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.