From TikTok and SpaceX to MPs under arrest, here's all the weekend news you may have missed during the heatwave

If you succeeded in switching your phone off and just enjoying the sunshine this weekend, you may now be wondering why everyone's talking about TikTok, Beyoncé and James Corden.

Whether you need a quick catch up on the news, politics or the latest in culture: don't worry, we've got you.

Here are all the biggest headlines from over the weekend you might have missed.

What happened in the UK?

A Tory MP was arrested on suspicion of rape

A former cabinet minister and serving Tory MP was arrested on Saturday after a woman reported him to the police with complaints of rape, sexual assault and coercive control.

The unnamed MP was later released on bail to a date in mid-August pending further inquiries.

The Conservative Party's decision not to remove the whip from the MP in question, which would result effectively in temporary suspension, drew criticism.

Lib Dem leadership candidate Layla Moran said that the whips's office should "think again" about the decision, while Labour MP Jess Phillips told Times Radio:

In any other organisation, were this investigation to be going on, this police investigation, somebody would be suspended while the investigation was taking place.

I find it shocking this morning, the news that the Conservative party have decided not to withdraw the whip in this case.

A spokesperson for the Conservative whips's office said that their decision not to suspend the MP would be "reviewed once the police investigation has been concluded".

Boris Johnson's pause to lockdown easing resulted in confusion

On Friday, Boris Johnson announced that it was "time to squeeze the break pedal" on further easing lockdown restrictions in England.

He added that "the prevalence of the virus in the community, in England, is likely to be rising for the first time since May".

This came shortly after new restrictions were applied to Greater Manchester, east Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire on Thursday amid a rise in infections.

But what this could look like in practice, aside from keeping casinos, bowling alleys and ice rinks closed, is less clear.

Ministers have ruled out keeping schools closed in September and attempted to quash rumours circulating over the weekend that a national lockdown could be imposed on the over-50s.

Court documents detailing Prince Andrew allegations were released

Virginia Giuffre wrote in a manuscript entitled 'The Billionaire Playboy's Club' that she was left with "feelings of dismay" after an alleged sexual encounter with the prince.

Giuffre claims that she had sex with Prince Andrew on three separate occasions and that she was trafficked to him by Jeffrey Epstein. The prince firmly denies this.

The documents were released after a defamation lawsuit filed by Giuffre was settled.

The UK recorded its third hottest day ever

Even without closely following the news this weekend, you probably noticed that we had a heatwave.

Friday was the hottest day of the year so far (and the third hottest day on record), with temperatures in the UK peaking at 37.8C.

As a result, coastguards raised the alarm that Britain's beaches were becoming "unmanageable" as they attempted to deal with hundreds of incidents and tried to encourage people to maintain social distancing.

What happened in the US?

Trump threatened to ban TikTok and Microsoft stepped in

The president said on Friday:

As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States.

While TikTok maintains that its stores it data outside China and has denied having a close relationship with their government, Trump's administration has repeatedly insisted that it could pose a threat to US citizens.

The video-sharing app has already been banned in India for similar reasons.

The ban didn't come about over the weekend, however, but was rather curtailed by an offer to buy it.

Microsoft entered talks to purchase TikTok, "subject to a complete security review".

The deadline for negotiations to conclude in mid-September was reportedly put in place by the president.

A top Democrat compared Trump to Mussolini and Putin to Hitler

House majority whip Jim Clyburn told CNN on Sunday that he doesn't think Trump plans on giving up his power "peacefully".

I feel very strongly that he is Mussolini and Putin is Hitler. 

I don’t think he plans to leave the White House. He doesn’t plan to have fair and unfettered elections.

I believe that he plans to instal himself in some kind of emergency way to continue to hold onto office. 

Clyburn, a close ally of House speaker Nancy Pelosi and presidential candidate Joe Biden, made the comments after Trump suggested delaying the November election.

Trump tweeted on Thursday that "fraudulent" mail-in voting would corrupt proceedings, adding:

"Delay the election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???".

The suggestion sparked fears that Trump will attempt to hold on to power for longer than the normal terms of US presidency.

A man was arrested for allegedly decapitating his landlord with a sword

Police were told the Connecticut man beheaded his landlord after being asked to leave his property because of overdue rent.

Jerry David Thompson was arrested and charged with the murder of 64 year-old Victor King.

Thompson, 42, identified himself as a 'sovereign citizen', or a person who doesn't believe that the law applies to them, while being questioned by police.

He is due to appear in court on 15 August.

NASA astronauts returned safely to Earth

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley parachuted in to the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, in what was the first water landing since 1975.

It also marked the first astronaut trip to orbit by a private company – the capsule was built and operated by Elon Musks's SpaceX.

The engineer who was in touch with the astronauts reportedly sent the following message after splashdown:

On behalf of the SpaceX and NASA teams, welcome back to planet Earth

And thanks for flying SpaceX!

What happened in pop culture?

The world reacted to Beyoncé's Black is King

On Friday, Beyoncé dropped her latest visual album, Black is King.

It can be taken as a companion piece to her 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift (Beyoncé voiced Nala in the live-action remake of The Lion King) and was released on streaming service Disney+.

While the album generally received glowing reviews from critics, it also sparked controversy.

American rapper Noname tweeted that Black is King is "an African aesthetic draped in capitalism".

Beyoncé has previously been accused of appropriating African culture and imagery for her aesthetic.

The album did win praise from die-hard Beyoncé fan Adele, who even dressed up in a matching outfit to stream the album.

But unfortunately people couldn't stay focussed on women supporting women for long, instead turning the conversation once again to Adele's weight.

James Corden was rumoured to be 'replacing' Ellen DeGeneres

The Ellen Show has been steeped in controversy since BuzzFeed reported allegations of racism, sexual harassment and bullying made by former staff against their seniors.

DeGeneres responded by emailing staff that she is "committed to ensuring this doesn't happen again", as production company WarnerMedia confirmed there would be "several staffing changes" on the show.

Some media outlets reported that DeGeneres herself "wants out of her show", although she has not publicly confirmed this.

Page Six and The Sun, meanwhile, reported that James Corden, who hosts The Late Late Show with James Corden in the US "is in line" to replace DeGeneres.

This is also not publicly confirmed, but sparked an instant backlash.

And there you have it.

Just enough to help you nod along thoughtfully during the awkward small talk phase of your lunchtime Zoom meeting. Enjoy!