Japan's core machinery orders fell in April for the first time in three months, Cabinet Office data showed on Monday, casting some doubt about the strength of capital spending, which is key to a durable economic recovery. The data followed the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) decision last week to start trimming its huge bond purchases, with it due to announce a detailed plan next month on reducing its nearly $5 trillion balance sheet. Core orders fell 2.9 per cent month-on-month in April, versus a 3.1 per cent decline expected by economists in a Reuters poll, the first drop in three months. It is a highly volatile data series ... (full story)