Ex-Finnish president, Nobel winner has advanced Alzheimer’s

HELSINKI (AP) — Former Finnish President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and has withdrawn from all public activities. The office of the Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said Thursday that the 84-year-old Ahtisaari “is receiving support for everyday life at home and occasionally spends periods of treatment in a care facility” due to the advanced state of the disease. Ahtisaari was the Nordic country’s head of state from 1994-2000. He is a primary school teacher-turned diplomat. Ahtisaari worked for decades as a diplomat and a peace broker for the Finnish government and the United Nations. He won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 for his work to resolve international conflicts.