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03/07/2006:

"President Lula: The boy from Brazil is back"

Less than six months ago Brazil's President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, appeared down and out. Racked by a campaign funding scandal that enveloped his party, he was trailing in the polls and there would doubts he would even fight for re-election.

Now the man universally known as Lula appears to have bounced back and arrives in London today for a three-day state visit. He has lost 30lbs, foresworn alcohol and been politically reinvigorated by new numbers that show his approval rating has jumped to 53.3 per cent from a low of 47 per cent in November and suggest he could win re-election in October.

Mr da Silva has also gone back on the attack and dropped the defensive tone he adopted at the peak of the scandal.

Speaking during a tour of Brazil's northeastern region, where he was born, he said. "I haven't done everything that needs to be done. But I've certainly already done much more than the elite that governed this country for nearly 500 years and forgot about the poor part of the population."
independent.co.uk


Brazil leader begins London visit
The Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has arrived in London at the start of a three-day state visit.

He will attend a royal banquet at Buckingham Palace on his first evening in London and will meet Tony Blair for talks at Downing Street on Thursday.

The two leaders are likely to discuss the shooting of Brazilian man Jean Charles de Menezes in London last July.

The visit comes as the Crown Prosecution Service considers whether to charge police over the shooting.

The Foreign Office has flatly denied press reports that the Queen will publicly apologise for the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, but diplomats acknowledge the case is likely to be discussed by President Lula and Tony Blair.

British officials have sought to play down the rift caused by his death.

Mr Menezes was killed after being mistaken for a suicide bomber
The Brazilian government has expressed concern that the dead man's family have not seen the report into the killing by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.