Someone had to say it

This week gave us celestial drama, ministry squabbles, and a reminder that your phone might be the easiest pickpocket in town. The blood moon had photographers blessing our feeds, the Health and Education ministries turned condoms into a tug of war, and Kaspersky warned us that hackers are watching every careless download. Let’s get into it.

Blood Moon, Cloud Mood

Sri Lanka turned into a photography studio this week as the blood moon made its appearance. Photographers were out in full swing, tripods and all, blessing our timelines with stunning shots of the glowing red moon hanging over the island.

Of course, not everyone got the view. In plenty of areas, the only thing lighting up the night sky was thick cloud cover, leaving people staring at grey nothingness while scrolling through everyone else’s gorgeous posts. For some, it was celestial magic. For others, it was just FOMO with extra humidity.

Last Word: The moon showed up. The clouds blocked it. But thanks to our photographers, at least Instagram delivered.

Condoms in Classrooms? Ministries Can’t Agree

Only in Sri Lanka could a life-saving lesson turn into a bureaucratic tug of war. The Health Ministry wants condoms and HIV prevention taught in schools. The Education Ministry? Stalling, citing “reforms”,  which is code for “let’s pretend kids don’t already know more from TikTok than their textbooks.”

The proposal is simple: add age-appropriate lessons on condoms, PrEP, and PEP into the Grade 10 science syllabus. Health experts say it’s overdue, with the current curriculum leaving gaping holes (pun fully intended) in students’ knowledge about HIV and STIs. But instead of moving forward, two ministries are busy pulling in opposite directions, while teenagers continue getting their sex ed from memes, gossip, and the internet.

Last Word: If we can teach kids photosynthesis, we can teach them protection. One saves plants, the other saves lives.

Your Wallet’s in Your Phone, And Hackers Know It

Sri Lanka’s love affair with mobile banking and digital wallets is only growing, but so is the risk. Kaspersky is warning that without proper cybersecurity rules, we’re basically walking around with our bank accounts dangling out of our pockets.

The scams are getting smarter. It’s not just shady links anymore, it’s fake parcel tracking apps, bogus e-commerce sites, even crypto wallets that look perfectly legit. One careless download, and your savings vanish faster than your mobile data.

The truth is, most of us don’t take our phone security seriously. We ignore permissions, skip updates, and trust every shiny new app that promises convenience. But in a mobile-first economy, that kind of carelessness is exactly what cybercriminals are counting on.

Last Word: Staying safe isn’t complicated, verify your apps, update your phone, and treat your digital wallet like real cash. Because it is.

Until next week, look up at the skies, keep your lessons real, and don’t hand hackers an open wallet.
–- Rihaab