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At the close of the nomination period for the 2026 season, the VinFuture Prize, a global science and technology prize recorded 1,819 nominations from around the world, supported by a network of more than 17,000 nominators spanning 117 countries and territories.

HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 May 2026 – After six seasons, the VinFuture Prize has not only expanded its influence in the international scientific community, but has also affirmed its position as a prestigious global prize dedicated to identifying and honoring breakthroughs with profound significance for the future of humanity.

A Global Network Bringing Together More Than 17,000 Outstanding Minds

This year’s VinFuture nominations span a wide range of critical fields, including medicine and healthcare (38.4%), environmental and earth sciences (17%), energy, transportation, and construction (15%), food and agriculture (10.6%), as well as other scientific and technological disciplines (19%).

At the same time, the official nominator network of the VinFuture Prize has continued to expand substantially, reaching 17,154 nominators from 117 countries and territories across all five continents. This represents an increase of approximately 16% compared with the 2025 season and a more than fourteenfold expansion compared with the inaugural season in 2021. Moreover, the number of countries and territories represented within the nominator network has nearly doubled over the past six years.

Notably, 1,415 nominators for the 2026 VinFuture Prize are ranked among the world’s top 2% most-cited researchers. Nearly 8,000 experts are affiliated with leading universities, research institutes, and scientific organizations worldwide, including Australian Academy of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States), Stanford University (United States), Harvard University (United States), University of California, Berkeley (United States), University of Oxford (United Kingdom), National University of Singapore (Singapore), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), and Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel), among others.

Participating on a voluntary basis, these nominators play a vital role in identifying and recommending outstanding scientific innovations capable of generating meaningful and lasting improvements to the lives of billions of people worldwide. They also contribute significantly to extending the global reach of the VinFuture Prize within the international scientific community and promoting cross-border academic connections. Several distinguished nominators have traveled to Vietnam during the 2024 and 2025 VinFuture Sci-Tech Weeks to connect and exchange knowledge directly with the Vietnamese scientific community.

“The continued growth in both the number of nominations and our network of more than 17,000 nominators reflects the increasing confidence that leading scientists and prestigious institutions around the world place in VinFuture Prize and its mission to identify and honor scientific and technological innovations with meaningful impact on humanity. This momentum also reinforces our commitment to upholding rigorous and transparent evaluation standards, while advancing a long-term vision of connecting global intellect in pursuit of a better future for all,” said Dr. Thai-Ha Le, Managing Director of the VinFuture Foundation.

Following the conclusion of the nomination period, the Pre-Screening Committee will begin the process of evaluating and selecting the most outstanding scientific works for consideration by the VinFuture Prize Council in the final judging round, which is expected to continue through early September 2026. All nominations will undergo a rigorous multi-layer evaluation process based on stringent international standards to ensure the highest levels of scientific integrity, fairness, and transparency.

The core evaluation criteria include the degree of scientific and technological advancement, the potential for meaningful impact on human life, as well as the scale and long-term sustainability of the proposed innovations.

Vietnam’s Growing Imprint on the Global Innovation Map

After six seasons, the VinFuture Prize has firmly established its reputation and standing within the global science and technology landscape. Several VinFuture Laureates have subsequently been honored by some of the world’s most prestigious scientific awards, including the Nobel Prize, the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, and the Breakthrough Prize, demonstrating VinFuture’s ability to recognize, at an early stage, innovations with foundational significance for the future of humanity.

Notable examples include Prof. Omar Yaghi (2021 VinFuture Special Prize; 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry); Dr. Katalin Karikó and Prof. Drew Weissman (2021 VinFuture Grand Prize; 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine); Drs. Demis Hassabis and John Jumper (2022 VinFuture Special Prize; 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry); Prof. Geoffrey Hinton (2024 VinFuture Grand Prize; 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics); as well as Prof. Yoshua Bengio, Prof. Yann LeCun, Prof. Geoffrey Hinton, Mr. Jensen Huang, and Prof. Fei-Fei Li (2024 VinFuture Grand Prize; 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering). Additional examples include Prof. Daniel Drucker, Prof. Joel Habener, Prof. Jens Juul Holst, and Assoc. Prof. Svetlana Mojsov (2023 VinFuture Special Prize), who later received the 2025 Breakthrough Prize.

Beyond recognizing transformative scientific achievements, VinFuture has become a point of convergence for knowledge, collaboration, and the aspiration to serve humanity. Over the course of six seasons, VinFuture has contributed to shaping a more open, connected, and inspiring scientific ecosystem, while positioning Vietnam as an increasingly important destination on the global innovation map.

