U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres's congratulatory message to Iran on the anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution drew sharp criticism from anti-regime Iranian voices and human rights advocates, according to Fox News. The message, sent to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, sparked controversy due to the ongoing human rights concerns within the country.
The U.N. chief's message, which extended "warmest congratulations on the National Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran," was described as an opportunity to reflect on a country's progress, according to Fox News. However, this sentiment was met with disapproval from those critical of the Iranian regime.
In other news, a report by the children's commissioner for England revealed that children are being "bombarded" with advertisements for weight loss drugs online, according to BBC Technology. The report found that young people were routinely exposed to ads for products claiming to change their bodies and appearance, despite such advertising being banned. Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, stated the posts were "immensely damaging" to young people's self-esteem and called for a ban on social media advertising to children. A spokesperson for the media regulator Ofcom said it did not tolerate "tech firms prioritising engagement over children's online safety."
Meanwhile, senior Co-op staff have complained of a "toxic culture" at the executive level of the 180-year-old member-owned food and services group, according to BBC Business. A letter to Co-op board members, seen by the BBC, complained of "fear and alienation" among senior staff who felt scared to raise concerns about the direction of the business in front of the leadership team, including chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq. Several sources also said they felt a culture that discouraged any challenge had led to a series of poor decisions resulting in sinking morale, abrupt departures, as well as a "sharp drop in profits and a rocketing debt pile."
In a separate development, the mother of two young women who were badly injured in the New Year's Day fire in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana had a private encounter with the couple who own the bar, according to BBC World. Leila Micheloud had said earlier she wanted to "speak privately" to Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who were attending a hearing on the fire that left 41 people dead and 115 injured. A lawyer for the victims' families, Sébastien Fanti, said it was "an extremely intense moment and rare in its humanity", without going into what was said.
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