New Delhi, Feb 13 : Bhartiya Janata Party (BSP) prime ministerial candidate L K Advani accused the Congress- led UPA of being "insensitive" towards the Sri Lankan Tamils'' cause and dismissed the use of brutal force in resolving the grave issue.

Karachi, Feb. 11 : Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ijaz Butt has vowed to improve security arrangements for the 2011 World Cup in the backdrop of International Cricket Council deciding to move the 2009 Champions Trophy out of Pakistan due to security concerns raised by various teams.

"Pakistan would improve on the existing facilities for the World Cup while the International Cricket Council (ICC) would also make security arrangements," Butt was quoted by The News, as saying.

Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will jointly host the 10th world cup 2011.

Colombo- Hundreds of civilians fleeing the fighting between Tamil separatist rebels and the government attempted to enter government-controlled areas in northern Sri Lanka but were driven by guerillas back into rebel-held territory, military officials said Wednesday.

Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said civilians who were heading toward the military's forward defence lines were beaten by the rebels and sent deeper into rebel-held areas.

Colombo, Feb. 11 : Sri Lanka's cricket captain Mahela Jayawardene resigned from the post on Wednesday.

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board sources said Jayawardene decided to quit the captaincy from both forms of cricket after the Test series against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka was handed a 4-1 drubbing by India in the recently concluded One-day series during which Jayawardene's lacklusture performance was criticised by top cricket officials, The Colombo Times reports.

Colombo- At least 17 people were killed and 69 wounded Tuesday when Tamil rebels fired at a group of civilians fleeing the shrinking area still under rebel control in northern Sri Lanka, the military said.

The civilians were trying to cross the battle lines in the area of Pudukudirippu, 385 kilometres north-east of Colombo, when they were fired upon, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

He said they were among a group of 970 civilians who were entering the government-controlled area.

Lahore, Feb. 10: The Sri Lankan cricket team will return to Pakistan on February 14 to participate in the two match Test series starting February 21.

The islanders would be playing a two-day practice game from February 17 before taking on the home side in Karachi.

The second Test match scheduled to start on March 1 will be played in Lahore, the Nation reported.