Bangkok The death toll from a two-year Muslim insurgency in southern Thailand has risen to more than 1,700, with bomb attacks steadily increasing over the past few months, a research team has said.

At least 1,730 people have been killed since violence began in January 2004, and 2,510 injured, according to Srisomphop Chitpiromsri, a professor of political science at Prince of Songkhla University in the province of Pattani.

Most of the deaths have been in the country’s Muslim-dominated provinces, Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani. Professor Srisomphop said that there had been at least 166 attacks in the three provinces since June.

Twenty-two people have also been killed this year in Songkhla province, where there have been 111 bombings in three districts adjacent to Pattani. (AP)

Somalia accord

Khartoum Somalia’s interim government and the rival Islamist administration said they had agreed in principle to create joint military forces. Late on the third day of Arab League-mediated talks in the Sudanese capital Khartoum they agreed to reconvene next month to discuss political and security issues. (Reuters)

Leadership woe

Prague President Klaus of the Czech Republic appointed a right-wing government headed by Mirek Topolanek, leader of the Civic Democrats, knowing that it is likely to lose a vote of confidence due by October 4. The President must make two more attempts to form a government before he can call elections. (Reuters)

Mussolini request

Rome The grandson of Benito Mussolini has made a legal request for the exhumation of his remains so that the mystery of his death 60 years ago can be resolved. Guido Mussolini, 69, is keen to put an end to a debate about how ‘Il Duce’, who is thought to have been shot by partisans in Milan, died.

Nun honoured

Budapest A Hungarian nun who helped to save dozens of Jews in the Second World War by hiding them in a building in the capital is to be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church. Sara Salkahazi was shot by the Arrow Cross, the Nazis’ Hungarian allies, in 1944 and her body was never recovered. (AP)

Minnelli claims

Liza Minnelli has accused her estranged husband David Gest of trying to poison her, court papers dealing with their acrimonious divorce state. According to a report in the New York Post, the papers also state that Gest has claimed that Minnelli hid the fact that she had a sexually transmitted disease.

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