London: Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking died early on Wednesday, his family said. He was 76.
The Briton was known for his ground-breaking work with black holes and relativity, and was the author of several popular science books including "A Brief History of Time".
A BBC report quoted his children, Lucy, Robert and Tim, as saying: "We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today. He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years."
The Guardian's report said: "The brightest star in the firmament of science, whose insights shaped modern cosmology and inspired global audiences in the millions", died in at his home in Cambridge.
"His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humour inspired people across the world. He once said: ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn't home to the people you love.' We will miss him forever," his children said.
Born on January 8, 1942, in Oxford, Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 1963 at the age of 21.
Doctors expected him to live for only two more years. But Hawking had a form of the disease that progressed more slowly than usual. He survived for more than half a century and long enough for his disability to define him.
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Chandigarh, Jan 23 (PTI): Punjab Police personnel deployed in the security of Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal have been withdrawn, the state police chief said on Thursday.
"Time to time, we get reports of threats to chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal and we share them with the concerned agencies.
"Following the directions of the Delhi police and the Election Commission today, we withdrew the component of the Punjab police in the security of Kejriwal ji," Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav told reporters in Patiala.
"We showed our concerns to them. We will remain in touch with them. We will share our inputs with the Delhi police," he said.
The development comes ahead of the elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly on February 5. The poll results are set to be declared on February 8.