iWorld
Prime Video announces March 13 premiere for Tamil original Local Times with trailer launch
Seven-episode Tamil comedy follows friends saving a fading local newspaper
MUMBAI: Prime Video has set 13 March as the global premiere date for its Tamil original comedy-drama Local Times, releasing a lively trailer that blends newsroom chaos with warmth and friendship.
The seven-episode series unfolds inside a struggling local weekly newspaper battling shrinking relevance in a fast-shifting digital news ecosystem. Developed by Anekdotes and produced by Fanboy Production, the show is directed by Naveen George Thomas and produced by Jithin Thorai.
The story centres on four friends: Veera, Azhagu, Valli and Muthu, who struggle to keep Namma Seidhi, a once-respected regional newspaper owned by Veera’s grandfather, alive. Short on funds but long on stubborn optimism, the group navigates newsroom mishaps, personal clashes and a determined rival intent on shutting them down.
The ensemble cast features Rishikanth, Abdool Lee, Maurish Dass, Adwitha Arumugam, R. Pandiarajan, Chinni Jayanth, Rini and Nandhitha Sreekumar in key roles.
“Local Times is a rooted and emotionally resonant story,” said Prime Video India director and head of originals Nikhil Madhok. While the series unfolds within a small newsroom, he said its themes of friendship and resilience travel well beyond geography.
Producer Jithin Thorai said the team set out to craft a simple, light-hearted story about ordinary people clinging to something they believe in. The local newspaper setting offers a familiar world, he added, but the heart of the series lies in the bond between the four protagonists.
The show is created by Abbhinav Kastura and Praveen Muthurangan alongside Satwik Gade, Thomas Manuel and Visvaksen P. The screenplay is written by Praveen Muthurangan.
Director Naveen George Thomas, making his directorial debut with the series, said the protagonists are flawed but deeply loyal to one another. The humour emerges from their desperation, he noted, while the emotional pull lies in their refusal to abandon each other.
Local Times will premiere in India and across 240 countries and territories, streaming in Tamil with English subtitles exclusively on Prime Video.
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
