Philip Seymour Hoffman 'killed by toxic mix of drugs'

Hoffman, shown in 2006 after winning a Golden Globe award for his role in Capote, had struggled with addiction
Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died of an accidental overdose of a mixture of drugs including heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, and benzodiazepine, officials have said.

The Oscar winner, 46, was found dead at his home in New York City on 2 February with a syringe in his arm.

He had struggled with drug addiction and had recently acknowledged he had relapsed after being clean for years.

The New York medical examiner revealed the post-mortem results on Friday.

He was survived by his partner of 15 years, Mimi O'Donnell, and their three children.

After 23 years of sobriety, he reportedly checked himself into a drug treatment programme for 10 days last year after relapsing in 2012.

After a playwright and friend found his body in his flat in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighbourhood, police arrived and discovered dozens of bags of heroin.

One of the most admired actors of his generation, Hoffman won an Academy Award in 2006 for his role as Truman Capote in Capote.

He was also nominated for Charlie Wilson's War, Doubt and The Master.
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Google Rank 3rd in World's Most Admired Companies

Google 3rd

Top 50 rank: 3
Rank in Internet Services and Retailing: 1
(Previous rank: 1)
Overall score: 8.07
Ticker:GOOG

Why it's admired:
Though it dropped a spot to Amazon.com this year, Google continues to find ways to make life easier (sometimes creepily so) via mind-blowing Internet products. It also seeks to blow minds with its innovative "moonshot projects," like the production of driverless cars. Google, which saw revenues climb 22% in 2013, acquired among other things, a handful of robotics companies and Nest, the smart thermostat company last year. --E.F.

Headquarters:
Mountain View, CA
Website: www.google.com
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Top50 World's Most Admired Companies

Amazon.com. 2nd

Top 50 rank: 2
Rank in Internet Services and Retailing: 2
(Previous rank: 2)
Overall score: 7.09
Ticker:AMZN

Why it's admired:
The e-commerce behemoth may be gobbling up brick and mortar businesses left and right, but Amazon.com's customer-centric culture and super-convenience has won the company millions of shoppers worldwide. And Amazon's ambitions show no signs of abating: it recently jumped into the art market, and has started producing video, music, and literary content. Revenues are impressive, but the Street is growing impatient for Amazon to post big profits. --E.F.

Headquarters:
Seattle, WA
Website: www.amazon.com
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World's Most Admired Companies

Apple 1st
Top 50 rank: 1
Rank in Computers: 1
(Previous rank: 1)
Overall score: 7.94
Ticker:AAPL

Why it's admired:
The iconic tech company known for the iPhone and other stylish and user-friendly products is back in the top spot on this year's list, for the seventh year in a row. Apple, the most valuable brand on the planet according to Interbrand, brought in $171 billion in revenues in FY2013 and is flush with cash, but fan boys and girls (not to mention the market) are getting antsy to see its next big product. Bets are on a smartwatch or AppleTV, but the company is also reportedly turning its attention to cars and medical devices. -- Erika Fry

Headquarters:
Cupertino, CA
Website: www.apple.com
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Trends from the world's biggest mobile show

Mobile World Congress spans the full spectrum of untethered gadgetry, from the next generation of mobile phone networks to wireless charging technology.


But it's always the consumer technology that's the star. We asked Stuff Magazine Editor-in-Chief Will Findlater to analyze the top trends from the show.

Trend 1: Getting the whole world connnected

Mark Zuckerberg used his keynote address to wax lyrical about Internet.org, "a global partnership dedicated to making internet access available to the two-thirds of the world not yet connected."

By striking deals with telecommunications companies in emerging markets, Internet.org plans to get basic web services - weather reports, Wikipedia, messaging and Facebook (naturally,) to people at no cost, in the hope that it will inspire them to explore the rest of the web and reap the benefits that it can provide. And there was plenty of hardware at MWC that should help along the way.

Given the deep relationship with Microsoft, many were surprised to see Nokia's mobile division adopt Android for its new devices, but Android is a platform more suited to the emerging markets at which these three devices are aimed. The X series lacks superstar specifications but do feature dual SIM slots, expandable memory and swappable cases, all of which Nokia's Windows Phone devices lack, and all of which it says the developing world wants.

