IN BRIEF (Page 16)

Japanese orders drop

Japanese machinery orders fell in October as the deepening global recession choked off demand for the country's cars and electronics.

Orders, an indicator of capital spending in the next three to six months, slid 4.4 percent from September, when they rose 5.5 percent, the Cabinet Office said yesterday in Tokyo. Bookings received from abroad, which are excluded from the headline figures, tumbled 37 percent, the biggest drop in five years.