Besse Cooper, World's Oldest Person Dies

The woman listed as the world's oldest person has died in a US nursing home at the age of 116.

Besse Cooper died peacefully on Tuesday afternoon in Monroe, east of Atlanta, Georgia, according to her son Sidney Cooper.

He said his mother had been ill over the weekend with a stomach virus but felt better on Monday.

On Tuesday he said she had her hair set and watched a Christmas video but later had trouble breathing. He said she was put on oxygen in her room and died there about 2pm.

Her funeral is likely to be held this week, her son said.

Mrs Cooper was declared the world's oldest person in January.

In May, though, Guinness World Records learned that Maria Gomes Valentin of Brazil was 48 days older. She died on June 21.