Latest news with #PhilanthropyAsiaSummit2025
Daily Express
08-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Gates of flavour: Microsoft founder samples Singapore street food
Published on: Thursday, May 08, 2025 Published on: Thu, May 08, 2025 Text Size: Gates was seen eating at Newton Food Centre, accompanied by a small entourage. - Photos: Xiaohongshu SINGAPORE: American billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was spotted dining at Newton Food Centre here on Tuesday evening, Channel News Asia (CNA) reported. Gates, who was accompanied by a small entourage and film crew, sampled local favourites such as chicken rice, satay and durian. Social media videos showed Gates trying durian with a hesitant reaction and later enjoying a variety of dishes during what appeared to be a filmed interview. His visit coincided with the Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025, where he announced plans for the Gates Foundation to open an office here. During his trip, Gates also met with top Singaporean leaders, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill Gates seen sampling durian, local favourites at Singapore's Newton Food Centre (VIDEO)
SINGAPORE, May 7 — Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates spent part of yesterday's evening visiting a well-known hawker centre in Singapore, where he explored various food stalls and spoke with stallholders. During his visit to the Newton Food Centre, Gates was seen sampling a selection of local favourites such as chicken rice, and roti prata. He also tried durian, often considered an essential experience for visitors to the country. His presence attracted the attention of other diners, many of whom captured photos and videos, sharing them on social media. The visit concluded a two-day stay in Singapore, during which Gates held discussions with senior government leaders, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. ADVERTISEMENT He also participated in the Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025 yesterday. During the summit, Gates announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — the charitable organisation he co-chairs — will open a new regional office in Singapore.
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Bill Gates spotted eating durian at Singapore food court
THE world's fifth-richest man was spotted indulging in a truly local experience in Singapore yesterday (May 6)— savouring durians! Yes, Bill Gates himself was seen at Newton Food Centre, seated at a hawker table and trying the famously spiky fruit. In a video posted on Xiaohongshu, Gates could be seen lifting the durian to his nose for a quick sniff before setting it back on the table and taking a few bites. His unexpected appearance took patrons by surprise, with many eagerly snapping photos and recording videos of the billionaire enjoying the local delicacy. ALSO READ: Robert Irwin struggles with durian during first try in Singapore Gates didn't stop there—he also sampled an array of Singaporean favorites, including chicken rice, satay, fishball soup, carrot cake, roti prata, lime juice, and sugarcane juice. It is understood that Gates was in Singapore for a two-day visit, during which he held discussions with senior government leaders, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, along with Senior Ministers Lee Hsien Loong and Teo Chee Hean. He also participated in the Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025, which took place from May 5 to May 7. Reports revealed that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—one of the world's largest private philanthropic organizations—plans to establish a physical presence in Singapore, marking a significant step in its regional outreach. Next time, swing your way to Malaysia for a taste of our local delights too, Bill!
Straits Times
06-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Creative ways needed to fight complacency, wishful thinking, insularity before next pandemic: President Tharman
SINGAPORE – Barely five years after Covid-19 first hit the world, it is at risk of forgetting the lessons, and the greatest challenge now is complacency, wishful thinking and insularity, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. It has to counter that challenge creatively and avoid further polarisation, he said. 'We have to do so through arrangements that appeal to nations' sense of self-preservation, and which recognise the practical reality that we can only prevent and prepare for the next pandemic through a major step-up in internationally coordinated investments and actions.' Speaking at a high-level networking dinner hosted by Temasek Foundation on May 6, Mr Tharman said scientists have made clear that the next major pandemic is a matter of when, not if, and it could come in 10 years or next year. There is thus much work ahead. The world has to first reclaim lost ground and rebuild local healthcare systems as the Covid-19 pandemic had set them back by more than just the first few years of that event. It has to continue to invest at much higher levels in the global health ecosystem, especially in pandemic prevention and preparedness, as well as strengthen international and regional cooperation, Mr Tharman said. Held at the Pan Pacific Singapore hotel, the dinner coincides with the Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025, which is taking place from May 5 to 7. It brings together leaders from philanthropy, government and the private sector to explore opportunities for advancing health and well-being in Asia. Among the guest speakers is Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Congratulating him