Mozilla's Firefox OS might not be making huge waves in the developed world, but it could be the platform that helps spread smartphone use through emerging markets.

Key could be the Flame, a handset that costs next to nothing yet features all the traits of a smartphone: Firefox OS, a dual-core processor, 3G, Wi-Fi and a 4.5in touchscreen. It can run a selection of HTML5 apps and will cost just U.S. $25.

Mozilla suggests that people think of the Flame as a more powerful feature phone than a full-on smartphone, but as Firefox OS expands there will be access to more and more apps.
Trend 2: Wellness and wearables
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1 THING TO KEEP IN MIND FOR LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS

At some point in our lives, we may run into the issue of long-distance relationships. But don't let the distance tear you apart! There are ways to help your long-distance relationships thrive and keep them strong. Here are some great tips to keep in mind:

1. TRUST ...

The number one thing you have to make sure you have in long-distance relationships is TRUST. This little five letter word has such an impact on a relationship, regardless of distance. If you don't have trust, you really have nothing. You will constantly be worrying yourself with pointless "what ifs" and forget the bigger, more important things.
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7 CLEAR SIGNS THAT HE LOVES SPENDING TIME WITH YOU ...PHOTO CREDIT

When you're in a relationship or good friends with your crush, it can be easy to look past the signs that he loves spending time with you. We tend to jump to the worst case scenario. We worry that even though we're having a good time, the person that we're with is miserable. If you're paranoid, here are signs that he loves spending time with you:

1. MAKES THE EFFORT

If he voluntarily tries to make plans with you, he wants to see you. He wouldn't ask you to hang out if he wants nothing to do with you. One of the signs that he loves spending time with you is that he asks you to hang out, or clears his schedule when you ask him to hang out. Chances are that he leads a busy life. If he finds the time to be with you, he cares.

2. SAYS SO

If he says that he enjoys hanging out with you, take him for his word. Why would he lie? It takes a lot for someone to admit that they care about another person. If he says that he misses you when you're not around, don't doubt him.

3. INVOLVED WITH FRIENDS

If he asks you to meet his friends, he wants to show you off. You wouldn't invite someone you dislike to meet your best pals, would you? If he wants you to meet his buddies, he thinks that you'll all have a good time together. A group gathering is a great sign that he loves having you around.

4. KEEPS IN CONTACT

When you haven't seen him for a few days, he texts or calls you. He doesn't like being apart from you, so he finds a way to contact you. This means that he likes having you in his life. If he didn't want you around, it would be easy for him to push his phone aside. However, he's contacting you, because he can't stand spending his days without you.

5. LOTS OF LAUGHTER

If the time you spend together is full of laughter, he obviously enjoys hanging out with you. Some people like long, deep conversations and others prefer moments of silence. However, there's not one person who doesn't like laughter. If you never run out of things to joke about, he'll never get tired of being around you.

6. BRAGS ABOUT YOU

He could easily keep your time spent together a secret. So if he tells all of his friends about your outing, it must've gone well. No one brags about their horrible night. If he's always mentioning you in conversations to his friends, he likes you. He's more than happy to spend as much time with you as possible.

7. NEVER CANCELS

Once in a while, it's okay for him to cancel on you. Things are bound to come up that he won't be able to escape. However, if he typically never cancels your plans, he's excited to see you. There are hundreds of excuses he could use for avoiding you. If he doesn't use them, he wants to see you as much as you want to see him.

It's natural to worry about not being wanted, but chances are that your crush loves being around you. Is there a guy in your life that you absolutely love spending time with? Is he your boyfriend or just a close pal?
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7 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF IN ORDER TO GET OVER YOUR CRUSH

If he has a girlfriend or told you he wasn't interested, you'll want to get over your crush. Losing feelings for someone is a difficult process. When you love everything about a person, how can you get over them? Here are a few questions to ask yourself when you're trying to get over your crush.

1. DO YOU JUST LIKE THE IDEA OF HIM?

When we're lonely, we can pick a random person and wish that they were ours. If you want to get over your crush, ask yourself whether you really like him. You might just want a relationship--any relationship. If he's interchangeable, you don't really like him. You just like what you think he could give you. Try to find someone that you like for their personality, not just for their potential to be your boyfriend.

