NIreland Northern Ireland's Irish Republican Army, which fought for decades against British rule, has destroyed all of its weapons, an international panel said, in a step that takes the region closer to lasting peace. US Spain's High Court jailed 18 Al-Qaeda operatives, including the Syrian head of a Spanish-based cell found to have helped to organise the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. Mideast Ariel Sharon's right-wing Likud party was voting on whether to subject him to an early leadership contest, as the Israeli premier faces the prospect of being ousted as punishment for the Gaza pullout. Mideast Israel launched more air strikes in Gaza despite Hamas saying it would halt rocket attacks, casting a shadow over Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's bid to stave off a leadership challenge. US Rescue helicopters scoured flooded areas of southern Texas and Louisiana for victims of Hurricane Rita as New Orleans reopened to residents for the first time since deadly Hurricane Katrina struck a month ago. Iraq Iraqi gunmen murdered five teachers and a driver at a primary school as US forces released more than 500 prisoners from the notorious Abu Ghraib jail. Germany Germany's conservatives rallied around Angela Merkel in her bid to become chancellor, seeking to quash rumors they would sacrifice her in a coalition deal with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats. Britain Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown positioned himself as Britain's next leader, declaring there could be no turning back on reforms launched by Prime Minister Tony Blair. WorldBank African states standing to benefit from new anti-poverty measures applauded weekend decisions by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to write off billions they owe in multilateral debt. US US and Chinese negotiators held a new round of talks on controlling an upsurge in clothes exports from China that is said to be swamping the US textiles industry, officials said. France French police detained nine people during a series of raids west of Paris in what they said was a crackdown on suspected Islamist terrorist activities. US China's plan to lift a 12-year ban on domestic trade in tiger parts could drive the already endangered species into extinction, wildlife experts warned.