IBT Staff Reporter

Every 13 seconds in America, there is another foreclosure filing. That's the rhythm of a crisis that threatens to choke off hopes for a recovery in the U.S. housing market as it destroys hundreds of billions of dollars in property values a year.

Akbank (AKBNK.IS) General Manager Ziya Akkurt said on Thursday the Turkish lender would target 15-16 percent loan growth in 2010, outstripping banking sector growth as a whole, which he forecast at 12-13 percent.

Deutsche Bank began coverage of Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) with buy, and said the two U.S. banks will stay well capitalized even under the likely increased regulatory capital requirements.

Stock futures rose on Thursday as the latest earnings season got off to a positive start after Alcoa posted a surprise profit and as surging commodity prices underpinned a global equity advance.

U.S. retailers, including Limited Brands Inc and Children's Place , surprised Wall Street with small increases in September sales, suggesting that shoppers could be heading back for the crucial holiday season.

Stock futures rose on Thursday as the latest earnings season got off to a positive start after Alcoa posted a surprise profit and as surging commodity prices underpinned a global equity advance.

Hong Kong stocks rose for a fourth day on Thursday, with HSBC (0005.HK) advancing after itresumed talks with Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) over thepurchase of RBS units in Asia.

European shares were higher in early trade on Thursday as a surprise quarterly profit from U.S. aluminium group Alcoa (AA.N) boosted market sentiment, with banks and mining stocks the biggest gainers.

A group of creditors led by Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) will run the daily newspapers owned by Canwest Global Communications Corp (CGS.TO), which announced a long-awaited recapitalization plan this week, the Globe and Mail reported on its website.

Investors eager to cash in on the prospect of a revival of merger & acquisition (M&A) activity could see their efforts go to waste as access to financing remains a major obstacle hampering bids.

A review of Citigroup Inc's management team, demanded by U.S. regulators in the aftermath of the financial crisis, gave it satisfactory marks, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Doctors should pay more attention to the link between common mental illness and obesity in patients because the two health problems are closely linked, according to researchers at the University of Adelaide.

The University of Queensland has advanced two places to be named 41st in the world in the UK's Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings, released today.

Gold prices rallied to record highs for a third successive session in Europe on Thursday, as persistent weakness in the dollar fueled fund buying of the metal as an alternative to the U.S. unit.

The University of Sydney has improved its position in the prestigious Times Higher Education world rankings.

Methods used for analysing a person's risk of cardiovascular diseases are shedding new light on assessing and modifying a person's risk of depression, according to a study from The Australian National University.

Griffith University has leapt 34 places to be ranked 291st in the world by the prestigious Times Higher Education - QS World University Rankings announced today (October 8).

The University of Melbourne has jumped two places to No 36 - and again is the only Australian university to have all surveyed disciplines in the Top 30 in the world - in the Times Higher Education-QS (THE-QS) 2009 World University Rankings, released toda

There are some valuable lessons Americans can learn from Australia's health care system and vice versa, according to a Macquarie University academic and expert in the field.

Deaths from lung cancer are higher than for any other form of cancer, with more than 8,000 Australians diagnosed each year - but the latest technology being demonstrated at The University of Western Australia offers new hope to sufferers.

The composition of an Aussie loaf of bread will change forever this week, thanks to a new mandatory food standard - backed by University of Sydney research - which demands bakers replace salt they now use with iodised salt.

Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 rise 0.9 to 1 percent, pointing to a higher open on Wall Street on Thursday.

Gold hit a fresh record high on Thursday as the dollar struggled, while emerging market stocks climbed to their highest level this year.

U.S. asset manager BlackRock Inc is in the running to help state regulators estimate risks in insurers' investments, the Wall Street Journal said, citing regulators and a National Association of Insurance Commissioners official.

The European Central Bank is expected to keep interest rates at a record-low 1.0 percent on Thursday and its head Jean-Claude Trichet will probably caution against high hopes of a speedy economic recovery.

Asian shares rose on Thursday as surprisingly strong Australian jobs data raised hopes for a stronger global economic recovery and pushed the Aussie and New Zealand currencies to fresh 14-month highs, while gold hit another record.

Colic is a broad term for conditions that result in excessive crying among young babies. It's perfectly normal, and usually goes away on its own.

Thousands of Indian women die needlessly during pregnancy and childbirth, and the scale of these preventable deaths is unknown due to poor public health records, a report said Wednesday.

A new pocket-sized device may allow doctors to check a woman's breast cancer risk in minutes with just droplets of blood or a sliver of breast tissue, Canadian researchers said on Wednesday.