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Sri Lanka’s Piyumi Wijesekara among new NASA crew for next simulated Mars journey

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Sri Lanka’s Piyumi Wijesekera has been selected as one of NASA’s four new volunteer crew members for a simulated mission to Mars, taking place within a habitat at the agency’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston.

Joining Wijesekera are Jason Lee, Stephanie Navarro, and Shareef Al Romaithi. The team will enter the agency’s Human Exploration Research Analog, or HERA, on Friday, May 10th. Over the course of 45 days, they will live and work like astronauts before exiting the facility on June 24th, simulating their “return” to Earth. Jose Baca and Brandon Kent serve as alternate crew members for this mission.

HERA provides scientists with insights into how crew members adapt to isolation, confinement, and remote conditions, crucial for preparing astronauts for deep space missions to destinations like the Moon and Mars.

During their simulated mission to the Red Planet, the crew will conduct scientific research and operational tasks, including virtual “walks” on Mars’s surface and experiencing communication delays with Mission Control Centre lasting up to five minutes each way as they “approach” Mars.

This crew marks the second group of volunteers to participate in a simulated Mars mission in HERA this year, with two more missions planned before the end of 2024. Piyumi Wijesekera, a postdoctoral research scientist at NASA Ames Research Centre in California’s Silicon Valley, specializes in developing tissue models to study the effects of spaceflight stressors on the human respiratory system.

Wijesekera holds a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego, and master’s and doctorate degrees in biomedical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her doctoral research focused on stem cell and organ engineering, particularly in engineering lung models to study respiratory diseases.

Living in San Francisco, Wijesekera enjoys spending time with family and friends, running along the San Francisco Bay, reading, hiking, volunteering at the food pantry, and attending concerts and musicals.

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Dubai Based Sri Lankan Entrepreneur Launches Global Forex Marketplace

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A visionary Sri Lankan entrepreneur based in Dubai has launched VerifiedBrands.io, a cutting-edge Forex Marketplace Ecosystem designed to bring transparency, trust, and regulatory compliance to the Global Forex industry.

The platform addresses one of the most critical challenges in online trading — the difficulty of finding legitimate and regulated brokers and financial service providers. VerifiedBrands.io connects traders, licensed Forex brokers, technology providers, and affiliates in a secure and trusted digital marketplace.

“Our mission is simple — to eliminate fraud and scams from the Forex industry and give traders, investors, and partners a reliable ecosystem where only regulated and verified companies are listed,” said Anthony, the founder of VerifiedBrands.io.

VerifiedBrands.io verifies and lists only Regulated Forex brokers and compliant financial technology providers, offering a single platform for:

Traders seeking trusted brokers and services

Companies looking for high-quality leads and exposure

Technology providers offering white-label solutions, trading infrastructure, CRM systems, Liquidity Solutions, Payment Gateways , API solutions

Affiliates and partners wanting to work with compliant, reputable firms

The platform also provides tools and resources to help traders and partners compare, connect, and collaborate confidently, making it a first-of-its-kind ecosystem for the Forex community.

With the global Forex industry estimated at over $6 trillion in daily trading volume, VerifiedBrands.io aims to build a safer, more transparent trading environment and empower investors and traders worldwide to make informed decisions.

For more information, visit www.VerifiedBrands.io

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LB Finance to enter Philippines market through subsidiary

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LB Finance PLC, a Sri Lankan Non-Bank Financial Institution (NBFI), has received regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to establish a wholly owned subsidiary in the Philippines.

In a corporate disclosure to the Colombo Stock Exchange, the company said the Director of the Department of Supervision of Non-Bank Financial Institutions granted approval on 11 December to set up the subsidiary under the name LB Finance Philippines Inc.

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Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council expresses solidarity with Sri Lanka

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The Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) has conveyed its condolences to Sri Lanka over the loss of life and extensive damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah, urging all Commonwealth nations to support the country’s recovery as the scale of devastation continues to unfold.

In a statement signed by CWEIC Chairman Lord Marland and Deputy Chairman Lord Swire, the council said: On behalf of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, we extend our sincere condolences to the President and people of Sri Lanka for the tragic loss of life and the widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

With the death toll now exceeding 300, hundreds more people missing, and thousands left without homes or livelihoods, the impact on your nation is devastating, and affecting all parts of the country.

As Commonwealth friends, we acknowledge the suffering that Sri Lanka has already endured through natural disasters; floods, droughts, landslides, and the 2004 tsunami.

Sri Lanka has survived through the extraordinary efforts of countless volunteers and ordinary people. Once again, we see this remarkable resilience and cooperation from Sri Lankans who are working to restore order, basic services, and supplies where possible.

We appeal to all Commonwealth countries to support the recovery efforts, and we will keep Sri Lanka in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time. CWEIC has a significant presence in Sri Lanka, and our Strategic Partners stand ready to assist in any way we can during this difficult time. We will continue to support international efforts and appeal to Commonwealth nations to contribute to Sri Lanka’s recovery.

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