on reaching the agreement on the WHO's pandemic treaty on April 16, Mr Tharman said the pact lays the foundation for the world to address major gaps in the global health ecosystem, and particularly the huge inequities in access to vaccines and therapeutics that were seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. In research and development, much work needs to be done downstream to make vaccines and treatments affordable and accessible, he said. This includes developing vaccines that are needle-free to address the challenge of the need for skilled manpower to administer them, and which do not need to be kept below freezing point. Developing a globally distributed manufacturing ecosystem for vaccines and treatments is also very important, he added. Mr Tharman said the WHO has been working to seed and grow collaboration in these and other areas. 'Regional disease surveillance and control networks have also become crucial pillars of our collective defence,' he said. For instance, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention coordinates surveillance of 55 countries serving 1.3 billion people, while the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control strengthens preparedness in the European Union. In Singapore, the National Environment Agency's Environmental Health Institute, designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research of Arbovirus and their Associated Vectors, supports regional capacity and capability for the surveillance and control of arboviral diseases, which are spread by arthropods such as insects and mites. Asean, too, is stepping up in safeguarding regional health security. 'The gradual pullback in spending on international development and global health is now a new reality for multilateral institutions like the WHO, as well as for the other plurilateral and non-governmental bodies that comprise the whole health ecosystem,' said Mr Tharman. A resilient financing ecosystem for global health needs to be developed within these constraints, he said. 'We cannot wait for the most ideal multilateral architecture to be rebuilt, and we are not even sure what it would look like,' he said. 'We will therefore have to work with broad coalitions of the willing.' These are broad coalitions of governments, together with plurilateral bodies like the Coalition For Epidemic Preparedness Innovation, for instance, philanthropic organisations and leading businesses, working together with multilateral organisations like the WHO. World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) chatting with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the Temasek Foundation networking dinner on May 6. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Multilateral institutions can help mobilise these coalitions, and work jointly with them to scale up efforts to prevent and prepare for the next pandemic, Mr Tharman said. At the dinner, Dr Tedros said Singapore has come a long way since it gained independence in 1965 – the year he was born – and now enjoys one of the world's longest life expectancies, has one of the world's most advanced health systems, and is one of the world's most advanced economies. He said countries invest billions in protecting themselves from attacks by other countries or terrorist groups, but relatively little on protecting themselves from an attack from an invisible enemy. However, health security is economic security, and both must be balanced. A lot of the WHO's work goes unseen, including the unglamorous technical work of bringing global experts together to distil the latest scientific evidence into guidance, and helping countries to strengthen their health systems, Dr Tedros said. But the WHO cannot do it alone. It works closely with a huge range of partners, including many philanthropists, who are making a huge impact on global health. Temasek Foundation's executive director and CEO, Mr Ng Boon Heong, said that the foundation, as a non-state actor of the WHO, has pledged up to US$10 million (S$13 million) to co-curate programmes and projects to improve health outcomes in Asia in the areas of pandemic preparedness, maternal and child health, digital health, and science and innovation. The WHO works with non-state actors such as non-governmental organisations, philanthropic groups and academic institutions to advance global health. Joyce Teo is a senior health correspondent at The Straits Times, and the host of the ST Health Check podcast. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Associated Press
06-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Philanthropy Asia Alliance Launches Two New Communities to Tackle Health Challenges and Accelerate Asia's Just Energy Transition
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 5 May 2025 - The Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA) today announced the launch of two new Communities – the Health for Human Potential (HHP) Community and the Just Energy Transition (JET) Community – at the Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025. These Communities build on PAA's ongoing efforts to convene stakeholders around shared challenges and to explore promising pathways for philanthropic collaboration, applying a systems lens to drive scalable solutions in energy, health, and education. Each Community is helmed by Community Leads – PAA members – who will actively shape, fund and advance each Community's work together with PAA. The Community Leads for each Community are listed in the next two sections. Developed with PAA members and launched in 2024, the Communities initiative brings together funders, practitioners, and ecosystem partners to collaborate on shared missions and collectively fund high-impact, PAA-evaluated projects. The first three Communities introduced at last year's Summit were Blue Oceans, Sustainable Land Use, and Holistic & Inclusive Education. Since their launch, the first three Communities have forged various pathways, from peer learning and exchange of expertise to piloting collaborative projects. 