Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, one of the most popular President of Brazil, is undergoing treatment for cancer after he was diagnosed with the disease on Saturday.

His doctor, Roberto Kalil Filho said that Lula was in good spirits during a visit to the former president’s home in São Bernardo, which is located about 55 miles from São Paulo city. “I never got the sense that he was nervous or anything. But he is a human, so of course he is afraid,” Kalil told Folha de São Paulo, leading daily from the country.

Brasilia, Oct 30 : Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who quit power Jan 1, has been diagnosed with throat cancer, the hospital where he will undergo treatment has said.

Lula, 66, underwent tests Saturday at Sao Paulo's Sirio-Libanes Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a tumour in his larynx, a hospital statement said.

The former president will begin chemotherapy sessions soon, it said.

One of the immediate recommendations made by doctors for Lula is to stop smoking for ever, a habit he has indulged in for decades.

Handpicked by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, amid a continued opposition lead over Lula's choice, Dilma Rousseff, may not be ruled out to be winner of Brazil's presidential election in October.

Pushed forward by the ruling Workers Party as Brazil's first woman president-in-waiting, Rousseff, 62, is currently the Cabinet chief. However, opposition candidate and Sao Paulo state Gov. Jose Serra continues to hold a lead, though opinion polls suggest he has lost ground.

Copenhagen, Dec 18 - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met here to exchange views on cooperation in dealing with global climate change.

Wen said that China and Brazil enjoyed broad consensus on international cooperation in tackling global climate change, Xinhua reported.

Brasilia  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the Nobel Peace Prize is in good hands with his US counterpart, Barack Obama.

Obama deserved the award because of his push for nuclear disarmament, Lula said Friday.

"I hope that we really will have peace in the world and no more atomic bombs," Lula said.

In Colombia, Senator Piedad Cordoba, who had also been nominated for the 2009 prize, called for Obama to help solve the decades-old conflict in Colombia.

Copenhagen  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stood at the front of the delegation about to delivery Rio de Janeiro's merits as a potential Olympic host and suddenly found himself breaking into song with his compatriots.

Brazil's tropical heart beat to the rhythm of Rio's anthem, Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City), in chilly Denmark: "Marvellous city, full of a thousand charms. Marvellous city, the heart of my Brazil."

Copenhagen/Rio de Janeiro  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrated Friday amid smiles and tears Rio de Janeiro's historic designation to host in 2016 South America's first- ever Olympic Games.

"This is not an individual victory, but a victory of 190 million souls, a victory of the South American continent, a victory of the whole of Latin America," Lula told Brazilian television.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday that he was satisfied that world leaders recognized the need for improved financial regulations to guard against economic panics in the future.

Lula commented following the Group of 20 summit in Pittsburgh about the agreements reached among the world's 20 leading economies for a series of financial reforms to rein in risky banking practices and limit executive pay.

Brasilia  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Friday asked US President Barack Obama to place restrictions on the US military if Colombia approves the use of its military bases for the US.

In a telephone conversation, Lula expressed his concerns about Bogota's consideration of an agreement that would grant the US military increased access to bases within Colombia.

Quito - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called Monday for peace in South America at a time when tensions are rife over Colombia's plans to allow the United States use of seven military bases in its territory.

"The more peace we have, the more we will be able to give our peoples what they need," Lula said in Quito.

London, June 18 : Brazil's playboy magazine is set to hit the market shelves with a photograph featuring President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The 63-year-old appears fully clothed in a photograph reproduced alongside the magazine''s nude centrefold, a Rio de Janeiro dancer and model who looks as if she is about to plant a kiss on the head of state''s image.

And surprisingly the Brazilian premier isn't aware of his photo being used.

Brasilia  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was informed of the plane accident off the Brazilian coast during a visit to El Salvador, his advisors told Brazilian news website G1 Monday.

Lula was in El Salvador to attend the inauguration of new Salvadoran president Mauricio Funes. This was set to be the first stage of a Central American tour, which was also set to take him to Guatemala and Costa Rica this week.

Beijing  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived in Beijing Monday for talks with Chinese leaders, saying ahead of his three-day visit that he planned to deepen his nation's strategic partnership with China.

Lula was scheduled to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao Tuesday, China's Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

Rio de Janeiro  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday spoke about the nationalization of troubled banks, in a speech before the 2009 World Economic Forum for Latin America.

Before more than 500 businessmen, bankers and government officials gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Lula stressed the fundamental role that the state has to play to bring about recovery from the ongoing financial and economic crisis, which demands the creation of a new world order.

Vina del Mar, Chile  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday at a summit in Chile told off representatives of the United States, Britain and Spain for causing the global economic crisis.

"My dear Gordon Brown, my dear Biden, my dear Zapatero, unfortunately you are more responsible (for the downturn)," he said, addressing them directly.

Vina del Mar, Chile - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday told off representatives of the United States, Britain and Spain - seated before him at a summit in Chile - for causing the global economic crisis.

"My dear Gordon Brown, my dear Biden, my dear Zapatero, unfortunately you are more responsible (for the downturn)," he said, addressing them directly.

Brasilia - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva demanded Thursday that industrialized countries take responsibility in the efforts to overcome the current global financial crisis, which he said was created by "white people with blue eyes."

In a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in Brasilia, Lula again stressed that it is necessary to regulate the international financial system.

Brasilia  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva demanded Thursday that industrialized countries take responsibility in the efforts to overcome the current global financial crisis, which he said was created by "white people with blue eyes."

In a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in Brasilia, Lula again stressed that it is necessary to regulate the international financial system.

Brasilia  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched an ambitious two-year, 15-billion-dollar plan Wednesday to build affordable housing.

The programme has the two-fold goal of stimulating the construction sector amid the global economic slowdown and alleviating Brazil's severe housing shortage.

Experts estimate that 8 million new homes are needed to satisfy demand in South America's most populous country.

Buenos Aires - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has long made it clear that he does not like going to international summits as anything other than a protagonist - and he is travelling to London for the G20 summit in April with very clear views.

Protectionism is not a way out of the ongoing global economic and financial crisis, he is bound to say, and it is industrialized nations which caused the crisis in the first place and therefore should bear the brunt of the cost by helping poorer countries recover from the effects.