UK Labour promises free broadband for all

Britain's main opposition party promised free, fast broadband internet for everyone on Friday, as one of their pledges for next month's election. 

As an addition to promises of nationalizing the railways, the mail delivery service and water firms, Labour wants to bring the parts of telecoms firm BT that deal with broadband into public ownership. 

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour party, said "The internet has become such a central part of our lives. It opens up opportunities for work, creativity, entertainment and friendship. 

"What was once a luxury is now an essential utility. That's why full-fibre broadband must be a public service, bringing communities together, with equal access, in an inclusive and connected society."

Labour said annual maintenance costs would be $296 million but Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative party called it a "fantasy plan."

City Fund managers call for capitalism rethink 

Two of the world's biggest fund management bosses have called for a rethink of capitalism and its focus on consistent economic growth in an appeal for business and governments to deal more definitely with climate change. 

The pleas for reform, reported by The Financial Times,  came as a response to an address by Gail Bradbrook, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, in which she stated her desire for reform of the current economic system to help prevent global disaster. 

Andreas Utermann, CEO of Allianz Global Investors, said that current GDP and population growth is unsustainable, and said that the current system needs to be reformed in order to better tackle environmental problems. 

European Investment Bank to stop funding fossil fuel projects by 2021

The European Investment Bank (EIB) will stop funding fossil fuel projects at the end of 2021 in a decision to fight climate change.

The bank's new energy lending policy is strongly supported but the ban on funding is coming into effect a year later than originally planned after lobbying by EU member states. 

The new policy means that, in an effort to ban traditional gas-burning power, energy projects applying for EIB funding will be required to demonstrate that they produce less than 250 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour of energy.

Qantas London-Sydney Flight

Qantas Airways completed a 19-hour and 19-minute non-stop test flight from London to Sydney on Friday, as it nears decision-time on whether to order planes for what would be the world's longest-ever commercial route.

One day, it could be the world's longest commercial flight. 

Passengers on the Boeing 747 spent more than 19 hours up in the air, in a research flight from London to Sydney. Both passengers and crew were monitored throughout the journey to assess how humans fared on an ultra-long haul flight. 

The flight is being called "Project Sunrise" and CEO Alan Joyce said that the flight allows passengers to see a double sunrise whilst enjoying the comfort of a plane which would help combat the fatigue of long journeys. 

If the new route takes flight in the future, it could add over 120 million US dollars to annual profits with the flight price including an added premium for the direct flight without a stopover.