January 30, 2008	Wednesday	Muharram 20, 1429

NEW YORK, Jan 29: Stronger-than-expected orders for US-made durable goods in December suggested the economy retained some life and might not need a heavy dose of interest-rate cuts, even though house prices fell a record amount in November.

New orders for long-lasting goods rose 5.2 per cent last month, a Commerce Department report showed on Tuesday, well above the 1.5pc increase forecast by economists in a Reuters poll.