Former UN Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar dies

Former U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, a Peruvian diplomat who played a crucial role in ending the Iran-Iraq war of 1980 to 1988, has died, the United Nations said in a statement on Wednesday.

Perez de Cuellar, whose life spanned a century, served as head of the international body from 1982 to 1991. During his time in office, he played a crucial role in securing the release of American hostages held in Lebanon as well as peace accords in Cambodia and El Salvador, the United Nations said.