BP Boss Bernard Looney Quits Amid Romance Scandal
Bernard Looney, CEO of oil giant BP since 2020, has abruptly stepped down amid a fresh probe into his personal relationships with colleagues. BP confirmed this was the second investigation in two years into his conduct.
The energy giant revealed the inquiry centres on alleged inappropriate ties. In a statement, BP admitted Looney was not “fully transparent” about these relationships. A spokesperson stressed that BP expects all staff — especially leaders — to uphold company values and maintain trust.
Looney, an Irishman with farming roots, joined BP as an engineer in 1991. He climbed the ranks onto the executive team by 2010. His CEO stint saw major hurdles, including the pandemic slump and the Ukraine war’s effect on energy markets, which pushed BP to quit Russian operations.
Qantas Slammed by Court Over Pandemic Job Cuts
Australia’s top court has dealt a heavy blow to Qantas, rejecting their bid to overturn a ruling that it unlawfully outsourced 1,700 jobs at the start of the COVID-19 crisis.
The airline controversially axed baggage handlers and cleaners across 10 airports in November 2020. The court ruled this breached Australia’s Fair Work Act, which shields employee rights.
Qantas apologised but was found to have denied workers the right to protected industrial action and fair bargaining. Workers and unions hailed the verdict as a “huge win” in what they called a “David vs Goliath” fight.
Google Faces High-Stakes Monopoly Showdown in Washington
Google is under fire in a blockbuster trial in Washington DC that could change the future of the internet and how regulators keep tech giants in check.
The lawsuit targets Google’s billions paid to firms like Apple, Samsung, and Mozilla to lock in default search engine status on their devices.
Google flatly denies illegal conduct, boasting users can switch search engines with “literally four taps.”
The 10-week trial will hear from CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple execs. Judge Amit Mehta—picked by Obama—will oversee the case, labelled the most important tech antitrust trial in 25 years. The ruling could shake up the entire tech industry.