'The Communities initiative was born from a simple idea: that we can do more, and do better, when we act together,' said Mr Shaun Seow, Chief Executive Officer, Philanthropy Asia Alliance. 'Tackling complex challenges across health, energy, or education calls for differentiated approaches. To drive deep impact, it is critical for PAA to provide focused platforms for collaboration, apart from industry convenings such as the Philanthropy Asia Summit. The two new Communities are another step forward in that direction. We are grateful to all our Community Leads for their commitment, partnership, and belief in our collective impact.' Health for Human Potential (HHP) Community: Tackling Asia's Health Challenges with Ambition and Urgency PAA has launched the HHP Community with two objectives: to reduce preventable deaths and disease burdens across Southeast Asia, focusing on maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition (MNCHN), as well as to tackle infectious diseases. The initial leads of the Health for HHP Community are the Gates Foundation, Institute of Philanthropy, Quantedge Advancement Initiative, Tanoto Foundation, and Temasek Foundation. Together, they are catalysing a bold ambition to drive lasting improvements in health across Asia. To kickstart efforts, the HHP Community Leads and the Philanthropy Asia Alliance will commit catalytic funding towards a portfolio of projects. With an initial funding target of US$100 million by 2030, the Community aims not only to deliver impact but also to strengthen the broader giving ecosystem by welcoming new partners and building a sustained, long-term coalition committed to improving health outcomes in the region. Discussions with other partners are ongoing and more are expected to join in coming months. The HHP Community will drive impact across the health innovation and delivery continuum by advancing affordable health solutions, strengthening health systems, promoting cross-sector collaboration, and integrating digital and AI tools into solutions that align with national health priorities. Efforts will initially focus on Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam – Southeast Asia's most populous countries – where important gains have been made but further progress is needed to achieve Sustainable Development Goals related to MNCHN and infectious diseases, including tuberculosis and malaria. Just Energy Transition Community: Catalysing Philanthropic Action for a Clean and Inclusive Energy Future Co-led with members including Tara Climate Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and other philanthropic organisations, PAA has also launched the Just Energy Transition (JET) Community to galvanise philanthropic leadership and accelerate Asia's shift towards clean, inclusive, and people-centred energy solutions. Despite being home to over half the world's population and accounting for more than 50% of global energy consumption[1], Asia receives disproportionately lower philanthropic support for its critical energy transition. Between 2019 and 2023, just 20% of philanthropic funding reached Asia, Africa, and Latin America combined, while nearly 60% flowed to the U.S. and Europe[2]. The JET Community seeks to close this gap, serving as a collaboration platform for philanthropic organisations to support clean energy initiatives that protect the environment, improve livelihoods, and support a better future for millions across the region. It will create space for funders, governments, industry, and local communities to work together and share ideas, build meaningful partnerships, and co-develop initiatives around job creation, workforce reskilling, better health outcomes, and stronger, more resilient communities. Refer to the Appendix for quotes from the HHP and JET Community Leads. Scaling Collective Impact: A Systems Approach At the Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025, both Communities will host kick-off sessions to engage like-minded partners and catalyse collaboration around shared goals. These sessions will mark the start of co-developing each Community's Collective Impact Framework – a strategic blueprint that defines a common mission, scopes the challenge, and sets clear metrics and timelines for progress. The Communities will also bring together researchers, industry groups, thought leaders, and programme experts — including Temasek Foundation, which brings 18 years of experience piloting and catalysing innovative solutions and programmes with partners in Asia and beyond. Temasek Trust will support the Communities in applying a systems thinking approach to impact design and measurement. [1] Source: World Economic Forum [2] Source: ClimateWorks Funding Trends 2024 Report APPENDIX Quote Sheet The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Philanthropy Asia Alliance Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA) is a Temasek Trust initiative dedicated to catalysing collaborative philanthropy in Asia through dynamic multi-sector partnerships. By harnessing collective strengths, PAA multiplies impact, accelerates positive change, and takes urgent action to address the pressing environmental and social challenges of our time. PAA's flagship programme is the annual Philanthropy Asia Summit. For more information, visit
