Former Sri Lanka army chief is freed

A FORMER Sri Lankan army chief who was jailed after running for president on the opposition ticket has been released from prison. Sarath Fonseka was freed to the cheers of nearly 3,000 supporters. Mr Fonseka had been lauded by many in Sri Lanka for leading the army to victory in the country’s long and bloody civil war against ethnic Tamil rebels. But he was jailed after losing a 2010 election to incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa.