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Microsoft announces television alliances with Tivo, MTV
MUMBAI: This is an initiative which consumer durable LG Electronics is looking to strengthen its relationship with the bat and ball game. The International Cricket Council (ICC) and LG have joined hands to produce and promote the LG-ICC Test Championship- the LG-ICC One-Day International Championship and the first ever official player rankings, the LG-ICC Player Rankings.
The deal encompasses the LG-ICC Test Championship launched in May 2001, the LG-ICC ODI Championship launched in October 2002. Joining the two is the new LG-ICC Player Rankings.
ICC CEO Malcolm Speed said that he was delighted that LG’s enthusiasm for cricket had helped the ICC to introduce official rankings for individual players alongside the well-established team tables.
Speed adds, “Post ICC Test Championship in May 2001, it has been our ambition to complement this with an ongoing championship table for One-Day International cricket and official player rankings.
“The ICC ODI Championship was introduced in October 2002 and today’s announcement implies that we now have a full suite of official rankings,” said Speed.
LG deputy MD M.B. Shin said that this partnership expanded the company’s long-standing involvement with international cricket. “LG Electronics has established itself as a major international sports sponsor and has partnered with top sporting associations and bodies globally. In terms of cricket LG’s commitment to the game extends far beyond mere ads and sponsorships; we are truly committed to the development of the overall quality of the game in the long run.”
Cricketing legend Sunil Gavaskar said, “Statistics play a big role in cricket and there are no more interesting statistics than the standings of teams and the relative merits of players.
The fact that all of this information is now ‘official’ is good news for the sport and to its passionate fans alike. I congratulate the ICC and LG for this association.”
India captain Sourav Ganguly said that the introduction of officially recognised player rankings would be popular with the players. “These player rankings have been tried and tested over many years and it is excellent news that they have now been officially recognised by the ICC and LG.”
Meanwhile, Australia reaffirmed its top spot in the LG-ICC Test Championship with a recent 3-0 home series victory over Pakistan. It also leads the way in the LG-ICC ODI Championship tables in which New Zealand is its closest challenger. The top Test batsman is Rahul Dravid while the top Test bowler is Glenn McGrath.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
