CAIRO: Canadian singer Avril Lavigne has been quietly dating the son of an Egyptian-born Texas billionaire for a few months.
According to E! News, the Canadian punk icon is dating Phillip Sarofim, son of Fayez Sarofim, a Coptic American heir to the Sarofim family fortune. He is the second largest shareholder in US energy infrastructure company Kinder Morgan and part owner of the NFL team Houston Texans.
Philip’s father is reportedly worth $1.48 billion, and as one of five children, Phillip Sarofim is an heir to that fortune. Philip’s mother, Linda Hicks, died climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2000.
Lavigne has been reportedly seeing her new billionaire boyfriend for three to four months, E! reports. The source added that they met through friends at a dinner party and hit it off.
She has previously been married to Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley from 2006 to 2010 and Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger from 2013 to 2015. She most recently dated prolific pop music producer J.R. Rotem in late 2017.
The singer has been away from the public eye since the release of her latest album in 2013, battling health problems that left her bedridden for months and unable to eat.
In April 2015, she revealed to People magazine that she had been diagnosed with Lyme disease.[271] In an interview with Billboard, Lavigne said that she was recovering.
Avril Lavigne quietly dating son of Egyptian billionaire
Avril Lavigne quietly dating son of Egyptian billionaire
Thai coffee chains cut default sugar content in coffee and tea drinks in a new health push
- The Health Department says Thais consume 21 teaspoons of sugar daily, far exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended six teaspoons
- Officials warn this increases obesity and diabetes risks. A survey found iced coffee and bubble tea contain high sugar levels
BANGKOK: For many Thais, a meal doesn’t feel complete without an iced coffee or tea so sugary it could pass for dessert. The government, concerned about the health consequences, wants them to dial it back.
Starting Wednesday, nine major coffee chains across the country have pledged to cut the default sugar content in some of their drinks by half in a government initiative aimed at tackling excessive sugar consumption.
According to the Health Department, Thais consume an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar per day, more than three times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of six teaspoons. Health officials warn that such high intake increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and other diseases.
The initiative is the first significant step to change consumers’ sugar consumption behavior, said Amporn Benjaponpitak, the director general of the department.
Pakorn Tungkasereerak, the department’s deputy, said 2025 data show that about 45 percent of Thais aged 15 and older are obese, while 10 percent of the population has diabetes.
A survey by the Bureau of Nutrition found that a 22-ounce (650-milliliter) iced coffee contains an average of nine teaspoons of sugar, while a 10-ounce (300-milliliter) serving of bubble milk tea — an iced milk tea with tapioca pearls known as boba — can contain as much as 12 teaspoons.
Sirinya Kuiklang, an office worker, said she approves of the changes. She already orders her drinks at just 25 percent of the standard sugar level, but she is aware that many others consume too much sugar.
“It’s good for Thai people,” she said.
Another office worker, Porwares Tantikanpanit, said he has enjoyed his non-coffee beverages at their current sugar levels but is willing to adjust if shops reduce the sweetness.
However, putting the policy into practice may prove challenging. Officials have said each brand can apply the initiative as they see fit.
Some customers have expressed confusion in response to social media posts promoting the initiative, asking how to order drinks with the level of sweetness that they prefer. Several brands said that the reduction applies only to certain menu items.
