SAUDI ARABIA: A series of weekend events centered in Riyadh, the capital, may further raise tension in a fractured Middle East. In a midnight sweep Saturday, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered arrests of top officials and clerics and barred all members of the royal family from leaving the country. Billed as an anti-corruption crackdown, the detentions effectively consolidate power for the 32-year-old heir apparent to King Salman.

UNITED STATES: The Department of Homeland Security has published a new regulation calling for collection of social media information on all immigrants, including permanent residents and naturalized citizens.

Saudi Arabia finally capitulated to long-standing international pressure Tuesday and agreed to allow women to begin driving, starting next summer. Hard-liners warned against the move, arguing it would corrupt society and lead to sin. But Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans women behind the wheel. It also places severe restrictions on women’s movements and participation in public life. Women only gained the right to vote and run for office in late 2015.

GERMANY: Tensions at the top of Germany’s far-right party appear to be exploding just as it celebrates winning its first-ever seats in parliament on Sunday—the most notable surge in results that concluded with an expected win for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right bloc.

Qatar restored full diplomatic relations with Iran on Thursday, despite an ongoing feud with other Arab nations that accuse the tiny Gulf nation of supporting terror groups in Iran. In a statement released early Thursday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said its ambassador would return to Tehran to resume his diplomatic duties and expressed interest in strengthening bilateral relations. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates in June launched an economic and travel embargo against Qatar over its close ties to Iran.

A Saudi-led airstrike on Wednesday killed at least 30 people after it hit a hotel north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa, the Houthi movement said. Witnesses said the strikes toppled the two-story hotel in the Arhab area and officials are still working to rescue survivors from the rubble. The armed Houthi movement controls Sanaa and northern Yemen as it fights the country’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. Houthi-run television station Almaseera said more than 30 people died in the attack.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday opened its airport and border with Qatar to allow Hajj pilgrims into the country after a monthslong rift that saw the countries sever ties. The announcement came after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with a Qatari royal family on Wednesday, the first high-level public encounter since the rift began. Saudi Arabia closed its Salwa border crossing with Qatar at the same time that Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates also cut ties with the country. They accused Qatar of supporting Iran and Islamic militants—a claim Qatar denies.