Son of ex-hostage in Mali says she wants to be forgotten

PARIS (AP) — The son of a former al-Qaida hostage has struck back at criticism of her decision to return to the West African country where she was held for four years. Sophie Petronin’s return without a visa to Mali has sparked criticism and made headlines in her native France. The French government spokesman accused her of putting herself and others in danger. But her son said Thursday that the 76-year-old is living extremely discreetly in an apartment in the Malian capital, Bamako. He said she wants to live out her years in the country where she worked before her 2016 abduction.