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Brian Greene Tells LMU Graduates: Embrace Your Moment in the Cosmos with Curiosity and Gratitude

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LOS ANGELES, May 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Brian Greene, a leading theoretical physicist and sought-after communicator of groundbreaking scientific concepts, urged those gathered Sunday for Loyola Marymount University’s graduate and LMU Loyola Law School commencement to appreciate their unique existence in the cosmos, embrace their potential, and approach life with gratitude.

Addressing a rapt crowd on LMU’s sun-filled Westchester campus, the best-selling author told graduates “we have each won the most improbable cosmic lottery.” See the press kit with images and Greene’s commencement video HERE.

“Think about how utterly unlikely it is that you exist,” Greene said. “Think about the nearly infinite collection of quantum processes stretching from The Big Bang until today … yet against those astounding odds – for a brief moment of time you exist, as do I.”

Drawing on discoveries from Albert Einstein to Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan to Edwin Hubble, Greene traced for students and attendees the arc of scientific discovery allowing us to better understand our place in the universe, and the phenomenon of our capacity to live, comprehend, and connect with one another. Greene also noted the contributions of Jesuit-educated Catholic priest Georges Lemaître, who “used Einstein’s math to catch a glimpse of the possibility that space might be expanding,” an idea widely rejected at the time, only to be established a few years later.

“We can think about the past. We can imagine the future. We can take in the universe, mind and body, with reasoning and emotion allowing us to figure out astonishing things, like how stars shine and light travels, how black holes form and time elapses, allowing for creative achievements … all created by minds like yours, like mine, and that …most certainly will continue to create great beauty, to illuminate great mystery, to experience great wonder.”

 This phenomenon of human existence, Greene concluded, “should give us all a deep sense of connection. A kind of cosmic communion, and a sense that I can summarize with one word: gratitude.”

“Gratitude for being a small transient part of this wondrous unfolding, gratitude for our capacity to come together in groups that, at their best, allow us to each realize our potential, gratitude for our capacity for courage like that of George Lemaître, to stand up to authority, to not accept easy answers, and when necessary to fight for what we believe in. Gratitude that is for human existence, for fragile, delicate, difficult, challenging, painful, exhausting, beautiful, exquisite, transcendent, human existence, however brief, however evanescent, however fleeting.”

Greene is a lifelong learner committed to intellectual inquiry, educational access, and academic excellence. Described by The Washington Post as “the single best explainer of abstruse concepts in the world today,” he is the author of four acclaimed books that have collectively sold millions of copies worldwide. His latest best-selling release, “Until the End of Time,” which explores the cosmos and our quest to understand it, was named one of the “100 Notable Books of 2020” by The New York Times.

Greene’s books have been adapted into two Emmy and Peabody Award-winning NOVA miniseries, both of which he hosted. With journalist Tracy Day, he co-founded the World Science Festival, whose flagship events in New York and Australia have reached an audience of more than two million people, and more than 250 million people online. Greene has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” played himself in an episode of “The Big Bang Theory,” and made cameo appearances in films including “Frequency,” “Maze,” and “The Last Mimzy.” A Harvard graduate and a Rhodes Scholar, he serves as director of Columbia University’s Center for Theoretical Physics.

Nearly 2,900 LMU undergraduate, graduate, and law students participated in weekend commencement celebrations, which began Saturday with Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson addressing the undergraduate commencement ceremony. 

ABOUT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY

Loyola Marymount University is one of the nation’s top-ranked Catholic universities, recognized by U.S. News & World Report among the top 50 private and top five Jesuit institutions in the country, and among California’s top six private schools. Founded in 1911 and rooted in the Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount traditions, LMU enrolls 7,100 undergraduates and 3,000 graduate and law students across seven colleges and schools. The university offers 56 undergraduate majors, 57 minors, 43 master’s degree programs, three doctorate programs, and 12 credential/authorization programs. With top-ranked programs in law, film and television, entrepreneurship, business, and the arts, LMU is embedded in the creative, cultural, and economic life of Los Angeles. The university generates $1.4 billion in annual economic impact. A proud member of the West Coast Conference, LMU fields 14 NCAA Division I teams and competes with purpose, pride, and integrity.

