Swing when you’re winning

What are the biggest UK by-election swings?

— The 1983 Bermondsey by-election saw a 11,756 Labour majority turned into a 9,319 majority for the Liberal party – a result widely attributed to the Labour candidate, Peter Tatchell, coming out as gay during the campaign. The Labour party under Michael Foot was also extremely unpopular – and had its then biggest defeat in a general election four months later.

— The Clacton by-election of 2014 saw a 12,068 Conservative majority overturned into a Ukip majority of 12,404, with the Conservative share of the vote falling from 53% to 25%. However, it was unusual in that the Ukip candidate, Douglas Carswell, had been the sitting Conservative MP.

— The Lincoln by-election of 1973 was held in similar circumstances, with Labour MP Dick Taverne resigning and standing as a Democratic Labour candidate. A Labour majority of 4,750 was turned into a Democratic Labour majority of 13,191 – but with the same MP.

By degrees

Rishi Sunak claimed that students are being ‘ripped off’ by poor university courses. Which courses offer the best, and worst, employment outcomes five years after graduation? (% in sustained employment or further study vs median earnings)

Highest earning

Medicine/dentistry 92.5 – £52,900

Economics 85.7 – £40,900

Engineering 87.6 – £36,100

Veterinary 91.2 – £35,600

Maths 87.4 – £35,400

Lowest earning

Performing arts 87.4 – £21,200

Creative arts 82.2 – £22,300

Media/journalism – 84.4 £24,100

Sociology 86.4 – £25,600

Sport/exercise 88.4 – £25,000

Hot pursuit

Some were forecasting that the world’s highest temperature record would be broken. What are the existing records?

—  58°C (136.4°F): El Azizia, Libya, 13 September 1922. Dropped by the World Meteorological Organisation in 2012 as it believes an inexperienced weatherman might have misread a thermometer.

— 56.7°C (134°F): Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley, US, 10 July 1913. Still recognised by the WMO as the highest recorded temperature on Earth, but questioned by some on grounds it might have been measured during a sandstorm.

— 55°C (131°F): Kebili, Tunisia, 7 July 1931.

— 54°C (129°F): Tirat Zvi, Israel, 21 June 1942. Claimed to have been misread.