The British Columbia Coroners Service said Wednesday investigators found a spoon with drug residue and a used hypodermic needle in the hotel room where “Glee” actor Cory Monteith was found dead in July.The coroner's final report issued Wednesday, confirmed initial findings that Monteith died from using intravenous heroin combined with alcohol.The 31-year-old Canadian-born actor was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room July 13.“I classify this death as accidental,” coroner Claire Thompson said in

Talks between an exasperated President Barack Obama and top Republicans failed to end a government shutdown, with both sides accusing the other of refusing to negotiate.The breakdown ensured that the United States heads into a third day of a dramatic government spending freeze Thursday, with no end in sight and the economy in peril.Ramping up tensions, Obama had sent Wall Street a blunt warning that the political crisis that has paralyzed the federal government could yet trigger a U.S. catastrop

After months of strategic disregard of North Korea, the Obama administration appears to be listing specific actions North Korea should take for the resumption of talks. A senior State Department official described it as a "credible threshold" for North Korea on diplomacy.Secretary of State John Kerry will confer with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, "on what that means in terms of specific steps," the official told reporters on background, as they were heading to Tokyo, according to a tr

President Park Geun-hye said Wednesday she eagerly hopes that Pope Francis will visit South Korea to help promote social cohesion in the nation.Park made the remark during a meeting with Cardinal Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples at the Vatican. "I am well aware that the Pope has a very busy schedule, but I hope he will make sure to visit South Korea," Park said. "Not only Roman Catholics, but Christians are also hoping to see the Pope. I hope (he) wi

The richest households in South Korea earned about 10 times more than those in the poorest income brackets last year, data showed Wednesday, pointing to a still-wide gap between the haves and have-nots.According to the data provided by Statistics Korea and the finance ministry, the average monthly income of the richest 10 percent of households stood at 9.21 million won ($8,580) last year. The amount compared with 903,000 won for the poorest 10 percent of households, the data showed. This means t

South Korea plans to sell up to 33.8 trillion won ($31.5 billion) worth of currency stabilization bonds next year as it braces for potential increased market volatility, the finance ministry said Wednesday.Of the total, 15.8 trillion won will be used to pay back maturing bonds, with 2 trillion won assigned to pay back debts earlier than scheduled. The remaining 16 trillion won would be a net growth in currency bond issuance, according to the finance ministry. It is lower than the 19 trillion won

South Korean stocks got off to a strong start Wednesday, tracking U.S. peers overnight on confidence that the U.S. government shutdown won't last long, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 12.30 points, or 0.62 percent, to 2,011.17 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Shares gathered ground across the board, with tech and financial blue-chips leading the climb. SK hynix, South Korea's chip giant, jumped more than 3.6 percent, and Shinhan Financial Group,

The fourth edition of the Formula One (F1) Korean Grand Prix will kick off this weekend in the southern part of the country, as the runaway leader in the drivers' standings looks to pad his already sizable lead.The Korean Grand Prix, the only annual F1 race in the country, will open with two practice runs Friday on the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, about 400 kilometers south of Seoul.The third practice session will be held on Saturday, followed by the qualifying

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, closed a $250 million deal Tuesday to acquire The Washington Post, ending the longstanding ownership of the renowned Graham family, the newspaper announced.The 49-year-old Internet entrepreneur announced a plan in August to take the newspaper private, and seek to reverse the declines experienced at the Post as digital news takes hold.Tuesday's confirmation came in a short statement from the publicly traded Washington Post Co., which will retain its television a

South Korea has been named a council member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the fifth consecutive term, the government said Wednesday.The country garnered 156 votes from 176 member countries taking part in the ICAO assembly held in Montreal, Canada, coming in second among 14 countries competing in the election, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport."The country's fifth consecutive election to the ICAO council shows that the country has clearl

Much of the vast machinery of the U.S. government ground to a halt Tuesday as Democrats and Republicans blamed each other for a partial shutdown that closed federal agencies, national parks and research facilities across the nation.Ominously, there were suggestions from leaders in both parties that the shutdown, heading for its second day, could last for weeks and grow to encompass a possible default by the Treasury if Congress fails to raise the nation's debt ceiling. Speaking at the White Hous