LMU news and events are found at: www.lmu.edu/news.

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SOURCE Loyola Marymount University

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Tencent and Mastercard Sign MOU on Cross-Border Payment Interoperability and Agentic Payments

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November 2, 2026

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Proposed collaboration spans QR acceptance for international visitors in the Chinese mainland, remittances into the Weixin/WeChat ecosystem and AI-enabled commerce

HONG KONG, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TenPay Global, Tencent’s cross-border payment platform, and Mastercard have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore greater cross-border payment interoperability and new opportunities in agentic payments, the companies announced during Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026.

The proposed collaboration aims to make cross-border commerce more connected. For international visitors, that means more ways to pay using familiar digital wallets and issuer apps at QR-enabled merchants in the Chinese mainland. For merchants, it creates more opportunities to serve international customers.

More ways to pay for international visitors

The announcement comes as inbound travel to the Chinese mainland continues to grow, alongside international visitors’ payment needs. According to Mastercard data, inbound spending in the Chinese mainland grew 51.3% year over year in the 12 months to June this year. From January to August 2026, transactions made with international digital wallets via Weixin Pay in the Chinese mainland grew 81.8% in number and 80.6% in value year on year. With international travel and spending rising, payment interoperability can give visitors more ways to pay while helping merchants capture growing cross-border demand.

As part of the MOU, TenPay Global and Mastercard will combine their capabilities in payment processing, currency conversion, risk management and fraud prevention, to support a more seamless payment experience for international visitors and merchants. Both companies will also engage digital wallet providers, financial institutions and payment service providers to broaden participation in cross-border QR payments.

The proposed collaboration builds on Mastercard’s payment facilitation initiatives in the Chinese mainland and Mastercard Wallet Pay, a portfolio of solutions designed to support interoperability and innovation across digital wallets and card-based payments.

More accessible cross-border remittances

TenPay Global and Mastercard also plan to deepen their existing cross-border remittance collaboration through Mastercard Move, giving more overseas senders a convenient way to transfer money into the Weixin ecosystem. Mastercard Move brings together Mastercard’s global money movement capabilities, supporting transfers across more than 200 countries and territories and more than 150 currencies, with reach to nearly 17 billion endpoints and 95% of the world’s banked population.

TenPay Global and Mastercard will explore opportunities across payment interoperability, wallet innovation, cross-border payment infrastructure, security and fraud prevention, including how Mastercard’s value-added services could support future innovation within the broader Weixin/WeChat ecosystem.

Scaling AI-powered commerce with trust

Looking ahead, the collaboration will explore how the same principles of interoperability, trust and security can extend into agentic commerce, as AI agents reshape how consumers and businesses discover, decide and transact. This includes exploring solutions such as Mastercard Agent Pay, Mastercard Agent Connect and Virtual C-Suite to scale trusted AI-enabled commerce for both consumers and merchants.

About TenPay Global

TenPay Global is Tencent’s cross-border payment platform, comprising a network of licensed financial institutions under Tencent. By connecting the Weixin ecosystem, global payment partners, and international users and scenarios, TenPay Global provides end-to-end payment solutions for cross-border remittances, cross-border consumption, global collections and global acquiring. Backed by years of industry experience and a robust risk management framework, TenPay Global delivers world-class standards in system reliability, fund security, and regulatory compliance. Official website: TenPay Global

About Mastercard

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a resilient economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

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SOURCE Tenpay Global

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YeePay Explores New Approaches to Airline B2B Order Payments at IATA WFS & WPS 2026

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November 2, 2026

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MACAU, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — YeePay participated in the 2026 IATA WFS & WPS, held October 28–29 at the Galaxy International Convention Center .

At the event, YeePay showcased its Global Corporate Account and integrated aviation and travel distribution solutions, highlighting its capabilities in cross-border fund management and distribution channel growth.

