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CNN to deliver mobile news on demand in Sri Lanka
MUMBAI: Sri Lankan national mobile service provider Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel is to offer its customers access to CNN’s latest global news content through one call.
With a few clicks, Mobitel customers can watch CNN breaking news and the latest top stories, weather, business, entertainment, politics and more on an on-demand basis simply by dialing 555.
A key advantage of this service is uninterrupted content delivery when compared to web and WAP based streaming where delays can be experienced due to content being buffered. Mobitel customers can also enjoy the added convenience of replaying previous news stories within the same video portal.
Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel chairperson T. Leisha De Silva Chandrasena says, “The partnership with CNN International is yet another landmark development for Mobitel following its recent partnership with Google the leading global Internet company.”
A further significant advantage is the fact that no software or special configurations are required by customers to access the service. For the benefit of 2G phone users in particular, CNN’s latest global news can also be accessed via WAP by logging onto wap.mobitel.lk.
Turner International India VP, Deputy GM – distribution and business operations, South Asia Siddharth Jain said, “Sri Lanka is an important and exciting market for Turner International and CNN in the region. Partnering with a leading player like Sri Lanka, Telecom Mobitel certainly provides a national footprint for CNN International to reach out to a wide consumer base in Sri Lanka. It is a win-win initiative for the consumers as they get to know what’s happening around the world from the world’s leading global news network via the leading mobile platform of Sri Lanka.”
Since the launch of Sri Lanka’s first super 3.5G HSPA network, Mobitel has already added several other pioneering services such as Mobile TV (Live), Video on Demand, Video Sharing and Blogging to its existing portfolio of infotainment related services which consisted of SMS News Alerts, Voice portals (IVR services), WAP and SIM Menu Based Services. A key feature of most of these services is the providing of breaking news as well as information on a variety of segments such as sports, entertainment, business, politics and weather in a convenient and easily accessible manner.
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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.
