase and hums quite loudly when a hydraulic circuit increases or decreases the pressure inside the four crystal-filled cylinders. But it works. The prototype has "not really been optimised yet for either mass, volume, or even sound," acknowledged Mohsen Elabbadi, a materials engineer at Barocal. But the performance of the units they are working to perfect will eventually be comparable with those running on gas, he promised. Barocal hopes to launch a first product on the market within three years. — AFP
IOL News
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Kelly Khumalo's tight concert security raises eyebrows amid allegations by former Meyiwa trial advocate
Amid ongoing allegations in the Senzo Meyiwa case, Kelly Khumalo's heightened security at Dundee July raises eyebrows and concerns among fans. Image: Instagram Singer Kelly Khumalo's security beef-up leaves netizens wondering what's happening. The songstress was recently seen performing at the Dundee July event in KwaZulu-Natal, where her bodyguard was keeping a close eye on her. Khumalo has never shied away from controversy, including her connection to the unclear death of former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, and her self-proclaimed role as a healer. Recently, the songstress, known for her powerful vocals and captivating stage presence, was seen performing one of her gospel hits, 'Esphambanweni', with a male figure dressed in all black keeping a close eye on her. An unseen attendee threw a can of alcohol at her while she was performing, and her bodyguard reacted swiftly by kicking the can off stage before Khumalo could step on it. While some fans assumed the added security measure was due to concerns about her safety after new claims made by Advocate Malesela Teffo, a former trial defence advocate for the Meyiwa murder case. Khumalo's history with controversy, including her connection to the tragic death of former Meyiwa, has kept her in the limelight for quite some years. This incident has also had a lasting impact on her career. The circumstances surrounding Meyiwa's death, which occurred at Khumalo's Vosloorus home with the singer present, led to widespread speculation and many people questioning her involvement. Additionally, the security beef-up comes after Teffo went on a podcast tour to reveal some eyebrow-raising details about Khumalo's involvement in Meyiwa's death. He was recently a guest on Mac G's Podcast and Chill show, as well as the Moya podcast, where he touched on her alleged involvement in the murder. Teffo made shocking claims about Khumalo on the Podcast and Chill show, alleging that the singer shot and killed Meyiwa, with whom she also shares a child. Meyiwa was murdered at Khumalo's home in 2014, in an incident initially thought to be a botched robbery. However, Teffo disputed this narrative during a podcast interview. 'If they say it was a robbery gone wrong, how can that be when the people coming to rob you have an intention? If they shoot, you can't say it was culpable homicide. If they shoot to kill, the result can't be culpable murder; it would be murder,' he said. Khumalo has been linked to Meyiwa's murder case multiple times, and Advocate Teffo's recent allegations on Podcast and Chill have reignited speculation around her involvement. Since then, she has come out to defend herself multiple times, debunking the allegations as baseless. The singer came out once again to address Tefo in response to all the claims he made about her during his podcast tour revelations. Khumalo posted a video on Instagram, citing that she's not intimidated by anyone and challenged those who think she's guilty to take action against her or 'back off'. The singer captioned the video: 'From being dragged in that dirty court to sketchy podcasts? You never cease to amaze me. It's quite simple, though. If you strongly believe that I am capable of what you are accusing me of, come and get me and stop playing games! Till then, back off.'
DW
5 days ago
- DW
Fact check: Misinformation fuels anti-migrant riots in Spain – DW – 07/18/2025
The assault of an elderly man in the town of Torre Pacheco sparked outrage and racist riots for several nights. False claims and misleading videos spread online soon after — and exacerbated the tensions. Several days of unrest in the town of Torre Pacheco, near Murcia, have highlighted rising tensions over migration in Spain. Sixty-eight-year-old pensioner Domingo Tomas Martinez had said he was beaten up by migrants on July 9. The motive of the attack was not immediately clear. But it was followed by several nights of riots and violent protests . Far-right groups posted xenophobic messages on social media, calling for people to "hunt down"migrants. This further escalated tensions. Torre Pacheco is a coastal Spanish town of nearly 40,000 people, and a third of its populationconsists of migrants, according to local government data. Police claim that by now peace has been largely restored in the city after the attack. But this is another example of how misinformation can ignite emotions. A video showing an elderly man being assaulted by unidentified persons heightened tensions. The video was widely shared on different social media platforms, it appeared for instance on Facebookand X. Claim: This X postwith the video, from July 10, states: "A video has been leaked of a brutal attack on an elderly man by North Africans in Torre-Pacheco, Murcia." The post comes from a user with a gold checkmark on their X account, indicating that the account belongs to an official organization through verified organizations. Other accounts also shared the video claiming it showed the attack on Martinez. DW Fact Check: False The video is not from Torre Pacheco. It is related to an incident that took place nearly two months ago and was filmed in the city of Almeria, more than 200 kilometers away. The person seen in the video is Jose Moya. After the video went viral in July, Moya posted his statementon Instagram clarifying that the person seen in the viral video is, in fact, him. Local media outlets interviewedhim after the viral video sparked social media outrage against migrants. Moya also showed the T-shirt and trousers on Instagram that he wore on the day of the attack. Calling for justice, he said, "The one in the video is me. I'm having a hard time making this video because I'm so nervous. But they are getting confused. And what I want to say is that I ask for justice for everything they have done to me and for the old man. The old man is a man from Murcia, and I am from Almeria. I was the one who was beaten." He explained that two people attacked him while more were present. He said they asked him for tobacco, and when he replied that he didn't have any, "They got into a fight with me (…). They cut my head open, broke three ribs, and left me there unconscious." He claimed the attackers were Spanish, and not migrants. DW Fact Check could confirm the scene in the