Johnson fails again to call snap election, the over-50s night shift workers, and more top news

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Boris Johnson’s bid for an early general election was defeated overwhelmingly in parliament, as opposition Labour Party members boycotted the vote. The prime minister is expected to publish a piece of legislation that means, with the support of opposition parties the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party, he can push ahead with an election. The news follows an announcement from European Council president Donald Tusk that the European Union has agreed to delay Brexit until the end of January. ? Here's what people are saying.

Virgin Galactic has liftoff on Wall Street, launching its public debut Monday and becoming the first human space flight company to trade on public markets. Shares soared as the company entered the New York Stock Exchange, CNBC reports, following its merger with “blank check” company Social Capital Hedosophia. The listing allows public markets to weigh in on the potential for space tourism for the first time, and Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides said the company “is making history again today.” ? Here’s what people are saying.

Women are paid ￡260,000 less than men over their careers, according to official figures. The ONS figures revealed women are paid ￡380,000 on average compared with ￡643,000 for men. While earnings are similar in their late teens and early 20s, incomes diverge markedly after that — the gap peaking at the age of 48. It comes as BBC presenter Samira Ahmed launched a landmark equal pay case against the broadcaster for ￡500,000 in back pay, amid claims she was paid 85% less than her male equivalent. ? Here’s what people are saying.

MPs have condemned banks for the "unacceptable" amount of IT failures and customer disruption in recent years. A new Treasury Committee report claims customers are being left "cashless and cut off" and suggests tougher regulation may have to be introduced to ensure online banking crashes don't keep happening. The report suggests banks should be made to pay additional financial levies to the nation's three major regulators as they currently don't have enough staff to deal with the growing number of IT outages. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Nearly one in three people working night shifts are aged over 50, according to research by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). With the retirement age edging ever higher, the job market shifting and fewer young people taking overnight jobs, unsociable hours for older workers are becoming more of a norm. The TUC claims, however, that those working through the night are putting their family lives and health at risk. As part of efforts to reform workers’ rights, the government is proposing better compensation for those who keep the “country ticking over while we are asleep”. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: Great readers make great leaders, writes Julia Hartz, CEO and C-founder at Eventbrite.

“One of the key attributes I’ve identified consistently in the leaders I look up to from the past and present is the commitment to life-long learning.”

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— Natalie MacDonald and Emily Spaven