Hello and welcome to News Hour from the BBC World Service.

Coming to you live from London with me Paul Henley and some news to begin the programme

that's just come through in the last few minutes.

The former American president, Jimmy Carter, has died.

He was 100 years old.

The peanut farmer from the state of Georgia was the 39th

president of the United States and spent four years at the White House from 1977 to 1981.

He went on to gain an international reputation for his work in promoting human rights.

From Washington, Gary Donahue now looks back at his life.

As a candidate and as a president, I'll never tell a line. It was that sincerity and passion

that propelled Jimmy Carter to the presidency. Leaving a naval career, he took over the family

business in the deep south, growing peanuts made him rich.

Turning to politics, he served one term as governor of Georgia

before taking an underdog run at the presidency.

My name is Jimmy Carter, and I'm running for president.

He campaigned on a platform to bind America's wounds after Watergate and Vietnam.

Hi, Jimmy Corr, do solemnly swear.

An ardent feminist and environmentalist, he was ahead of his time on many issues.

And in 1979, an iconic moment, joining hands with Israel's Prime Minister, Manachim Begain, and Egypt's Anwar Sadat,

sealing the Camp David Accords. It was his finest achievement.

So let us now lay aside war. Let us now reward all the children of Abraham who hunger for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

But an energy crisis saw rocketing inflation, high interest rates and long lines at the pumps.

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