Hamas urges Abbas to stop talks with Israel

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas urged President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday to suspend exploratory peace talks with Israel following Israel's arrest of two Hamas legislators.

Hamas said Aziz Dweik, speaker of the Palestinian parliament was taken into custody at a checkpoint near the city of Ramallah. It accused Israel of trying to undermine moves by Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal to end four years of bitter rivalry and unite the two main Palestinian factions. (Reuters)