Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena offered former president Mahinda Rajapaksa a "distinguished office" if he quits politics, the Sunday Times reports.

The president made the offer to a six-member committee of the SLFP, which he recently appointed to bring together his faction with the faction of Mr Rajapaksa.

The committee had asked Mr Sirisena to allow the former president to take part in the forthcoming parliamentary campaign of the SLFP, but Mr Sirisena said Mr Rajapaksa will not be made a candidate. Instead he offered him a "Sambhavaneeya Thanathurak", a distinguished office.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya, a key coalition partner of the government in power, has condemned the decision by the government to hold a "diaspora festival", saying that they would consider obtaining a court order against it.

JHU spokesperson Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera had no mandate to hold such an event, which would "gravely damage" national reconciliation and would strengthen those who still have an "Eelam mindset".

The spokesperson said the diaspora festival was not mentioned in President Maithripala Sirisena’s manifesto or in the government’s 100 day programme, and as such Mr Samaraweera had acted beyond his mandate.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka will partner with Hayleys Aquagri Pvt LTD to set up seaweed farming projects in the Jaffna district of the Northern province.

Sri Lanka's state-owned Ceylon Shipping Corporation said it is considering a plan to re-establish a ferry service between India and the island's North-East.

Authorities said the service, which would run between Mannar and Rameswaram, would need the permission of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the island earlier this year breathed new life into the project. The Northern Provincial Council also passed a resolution earlier this year, demanding the recommencement of transport links between the North-East and Tamil Nadu.

The United Nations refugee agency earlier this year also called on Sri Lanka to resume ferry services between India and Sri Lanka to help Tamil refugees in India return to the North-East of Sri Lanka.

Earlier this week it emerged that India submitted a feasibility proposal to the Asian Deveopment Bank for a bridge across the Palk Strait. Sri Lanka however said it has not had any discussions with the Indian government regarding this matter.

Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena has sacked a local SLFP official for his role in organising a party rally in support of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Sri Lankan army organised a musical show for Tamil villagers at a school in the North-East, reports the Kilinochchi Security Forces official website.

Soldiers from the Sri Lankan army were on stage, complete in uniform, whilst Tamil villagers from Mulankavil watched on and sang.

Two Chinese firms have funded the construction of five wells in the North-East, worth over $14,000, after a request by a local NGO.

The China Communications Construction Company Colombo Port City Project Company and the China Harbor Sri Lanka Area Company donated $14,400 towards constructing the wells in the Puthukkudiyiruppu area.

Vice General Manager of China Harbor Sri Lanka Area Company, Deng Bo told Xinhua on Wednesday that while Sri Lanka has made obvious development and progress in the recent years, the dilemma of having clean water in the northern region still existed.