Nobel laureate and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan passes away at 80

Kofi Annan, one of the world’s most celebrated diplomats and a charismatic symbol of the United Nations who rose through its ranks to become the first black African secretary-general, has died. He was 80. His foundation announced his death in a tweet on Saturday, saying that he died after a short unspecified illness. Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. He served two terms as secretary-general from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2006, capped nearly mid-way when he and the UN were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.