video was filmed in Almeria, as claimed by Jose Moya in his Instagram post. He also showed a picture of the location taken after the incident, which is included in his video statement. We geo-located it near the Centro Periferico de Especialidades (Bola Azul) hospital. The footage matches details such as a row of trees, graffiti, and similar ground. Domingo Tomas Martinez, the man beaten up in Torre Pacheco, has also confirmed that he is not in the video that went viral. He spoke to severalmedia outletsfollowing the incident, where he appeared with red eyes and other marks of assault. Similar misleading posts emerged following the case in Murcia, many targeting migrants and Muslims. Here are two examples: Claim: This poston X claims that Torre Pacheco's local police were attacked by migrants and that the Civil Guard did not intervene: "The Torre Pacheco Local Police, overwhelmed by the mob of broccoli-haired people." DW Fact Check: False This incident took place in Torrevieja, about 40 kilometers from Torre Pacheco. Police officers were attacked by several individuals of migrant background there, reported multiple local media outlets. DW verified and identified the locationof the video. Claim: Another postclaimed a "ham protest" was organized to respond to the Torre Pacheco incident. The caption reads, "Torre Pacheco wakes up early. The residents are organizing for the final counter attack." DW fact check: False This video is unrelated. It was first postedin November 2024 on X by a user saying it was an attempt to set a world record for the largest plate of ham. The video was filmed in Huelva and has been viewed more than 2.4 million times since then. Misinformation isn't just a harmless mistake: It can spark violence, fuel hatred, and put lives at risk, as seen in Torre Pacheco: False claims on social media led to further escalations and deep divisions in the community. Before sharing a post, pause and verify the facts. A single misleading video can ignite real world chaos. Check sources, consult fact-checks, and think critically. Stopping the spread of misinformation starts with each one of us. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The Citizen
7 days ago
- The Citizen
Metro evicts illegal West businesses
The metro recently removed illegal tenants from a Pretoria West building, following eviction notices served last week. Mayor, dr Nasiphi Moya, says the city is owed over R26-million through its leasing of 12 properties with 35 stands. The businesses, which were operating illegally, were given a notice that expired on July 12, and on July 15, the officials returned to make sure that all occupants had vacated those properties. The mayor said, 'We closed this shop only to find out these people have been operating in the background. So, we have taken their cars, we are towing them, and they can go collect them from the pound. 'We are clearing this warehouse here. This Nigerian guy has been sending us from pillar to post, and we just want to clean this up. These people are so disrespectful. 'We've been giving them notice after notice, and even today, they were hoping we wouldn't be able to see that they were still operating on this property. 'This is the level of lawlessness that we must clean up so you can have your city back.' She says officials were met with resistance from a group of Nigerian men who were operating a scrap yard without valid leases with the city. After they refused to move, TMPD impounded all their vehicles. Moya says they were hoping officials wouldn't be back to reclaim the city property. The warehouse was cleared of over 10 illegally erected shacks, in addition to the businesses operating without permits. Moya says the effort is part of a broader plan to turn Pretoria West into a manufacturing hub for the city. 'When we say that we want to have Pretoria West become a manufacturing hub, this is what we mean. This is just one property, as you can see how big it is. 'It's been used by these people all these years; we have not been collecting leases, we have not been collecting money for the electricity or water, and our people have not been using it. 'We are reclaiming this city for you,' Moya said. MMC for Community Safety, Hannes Coetzee, says these types of operations can be expected across all seven regions. 'People ask what's happening. By-law enforcement at a high level. We're taking our city back. We cannot afford any longer for this lawlessness to continue. 'We need to restore this city, ensure the safety of our residents in all seven regions and restore Tshwane as a city of excellence,' Coetzee said. Watch here: Last week, there were over 10 shacks in this hijacked building. We've cleared this building of illegal occupants and the shacks that littered this spaces. We want to make use of the buildings we've reclaimed for social housing and business development. @CityTshwane — Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) July 15, 2025 Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
7 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Customer service overhaul aims to cut queues, boost attitudes
The Tshwane metro has started efforts to enhance customer experience. The mayor, Nasiphi Moya, conducted an important oversight visit to its customer care centres in Akasia and Rosslyn on June 15. According to her, the initiative was prompted by interactions with residents, which indicated that the services provided at the centres need improvement. 'Our residents have often complained about the attitude of our staff members and the long waiting times for assistance,' she said. She said the oversight visit was part of efforts to improve the quality of services by municipal staff. 'We have made it clear to our municipal workers that residents should see our offices as destinations for help and not places of frustration,' Moya said. She said that in January, the metro paid a visit to the Middestad Customer Care Centre, which is classified as a mega centre, offering all municipal-related services. Moya further mentioned that in the current financial year, a budget has been allocated for the revision of customer service offerings. 'We have set aside R304-million for our customer relations department to help fund the reconfiguration of our customer service offering.' According to her, the metro will in future be categorising its walk-in centres as mega, satellite or mobile. She stated that this will help expand services based on regional needs and capacity. 'In Region 1, the Akasia and Soshanguve Block F customer centres will be reclassified as mega-centres – expanding the services offered in the region,' she said. She added that the metro plans to upgrade its online customer service office and will be upgrading its existing virtual contact centre. Moya concluded that this upgrade should improve response times and enhance the quality of interactions with residents. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