Hashtag: #VinFuture

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Space Is Limited in Hong Kong Homes — Choosing the Right Size Matters
According to Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department 2021 Population Census, the median per capita residential floor area stands at approximately 172 sq ft. The latest Housing Bureau supply statistics (2025) show that 88% of private residential units currently in the development pipeline have a usable area of less than 70 square metres (approximately 753 sq ft). In a space-constrained home, a playmat that’s even slightly misjudged in size can disrupt daily living — making preparation before purchase all the more important.

4 Steps to Choosing the Right Size
The following steps help parents confirm their needs before buying, reducing the chance of a mismatch after the mat arrives home:
1. Measure the net usable area: Measure the actual spot where the mat will be placed — deducting furniture and walkways from the total floor space, not the overall unit size.
2. Consider your baby’s developmental stage: Crawling infants (approx. 4–10 months) need continuous flat surface area; toddlers (approx. 10–18 months) benefit more from playpen boundaries to define a safe zone.
3. Decide whether to pair with a playpen: If combining a mat with a playpen, calculate the usable area inside the playpen — not the mat’s outer dimensions.
4. Choose the style based on your confirmed space: Once space constraints are clear, foldable or modular designs help maximise what’s available.

A General Size Reference Based on Unit Floor Area
One of the most common mistakes Hong Kong parents make when buying a playmat is estimating size based on the total unit area, rather than the net usable floor space after accounting for furniture. The gap between the two is often what leads to a mismatch once the mat arrives home.

Caraz playmats, for example, offer a range from compact sizes suited to a corner of a single room, through to larger formats that can cover the main activity zone of a living area. Using net usable floor area as the starting point, the general reference is as follows:
* Under 200 sq ft: A mat around 70×140cm is a common starting point. The foldable design is especially practical — it can be stored upright against a wall when not in use, freeing up the living space.
* 300–400 sq ft: Mid-size options such as 120×160cm to 140×200cm are the most common choice among Hong Kong families, balancing play space with storage flexibility.
* 400 sq ft and above: Larger formats such as 160×200cm or above give infants a dedicated zone for crawling and first steps without compromising daily living.

If a playpen is being added alongside the mat, the playpen’s overall outer footprint needs to be estimated separately — it cannot be read directly from the mat dimensions alone.

Three Practical Directions for Compact Homes
For families with limited floor area, these approaches are worth considering:
* Choose a foldable mat: Fold it away when not in use to free up everyday living space.
* Consider a modular playpen system: Adjustable configurations adapt to irregular room layouts without being locked into a fixed size.
* Base your size decision on net usable area: The right standard is whether it fits and gets used — not simply bigger is better.

Hashtag: #Doremi3babies

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Doremi3babies

Founded in Hong Kong in 2017, Doremi3babies is Hong Kong’s most comprehensive Caraz retailer, offering the full product range — playmats, playpens, and baby houses — with new arrivals in sync with the Korean market. The company has served over 6,000 families and delivered more than 16,000 baby products, with every item personally tested by the store owner before introduction. All Caraz products are manufactured in Korea and meet KC and CE international safety certification standards.
For more playmat size recommendations, visit the Doremi3babies Caraz Playmat Buying Guide.

No passenger casualties or injuries were reported after railway staff stopped the Delhi-bound train and moved passengers out of coach B-1, where flames and smoke were detected during the journey through the Kota division. The incident involved train number 12431, a premium Rajdhani service linking Kerala’s capital with Hazrat Nizamuddin in Delhi.

Railway officials said the fire was reported at about 5.15am while the train was travelling between Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations, a section falling under West Central Railway’s Kota division. The affected coach was carrying 68 passengers, all of whom were removed within minutes. Staff then separated the coach from the rest of the rake as a precaution while fire and emergency teams were alerted.

Passengers from the damaged coach were accommodated in other coaches so the train could continue its journey towards Kota. Railway authorities planned to attach an additional coach at Kota to restore seating capacity and reduce disruption for those travelling to the national capital. The train had left Thiruvananthapuram on Friday and was scheduled to arrive at Hazrat Nizamuddin on Sunday afternoon.

Initial response focused on preventing the blaze from spreading to adjoining coaches. The fire was brought under control after the affected portion of the train was isolated, while railway protection personnel, operating staff, divisional officials and local emergency teams coordinated evacuation and safety checks. The cause of the fire had not been established by Sunday afternoon, and a technical inquiry was ordered.

Movement on the Mumbai–Delhi route was affected as the emergency response unfolded. Several trains were delayed or regulated because the incident occurred on a busy trunk section used by long-distance passenger and freight traffic. Railway control rooms worked to restore operations while ensuring that the damaged coach, track section and overhead systems were inspected before normal movement resumed.

