IN BRIEF (Page 16)

Japanese orders

Japanese machinery orders fell for a second month in July, signaling manufacturers expect the global slowdown to crimp demand into next year.

Orders, an indicator of capital spending in the next three to six months, declined 3.9 percent from June, when they slid 2.6 percent, the Cabinet Office said yesterday in Tokyo. Japan's economy probably shrank last quarter more than initially estimated as business spending fell, the government is expected to report tomorrow.