WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A former senior White House official testified that President George W. Bush authorised the leaking of classified material on Iraq, according to court papers made public on Thursday that immediately ignited a political storm.

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak called interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to congratulate him for being named to head a new government and the two leaders decided to meet “immediately after a government is formed” in Israel.

GAZA (Reuters) — Palestinian Prime Minister and senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Thursday rejected a decision by President Mahmoud Abbas to assume security control over the Gaza Strip’s border crossings.Abbas’ overnight move underscores tensions with Hamas in the wake of the Islamic group’s crushing win against the president’s long-dominant …