Former US president Jimmy Carter dies

Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old former US president and Nobel peace laureate who rose from humble beginnings in rural Georgia to lead the nation from 1977 to 1981, has died, his nonprofit foundation said Sunday.

Carter had been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia -- the same small town where he was born and once ran a peanut farm before becoming governor of the Peach State and running for the White House.

Carter died "peacefully" at his home in Plains, "surrounded by his family," the Carter Center said in a statement.

"My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love," Chip Carter, the former president's son, said in the statement.

In response to Carter's death, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden issued a statement expressing their sorrow, saying, "The world has lost an extraordinary leader, politician, and humanitarian."

President-elect Donald Trump wrote on social media, "Jimmy took office at a time when the country faced serious challenges, and he tried with all his ability to improve the lives of Americans. We all owe him for that."

Carter, a Democrat, served as president from 1977 to 1981. Before that, he was the governor of Georgia, a US Navy lieutenant, and a farmer.

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work on human rights around the world.