A separate emergency vehicle carrying railway personnel to the site met with an accident while responding to the incident, injuring several staff members. Their vehicle reportedly overturned while rushing towards the affected section. The injuries added another layer of concern to an incident that otherwise saw passengers escape harm.

Coach fires on long-distance trains draw close scrutiny because air-conditioned coaches have sealed windows, electrical fittings, bedding, luggage spaces and pantry-linked movement that can complicate evacuation. Rajdhani trains are among the highest-priority services in the passenger network, and safety drills require rapid coordination between onboard staff, train controllers, station teams and local responders.

Sunday’s evacuation appeared to have benefited from the early detection of smoke and quick action by train staff. Detaching the affected coach helped limit damage and prevented panic from escalating. Passengers were moved away from the coach before the fire could threaten adjoining sections, while the remaining rake was assessed before arrangements were made for onward travel.

The incident is expected to renew attention on electrical audits, onboard fire-detection systems, maintenance checks and emergency readiness on premium services. Rail safety officials have pushed for tighter inspection of wiring, battery systems, air-conditioning equipment and onboard power units after earlier fire incidents across the passenger network. Long-distance trains pose particular risks because they operate overnight, carry sleeping passengers and often pass through remote stretches where emergency access can be slower.

State Administration for Market Regulation said the agenda would focus on removing market barriers, promoting a unified national market, improving law enforcement practices and curbing destructive price wars that have weighed on corporate margins. The measures form part of a broader policy push to reassure entrepreneurs after years of regulatory tightening, weak domestic demand, a property downturn and intense competition across technology, retail and manufacturing.

Private firms remain central to China’s economic model, accounting for more than half of tax revenue, over 60 per cent of economic output, about 70 per cent of technological innovation, more than 80 per cent of urban employment and the bulk of registered enterprises. Beijing’s latest move signals that policymakers see the sector as essential to stabilising growth, sustaining jobs and advancing innovation under the 2026–2030 development blueprint.

The 34-point programme places particular emphasis on equal treatment for private and state-backed enterprises. Regulators are expected to expand checks on local protectionism, discriminatory procurement rules, hidden entry restrictions and administrative practices that prevent companies from competing across provincial borders. The objective is to make China’s internal market function more like a single national marketplace rather than a patchwork of local systems shaped by regional preferences.

Fair competition has become a sharper policy concern as price wars spread across food delivery, electric vehicles, e-commerce and consumer services. Authorities have described extreme discounting and subsidy battles as “involution-style” competition, a term used in China to describe intense rivalry that consumes resources without producing sustainable gains. Regulators are now seeking to distinguish legitimate competition from practices that damage suppliers, workers and smaller rivals.

The plan also strengthens the legal dimension of private sector support. It follows the Private Economy Promotion Law, which came into force in May 2025 and formally placed protections for private business within the legal system. That law sought to address long-standing complaints over unequal access to finance, arbitrary penalties, delayed government payments, inconsistent enforcement and barriers to participation in infrastructure and public procurement.

Beijing is under pressure to show that those commitments can be enforced beyond policy slogans. Private entrepreneurs have frequently complained that local officials apply rules unevenly, with smaller companies facing heavier compliance burdens than larger state-linked groups. The latest regulatory agenda calls for more standardised enforcement, fewer unnecessary inspections and better coordination among agencies, reducing the risk that overlapping regulatory demands disrupt business operations.

The emphasis on efficient regulation also reflects a change in tone after the sweeping crackdowns that reshaped China’s platform economy from 2020 onwards. Internet groups, education providers, fintech companies and delivery platforms faced tighter controls, large fines and abrupt policy shifts, weakening investor sentiment. Although authorities continue to insist that capital must operate within defined boundaries, the current message is more focused on predictability, confidence and growth.

Financial support remains another pillar of the wider policy framework. China has encouraged banks and financial institutions to increase lending to private firms, particularly in advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, green technology, biotechnology and other strategic sectors. Large banks have announced multi-year financing pledges for the private economy, while policymakers have called for broader fundraising channels and lower financing costs for smaller enterprises.

The regulatory agenda fits into China’s 2026 economic strategy, which prioritises stable growth, stronger domestic demand, technological self-reliance and risk control. The government has set a growth target range of 4.5 to 5 per cent for 2026, lower than earlier expansion rates but still demanding at a time of weak household confidence, subdued inflation and pressure from external trade frictions.

