Month: May 2021

** Huma goes to Hollywood

At home in films across languages, the actor talks about working in LA, Chennai and Mumbai, and her biggest project yet — Zack Snyder’s ‘Army of The Dead’

This is her first brush with Hollywood and the experience, according to the 34-year-old, was everything she had hoped for.

There was one thing though, that did initially throw her off. “In India, we are used to working on multiple projects at the same time. For this film, they blocked two-and-a-half months of my time,” says Qureshi, who eventually came to realise the importance of focussing on one job and doing it well.

** Cipla launches RT-PCR test kit ‘ViraGen’ in India, partnership with Ubio Biotech

ViraGen is Cipla’s third offering in the COVID-19 testing segment.

Drug major Cipla on Thursday announced the commercialisation of its RT-PCR test kit ‘ViraGen’ for COVID-19 in India, in partnership with Ubio Biotechnology Systems.

“This launch will help address the current testing services and capacity issues while reaffirming the company’s ongoing expansion in the diagnostic space,” Cipla said in a regulatory filing.

Cipla will launch ViraGen test kit in the country in partnership with Ubio Biotechnology Systems, the company stated.

The company will commence supply of the COVID-19 virus detection kit from May 25, 2021.

** The forgotten Scots of the first Everest expedition of 1921 – one died, the other went mad

A century ago, in May 1921 the first expedition to reconnoitre and to possibly attempt to ascend Mount Everest left Darjeeling in India.

On it was George Mallory who died on the mountain in 1924 and whose name is forever associated with Chomolungma to give the mountain its correct name.

But also on the expedition were two Scotsmen, Alexander Kellas from Aberdeen and Harold Raeburn from Edinburgh – both of whose mountaineering achievements were arguably greater than those of Mallory. Today they have been largely forgotten.

** Covid: Indian firm to produce Johnson & Johnson vaccine

India’s Biological E. will produce the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine alongside its own candidate, its managing director told Reuters on Tuesday, which could boost the country’s overall supplies amid a shortage.

“The infrastructure and plants are completely separate for both the products and we will be producing both independent of each other,” Mahima Datla said in a text message, declining to give any timeline or other details

** Govind Kant, stalwart of solar industry in Australia, dies of Covid-19 in India

Kant, father of two, is believed to be the second Australian to have died in India of Covid-19. Earlier this month, a 59-year-old Australian permanent resident had died after contracting Covid-19 in India.

** This newly-developed RT-PCR kit has higher accuracy of detecting Covid across mutant strains

The new multiplex RT-PCR kit, developed Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), an Institute of National Importance.

SCTIMST has signed a non-exclusive license MoU with Huwel Lifesciences, Hyderabad, on 14th May 2021 to commercialize the kit

** Column | A Russian prince in Travancore

Peter the Great welcomed the idea of Indian traders living within the boundaries of the Russian Empire, and the city of Astrakhan had a small but thriving community of Indians from the 17th to the 19th centuries.

Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, visited India, where he was disgusted with the sight of “redcoats.”

Going against European convention, he also had a very close friendship with King Rama V of Siam.

Russia managed to get one of its best glimpses of India when Prince Alexey Saltykov, a former diplomat, visited the country twice in the 1840s.

He wrote a book in French titled Voyages dans L’Inde (Journeys in India), which is a compilation of his letters and notes, accompanied by his drawings.