2. IS HE RIGHT FOR YOU?

Just because you like a man, doesn't mean that he's perfect. Can you picture staying up with him all night to talk about life? Can you imagine spending rainy days with him watching old movies? Opposites can attract, but they can also be disastrous. If you don't think that you and your crush would have anything to talk about, why would you want to be with him?

3. WOULD IT HAVE WORKED OUT?

If you went on a date, how long do you think the relationship would last? Is he the type of guy to have a quick fling? Having a short relationship with him may have hurt you more than having no relationship at all. Try to think about your situation positively. Things could always be worse.

4. WOULD HE BE A GOOD BOYFRIEND?

Some men are fun to flirt with, but wouldn't make the best boyfriends. If he loves partying, and sleeping around, you can't expect him to settle down for you. Consider his personality and if he would actually make a good boyfriend. He could be the greatest guy ever, but if he's not ready for a relationship, you can't force him into one. Everyone moves at their own pace.

5. WOULD IT BE MESSY?

Is your crush related to one of your friends? Maybe he is your friend. Maybe he's your boss. As much as you want to be with him, it might be inconvenient. You don't want to ruin a friendship, or lose your job, by dating him. Sometimes, you have to make sacrifices.

6. IS HE HAPPY?

If you really like him, you'll want him to be happy. If he's content with his girlfriend, or loves being single, then don't try to change his life. Let him do whatever he wants to do. He's in control of his own life, just like you're in control of yours. There's nothing wrong with going your separate ways.

7. AM I HAPPY?

If you're constantly crying over him, you need to find someone who will make you happy. You can't go through life upset over one guy. What's the point of liking him if he only makes you sad? Try to find someone who causes you to smile. Life will seem a whole lot brighter once you do.

It's always challenging to stop liking a guy that you were once crazy over. Are you trying to get over a guy? Why do you think it's so difficult to do so?

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5 Signs you shouldn't marry him

If you are considering marriage, you need to be sure that there are no signs you shouldn't marry him in the picture. Marriage is a huge commitment and should be for a lifetime. If the guy you are considering linking your life up with has any of the signs you shouldn't marry him as discussed here, you need to carefully reconsider not only marrying them but dating them.

1. THEY HAVE BEEN UNFAITHFUL

One of the top signs you shouldn't marry him is if he has been unfaithful to you. If someone cannot remain faithful to you throughout the time period that you are dating, it is very probable they will not remain faithful throughout a lifelong marriage. The bare minimum you should be able to expect from your husband is his faithfulness. That is not an extra benefit in a good marriage. It is expected.

2. THEY HAVE AN ALCOHOL OR DRUG PROBLEM

If you are dating a man with an alcohol or drug problem, you need to get away from him as quickly as you can. Run away from that relationship! It holds nothing but heartache from you. You cannot fix him or save him from himself. Save yourself the heartache of marrying a man with an addiction problem.

3. THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT FAITH TO YOU

Marrying someone who is of a different faith than you are can bring you both so much heartache. I am not talking about little differences in denominations of the same faith. Those can usually be overcome fairly easily. But if the two of you have completely different faiths, a happy future will be difficult for you to attain. And it is much easier to choose someone from the start that shares your faith than to break it off with someone of a different faith that you already care deeply for.

4. YOU FIGHT CONSTANTLY

If you cannot get along when you are dating, most likely you are not going to get along when you are married. In fact, you will probably fight much more. I have often heard it said that your relationship is the best it is ever going to be when you are dating. Marriage is hard, even when you both love each other deeply and are committed to treating each other kindly. If you cannot work out your conflicts before you get married, then don't get married at all.

5. YOU AREN'T SURE IF YOU LOVE HIM

If you do not know deep down in your heart that you are deeply and totally in love with your boyfriend then you absolutely do not need to marry them. Do not enter a marriage with doubts in your head and your heart. That gut feeling is there for a reason and it is usually right. At the very least, postpone a wedding when you have doubts to give yourself time to sort your feelings out. If you do end up working through your feelings then your guy will still be there if it is meant to be.
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Leonardo DiCaprio Favored To Win The Oscar For Best Actor

It seems like Leonardo DiCaprio just can't catch a break. He has been in some amazing movies over the last decade, gathering four Academy Award nominations. Sadly despite the nominations he never won for any role he had, despite how legendary some have grown to be.

