Bush invites Abbas to Washington

The two men last met during Mr Bush's Middle East visit in January

US President George W Bush has invited Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to visit Washington towards the end of April.

Washington says the visit is aimed at helping to drive forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Mr Bush has said he hopes there will be a peace deal by the end of his presidency in January, but talks have made little progress so far.

Mr Bush last met Mr Abbas during his trip to the Middle East in January.

They also had talks in November at the big Middle East peace conference in Annapolis.

The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, is making another trip to the Middle East in the coming days.

Mr Abbas is the head of the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the West Bank, and chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Gaza is currently controlled by Hamas, the Islamist militant group.

Mr Abbas is involved in faltering negotiations with Israel. These are bitterly opposed by Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel.