Reuters

By Matt Tracy

(Reuters) - Global corporate debt defaults more than doubled in April from March to their highest monthly tally since October 2020, according to a report from S&P Global Ratings.

April saw 18 defaults globally, led by the 10 U.S. defaults worth $7.1 billion, according to the S&P report published on Monday. These include the bankruptcies of IT provider ConvergeOne Holdings and fashion retailer Express Inc.

By Carolina Mandl

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bridgewater Associates piled into six of the so-called Magnificent Seven megacap U.S. stocks in the first quarter, making an $800 million bet on Google-parent Alphabet while avoiding struggling shares of electric car-maker Tesla, securities filings showed.

The hedge fund founded by legendary investor Ray Dalio ended March with 5.4 million shares of Alphabet worth $810.3 million at the end of the... (continue reading...)

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chileans are bundling up with more clothes and clutching cups of hot coffee as the country faces the most intense cold snap in nearly 70 years, bringing winter weather in the middle of autumn.

"Since 1950, that is, in the last 74 years, we had not had a cold wave as intense as the current one in May," climatologist at the University of Santiago, Raul Cordero, told Reuters.

"So we are in the presence of the longest... (continue reading...)

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police clashed with protesters after a pro-Palestinian march to the Israeli embassy in Athens on Wednesday, Reuters witnesses and police officials said.

More than 2,500 people marched through the streets of Athens to the embassy carrying Palestinian flags and chanting "Free Palestine!"

A group of protesters broke off the march, which was largely peaceful, and hurled stones at police who had formed a security... (continue reading...)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China has not responded to U.S. nuclear-weapons risk-reduction proposals and Washington has questions about Beijing's call for no-first-use talks while China continues to build up its arsenal, the top U.S. arms control official said on Wednesday.

Under Secretary of State Bonnie Jenkins told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the U.S. estimates China currently has 500 operational nuclear warheads and will probably have more... (continue reading...)