That all could change this year however, as Leonardo could finally win for "The Wolf of Wall Street". He is nominated in the Best Actor category, making it the fifth Oscar nomination for him. While the Academy decides who wins and loses, the Internet seems to be more than willing to tell the Academy who they should pick.

Google analysis shows that Leo has a huge following for people searching him as well as talking about him winning the Oscar. A large portion feel that he deserves the win after being nominated so many times for big roles, yet losing despite deserving the win in some eyes. His performance in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" is still highly regarded and Leo was only a kid when he did the role.

Basically the analysis is looking at trends from what's most popular to who. Many feel it's a good indication of the final results of the show, however it is not a proven formula. Usually one can tell this when it comes to the Golden Globes, but the Oscars are a completely different animal.

Leonardo, Jonah Hill, and the entire cast of The Wolf of Wall Street did terrifically.

Wolf was beloved by critics and even made it's way into the Best Picture category, as Leo did for Best Actor. The issue is that the competition for both categories is by no means light.

Wolf has to face off with big movies such as:

-American Hustle
-Captain Phillips
-Dallas Buyers Club
-Gravity
-Her
-Nebraska
-Philomena
-12 Years a Slave

Most feel that Wolf does not have a chance to win Best Picture, but being nominated was well deserved. The issue facing the Best Picture nod is that there are others movies that were considered superior.

Leonardo does not have as much of an issue as his picture does, yet he does have some stiff competition of his own to worry about. Here are his co-nominees:

-Christian Bale (American Hustle)
-Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
-Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
-Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

American Hustle has been getting a lot of love by critics and may have a huge night at the Oscars. This could be a win for Christian Bale according to several theorists. Ejiofor's first nomination was a huge one for 12 Years a Slave. The Oscars love political statements, and really there wasn't a better movie this year when it came to the sociological/anthropological issues we face of have faced like "12 Years a Slave". It took a good look at issues that African American people saw for decades and performances were tremendous in the movie.

That being said, Ejiofor could very well "steal" the Oscar from Leo. Many feel that Leo is due, especially after yet another strong performance. The thing is, despite all data that might have been collected by people involved in the Internet base, they are not the Academy. They make the final call and will not be influenced by the Internet crowd.

Leonardo DiCaprio may be worthy of his first Oscar and no one can deny he has been a brilliant actor in everything he was nominated in. Whether he wins at the 86th Annual Academy Awards is up in the air. He might be the favorite, but favorites don't always win, just look at the Grammy Awards..
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Lalu Prasad offers 11 seats to Congress, 1 to NCP in Bihar

"We have been in talks with Congress leaders and are hopeful that there is nothing wrong happening," Lalu said.

PATNA: Putting pressure on Congress, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday offered 11 seats to Congress and asked the party to give its acceptance by tomorrow when his party's parliamentary board will meet here.

RJD has also offered one out of the 40 seats in the state to another Congress ally NCP.

The development comes after an old ally LJP walked over to the BJP camp.

Prasad, who returned here from Delhi last night, said he had told Congress general secretary and in charge of Bihar CP Joshi of the offer.

"I have asked him to communicate acceptance before RJD parliamentary board meeting in Patna tomorrow at 3pm," Prasad told reporters.

Asked to comment why the alliance between RJD and Congress was stuck, he said the offer did not mean that "everything is over" between the two parties on the issue.

"I have also told Joshi that if his party stakes claim for any other seat than he should tell me and also convince me of the winning potential of his expected candidate," he said.

To questions on whether RJD could decide to go it alone, he said, "Why are you presuming things ? ... The party's parliamentary board will take some decisions tomorrow."

Prasad said that for him and RJD the biggest challenge was to stop communal forces.

"For this we want to take all secular parties, including Congress with us."

The RJD chief had said last night, "now there will be lathbandhan (alliance of bamboo)", conveying that RJD would be taking on Congress in the poll fight.

He clarified today that he had not meant a fight with Congress, which he said, was a media interpretation.

Prasad, however, did not identify the 11 seats he has offered to Congress or the one to NCP of Sharad Pawar.

He also refused to comment on reports that RJD-Congress alliance was stuck due to conflicting claims between the two parties on Madhubani and a few other seats.

