Bangkok(AP): Police in Thailand said Monday that an autopsy conducted on the body of Australian cricket star Shane Warne has concluded that he died of natural causes.

A statement issued by deputy national police spokesperson Kissana Pathanacharoen said the opinion issued by the doctor who carried out the autopsy has been conveyed to Warne's family and the Australian Embassy. It said the family did not have any doubt that the 52-year-old cricketer, widely considered one of the sport's greatest spin bowlers, died of natural causes.

The statement, issued ahead of a planned police news conference, did not specify the cause of death. Preliminary evaluations from Thai authorities suggested Warne died from a heart attack.

Warne was found unresponsive in his hotel room on the Thai resort island of Samui on Friday and could not be revived at a nearby hospital. His body was transferred Sunday to the Thai mainland for an official autopsy at a state hospital.

The statement said police would conclude the autopsy report and send it to the prosecutor's office as soon as possible, a standard procedure in cases of unexpected deaths.

Warne's family released a statement Monday saying the day of his death was for them the beginning of "a never-ending nightmare."

"Looking to a future without Shane is inconceivable, hopefully the mountain of happy memories we all have will help us cope with our ongoing grief," his father and mother, Keith and Brigitte, wrote.

They said the family has accepted the offer of a state funeral and is grateful that a section of the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be renamed the S.K. Warne Stand in honor of their son.

"As everyone knows, Shane was an extremely proud Victorian and Australian," they said.

Warne's son, Jackson, wrote: "I don't think anything is ever going to fill the void you have left in my heart. You were truly the best father and mate anyone could've asked for."

There was no immediate information about when Warne's body would be sent home to Australia. (AP)

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New Delhi (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the dignitaries who attended a prayer ceremony at 'Sadaiv Atal', the memorial of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on Thursday to pay tributes to him on his 101st birth anniversary.

Former vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Ministers J P Nadda, Nirmala Sitharaman, NDA ally JD-U leader and Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, several other ministers, MPs, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and BJP working president Nitin Nabin were among those who attended the event.

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In a message, the prime minister said Vajpayee's personality, work and leadership will continue to be a guiding light for the all-around development of the nation. He said Vajpayee dedicated his entire life to good governance and nation-building.

"He will always be remembered as a brilliant orator as well as a spirited poet. Vajpayee's personality, work and leadership will continue to be a guiding light for the all-around development of the nation," PM Modi said.

Vajpayee was born on this day in Gwalior in 1924 and passed away in New Delhi on August 16, 2018. The government observes his birth anniversary as Good Governance Day.

The BJP marked the day by its leaders commemorating Vajpayee's legacy in nationwide events. Its chief ministers, Union ministers and MPs, besides organisational leaders, are part of these programmes held across the country.

Vajpayee, India's 13th prime minister, served the country for three terms between 1996 and 2004.

He is known for his valuable contribution to India's economic growth. The 'Operation Vijay', commonly known as the Kargil War, was fought against Pakistan and won during his tenure as prime minister. He made India a nuclear weapons power.

He had a distinguished four-decade parliamentary career, was elected nine times to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Rajya Sabha.

Rising from humble beginnings in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) to the post of prime minister, he received the Padma Vibhushan in 1992 for his selfless dedication to the nation and was conferred with Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2015.

Vajpayee championed democratic ideals, women's empowerment, and social equality.

As prime minister, he prioritised good governance and economic development, ”building national highways, rural roads, expanding telecom, and improving infrastructure.