iWorld
Niladri Kumar wins Sangeet Natak Academi Puraskar 2023
Mumbai: Indian music icon and sitar maestro Niladri Kumar has been named among winners of Sangeet Natak Academi Puraskar for the year 2023, by the Ministry of Culture and Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar. This is the highest national recognition given to stalwarts in the field of performing arts. Niladri Kumar had earlier won Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by the Sangeet Natak Academi in 2007.
“I am very grateful to Ministry of Culture and Sangeet Natak Akademi for honouring my journey in music, and I sincerely seek blessings for the path I yet have to travel. My greatest reward is to witness my music touch the hearts of listeners from all over the world, across all these years,” said Niladri Kumar.
Born to sitar maestro, Kartick Kumar, a disciple of Ravi Shankar and Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar winner, Niladri Kumar first performed on Doordarshan at the tender age of seven. He has since been breaking barriers and setting trends in Indian music. Taking forward his father’s legacy, the maverick musician has been well recognised at national as well as global forums.
An artist, who believes in walking with the times alongside staying true to his Indian roots, Niladri Kumar has featured in jazz-guitar legend John McLaughlin’s album Floating Point. He has also toured and played with giants of world music, including tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain and jazz-rock bass virtuoso Jonas Hellborg. He has also composed music for hit Bollywood numbers such as Chup Ke from Bunty Aur Babli, Crazy Kiya Re from Dhoom 2 and Bheeegi Bheegi from Gangster. A great aspiration, Niladri Kumar is truly India’s pride.
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.