"In general the claim shall be staked on seats only on the basis of performance of the respective parties in the last general elections as per Election Commissions results," Lalu said.
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Facebook post sparks communal tension in Nainital

DEHRADUN: Communal tension broke out in Nainital district's Ramnagar town after pictures hurtful to the religious sentiments of a particular community were uploaded on a social networking site, a senior police official said.

Pictures with objectionable content were uploaded by a youth on Facebook, triggering tension late last night in Ramnagar as the members of one community gathered outside the Kotwali and hurled stones at the police station, additional DG Ram Singh Meena told PTI.

Light clashes between members of two separate communities were also reported in the Ramnagar-Shivlalpur areas, he said.

However, there has been no report of any injuries so far in the clashes.

A 26-year-old youth, identified as one Rajeev, has been arrested for having allegedly uploaded the pictures on the social networking site, the ADG said.

The situation is under control in the area with prohibitory orders in place. The provincial armed constabulary has also staged a flag march in the city.

"Our priority as of now is to restore order. We shall later start a search for those who engaged in stone pelting at the Kotwali and at some 'chaurahas'," DIG (Nainital range), Anand Ram Chauhan, meanwhile, said.
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Navy completes Tropex war drills in Indian Ocean Region

NEW DELHI: The Navy has successfully completed one of its largest war drills spread over Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal region and involving its frontline assets such as INS Chakra and 75 combat and surveillance aircraft.

"The Navy's major annual exercise Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX) concluded yesterday involving large scale naval manoeuvres in all three dimensions surface, air and underwater, across the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR)," a Navy release said on Saturday.

The month-long exercise was aimed at assessing the operational readiness of naval units, validate the Navy's war fighting doctrine and integrate newly included capabilities in its 'Concept of Operations', it said.

Around 60 ships and submarines along with 75 aircraft took part in this exercise, which saw participation of units from Air Force and Coast Guard.

The exercise also saw the maiden participation by the newly acquired P 8I Long Range Maritime Patrol aircraft and the nuclear submarine, Chakra.

The exercise also provided the Navy with an opportunity to validate its network centric warfare capabilities, with effective utilisation of its recently launched satellite GSAT-7.
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Khas Aadmi Party opens doors to fraudsters, corrupt

LAKHAKHIMPUR KHERI: When all the political parties are out to project themselves as honest and upright, there is one outfit which is looking for the corrupt and fraudsters to join it as members.

Much to the amusement of the locals here, Naresh Singh Bhadauriya, has this time launched 'Khas Aadmi Party' (KHAP) with the general elections around the corner.

Earlier, as the leader of the 'Pol Khol Party,' Bhadauriya (52) has fought assembly and Lok Sabha elections against Rajnath Singh (Haidergarh), Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Lucknow), Vinay Katiyar (Kheri) and Navjot Singh Sidhu (Amritsar).

Enthused by the support for his outfit in earlier polls, Bhadauriya now intends to contest the upcoming parliamentary polls from Amethi against Kumar Viswas of AAP and AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

But unlike before, when he used to rely on pets and other props to draw the public's attention, it is his banner this time which has become a talking point here.

Accompanied by the commander-in-chief of the newly formed KHAP, Vipin Gupta, Bhadauriya took out a march in the city yesterday, holding a large banner outlining the aims and objectives of his party.

What amused the onlookers was the message the banner carried. It said, "Only the corrupt, schemers, fraudsters, etc. are eligible for membership."

"The party is keen to have electoral tie-ups with any political outfit other than Aam Aadmi Party.

"The ideals and principles of KHAP match those of others, except AAP," the banner proclaims.

Terming AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal as the party's "arch rival", KHAP said it feared only former President APJ Abdul Kalam and noted social-reformer Anna Hazare.

Talking to PTI, Bhadauriya, a lawyer by profession, said that through KHAP, as with his Pol Khol Party, the purpose is to bring corruption to the center-stage during elections.

"Election results are immaterial for me as I am not in the fray to win, but to attract the electorate to the burning issues.

"We are not taken seriously, but the thousands of votes mustered by us in the past substantiate our token acceptance by the public," averred Bhaudariya, who disclosed that he, in fact, admires Kejriwal.

"With heavy-weight opponents in the fray, our voice gets amplified," he said, justifying the stand of taking on political bigwigs.

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