88-year-old Australian free 7 years after kidnapping in West Africa

Australia says an 88-year-old doctor held captive in West Africa for more than seven years has been released. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Friday that Kenneth Elliott was safe and well and had been reunited with his wife Jocelyn and their children. Elliott and his wife were kidnapped by Islamic extremists in northern Burkina Faso in 2016 near the border with Mali and Niger, where they were running a medical clinic. Jocelyn Elliott was released a month later. Wong said the Australian government and the Elliott family have worked tirelessly toward Elliott’s release. She did not detail the circumstances of his release.