At the IATA Payment Services Forum, Yu Chen, Co-Founder of YeePay, delivered a presentation titled “China’s Unique Airline B2B Order Payment Ecosystem.” His presentation addressed key industry challenges in the New Distribution Capability era, compared airline payment models across different global markets, and explored the wider potential of B2B order payments for the global aviation industry.

Yu Chen highlighted the significant costs associated with airline payments: “Annual payment costs across the global aviation industry amount to USD 22 billion, with transaction fees and operating expenses consuming nearly half of airlines’ profit per passenger.

By comparison, YeePay’s B2B account-based payment solution enables real-time processing at the individual order level, supported by complete transaction data and automated foreign exchange conversion.

The model allows transactions to be completed without requiring advance payments or delayed settlement, while supporting the entire order lifecycle, including payments, refunds, ticket changes, and ancillary services.

Developed through more than 20 years of experience serving the aviation and travel sector, YeePay’s B2B payment solution is designed to support the global airline distribution market, meeting the international collection and payout needs of airlines, online travel agencies (OTAs), and travel agents.

Backed by a service network covering more than 200 countries and regions and supporting over 100 currencies, it also supports real-time order payments, flexible settlement across multiple banks, regulatory compliance, risk management, improved cash flow, and distribution channel expansion.

The solution can be adapted for international airlines adopting NDC-based distribution models, particularly those looking to expand into markets with foreign exchange controls, offering significant potential for wider global adoption.

YeePay aims to export its proven B2B order payment capabilities worldwide. We partner with global low-cost carriers and full-service airlines to pursue collaborative innovation addressing industry pain points under the NDC new distribution and retail transformation, including cross-border settlement, order reconciliation and cost control. Our goal is to resolve long-standing challenges in global aviation B2B settlement, unlock global capital channels covering the Chinese distribution market, empower upstream airlines with transaction technology, and drive digital upgrading of the global travel ecosystem.”

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HIZENERGY Retains BloombergNEF Tier 1 Status Amid Tighter Q4 2026 Evaluation Criteria

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November 2, 2026

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HEFEI, China, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — HIZENERGY has once again secured its place on the BloombergNEF (BNEF) Energy Storage Tier 1 list for Q4 2026, as the benchmark rolled out a major methodology upgrade and significantly raised qualification thresholds for storage vendors globally.

Widely adopted by financial institutions, asset owners, EPC contractors and institutional investors worldwide, the BNEF Tier 1 assessment centres on bankability, independently verified operational track records, technical robustness and reliable cross-border delivery. This quarter’s stricter screening makes continuous Tier 1 recognition a stronger, more credible validation of vendor capability. HIZENERGY maintained its Tier 1 standing backed by a growing portfolio of third-party validated live projects, proven bankability credentials and a mature, regionally anchored global delivery network.

Focused on behind-the-meter commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage, HIZENERGY’s flagship EnerBox series and liquid-cooled BESS platforms serve diversified end-use scenarios: manufacturing plants, industrial parks, rooftop PV sites, logistics depots, EV charging hubs, cold storage facilities and commercial buildings. The integrated systems support multiple value streams: peak shaving and demand charge reduction, wholesale energy arbitrage, maximised PV self-consumption, seamless off-grid backup for critical loads, voltage stabilisation and participation in demand response and ancillary service markets. Powered by our in-house developed PCS, we deliver customised solutions with site-specific management and enterprise-tailored strategies, unlocking layered revenue streams while helping clients defer costly grid upgrade investments.

Long-term operational reliability remains the core of our product design philosophy. Instead of chasing short-term market hype, HIZENERGY prioritises project certainty — the most critical requirement for asset owners and investors. Our standardised product lineup paired with localised on-site commissioning, after-sales and technical support delivers finance-ready, predictable storage assets built for decades of cycling.

Navigating ongoing price volatility and cyclical shifts across the energy storage sector, HIZENERGY continues to deploy field-proven, safety-certified C&I storage solutions and full-lifecycle delivery services for international partners. We collaborate closely with stakeholders across the globe to build a resilient, transparent and trustworthy C&I storage supply chain, accelerating distributed renewable adoption and flexible, secure power capacity for C&I users. For more information, visit us at https://en.hizenergy-ess.com/

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