Brazil
has fallen into recession, just a month before the general election, latest
figures show.
Economic
output, GDP, fell by 0.6% in the three months to June, worse than analysts had
predicted, and revised figures for the first quarter of the year also showed a
fall of 0.2%.
A
recession is usually defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction.
The
news will be damaging for the government of President Dilma Rousseff.
According
to the most recent poll, Ms Rousseff would lose to a rival candidate,
environmentalist Marina Silva, if October's election went to a second round.
The
World Cup, held in June and July, was not regarded as generally good for
business, says the BBC's Wyre Davies in Rio de Janeiro.
"There
were more days off for employees
