'Relations between Jordan and the Hamas-led Palestinian government took a sharp turn for the worse on Wednesday when Amman scrapped a visit by the new foreign minister saying that a Hamas arms cache had been discovered.

Mahmoud Al Zahar had been due in Amman on Wednesday as part of a regional tour to raise funds for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is facing a massive financial crisis after a cut in vital Western funding.

But Jordanian government spokesman Nasser Jawdeh said that the visit was postponed until further notice "following the discovery of weapons, explosives and rockets in the hands of a Hamas group in Jordan".'