Private firms are especially important in technology and advanced manufacturing, where China is seeking to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. Companies such as Huawei, BYD, CATL, Tencent and Alibaba remain closely watched as indicators of the relationship between the state and enterprise sector. Beijing’s message to these firms is twofold: innovation is encouraged, but expansion must align with national priorities and regulatory boundaries.

Foreign investors will watch whether the new priorities translate into measurable changes. China has pledged to widen market access and improve the business environment, but concerns remain over data rules, cross-border flows, procurement access, security reviews and policy transparency. For multinational companies and domestic entrepreneurs alike, the credibility of the 34-point programme will depend on implementation by local authorities as much as central-level messaging.

The market regulator’s plan also gives Beijing a mechanism to address deflationary pressures caused by excessive competition. Food delivery platforms, online retailers and electric vehicle producers have all faced pressure from aggressive pricing campaigns. While consumers may benefit from lower prices, sustained discount battles can weaken profitability, reduce wages across supply chains and discourage investment in quality improvements.

The agreement, reached during Modi’s official visit to Abu Dhabi on 15 May 2026, includes a strategic collaboration between Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company to expand the UAE’s participation in India’s strategic petroleum reserves to 30 million barrels. Both sides will also work on establishing strategic gas reserves, a move that signals a broader shift from emergency crude storage towards a more diversified energy security framework.

The pact places ADNOC at the centre of New Delhi’s stockpiling strategy. The UAE became the first country to partner with India in strategic petroleum storage when ADNOC stored crude in the Mangaluru cavern under an earlier arrangement. The new framework is substantially larger and comes as India seeks to reduce exposure to sudden disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions-driven shifts in trade flows, shipping risks, and sharp swings in spot fuel prices.

India, the world’s third-largest oil consumer, imports more than 85 per cent of its crude requirement and nearly half of its natural gas needs. Its existing strategic petroleum reserve system has underground rock caverns at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur, with a combined capacity of about 5.33 million tonnes, equivalent to roughly 39 million barrels. These reserves are separate from commercial inventories held by refiners and oil marketing companies.

The current reserve base covers only a limited number of consumption days, making expansion a long-standing policy priority. Phase-two plans have included additional capacity at Padur and a new facility at Chandikhol in Odisha, while officials have explored public-private partnership models to bring in foreign oil producers and trading firms. The UAE arrangement is likely to support that model by tying storage capacity to assured supply and commercial flexibility.

The energy package also includes a long-term LPG supply arrangement between Indian Oil Limited and ADNOC. The UAE is already the largest source of LPG for India, meeting about 40 per cent of its import requirement. A deeper supply contract is significant for household energy security, as LPG remains a politically sensitive fuel linked to cooking gas access, subsidy management and inflation expectations.

Gas cooperation is another important element. New Delhi has been trying to raise the share of natural gas in its energy mix, but price volatility and limited storage have slowed progress. Strategic gas reserves could help shield fertiliser plants, city gas distributors, power producers and industrial users from abrupt supply constraints. The concept remains more complex than crude storage because gas requires specialised infrastructure, including LNG terminals, underground storage or converted reservoirs, but the agreement shows that both governments see gas security as part of the next phase of their partnership.

The Abu Dhabi talks also build on a wider hydrocarbons relationship. The UAE was among India’s top crude suppliers last year and has become a central partner in LNG, LPG, upstream investment and petroleum product trade. State-backed companies from India hold stakes in Abu Dhabi oil assets, including the Lower Zakum concession and Onshore Block 1, marking a rare upstream footprint for New Delhi in the Gulf.

The timing gives the agreement strategic weight. West Asian tensions have renewed concern over maritime chokepoints and insurance costs for energy cargoes. Any prolonged disruption near the Gulf would affect Asia’s largest consuming economies first, particularly import-dependent buyers such as India, Japan, South Korea and China. Larger stockpiles do not remove that vulnerability, but they give policymakers more room to manage price spikes, refinery supply schedules and emergency releases.

For the UAE, the pact strengthens its role as a long-term energy partner beyond crude sales. ADNOC has been widening its international storage, trading, LNG and downstream footprint as Abu Dhabi positions itself as both a reliable supplier and a capital partner. Participation in overseas strategic reserves gives the company access to storage optionality while reinforcing diplomatic ties with major demand centres.

The Modi-Sheikh Mohamed meeting also covered defence, investment, infrastructure and regional security, underscoring the shift in bilateral ties from labour, remittances and trade towards a broader strategic partnership. The UAE hosts a large expatriate community from India and remains one of New Delhi’s most important Gulf economic partners, with strong links in logistics, ports, food security, renewable energy and financial services.