Buenos Aires  - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will most likely find that 2008 has been generally a good year for him. For one thing, December found him with a record popularity rating.

Some 70 per cent of Brazilians thought that the leftist Lula - who took office on January 1, 2003 as the first president of working- class origin in Brazilian history - was doing an "excellent" or a "good" job, the highest rating of any president since Brazil's democratization in 1985.

Brasilia  - Cuban President Raoul Castro, on his first official foreign visit since taking power in February, Thursday suggested that Havana and Washington could consider a possible prisoner exchange to start a thaw in relations between the two countries.

Castro, who took over leadership of the communist country in February from his ailing brother, revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, made the remarks after meeting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Rio de Janeiro - Cuban President Raul Castro hailed as "historic" Tuesday the first Latin American-Caribbean Conference, which was taking place Tuesday and Wednesday in the northeastern Brazilian seaside resort of Costa do Sauipe.

Speaking as a guest before leaders of the Mercosur trade bloc - which was holding its own summit along with those of three other organizations in the resort close to Salvador de Bahia - Castro said his country had a "brotherhood without restrictions" in relation to all efforts for integration in the region.

Brasilia - Brazil's government on Thursday announced an 8.4-billion-reais (3.6-billion-dollar) economic stimulus package, including tax cuts in personal income and cars, to revive its flagging economy.

The measures are aimed at ensuring a 4-per-cent growth in the country's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2009, said Finance Minister Guido Mantega when presenting the package together with Economy Minister Miguel Jorge and Central Bank head Henrique Meirelles.

Sao Paulo - Off-form Brazilian superstar Ronaldo is set to play football again in 2009, with the Brazilian club Corinthians, his agent confirmed Tuesday.

"There is a verbal agreement which will, within the next two days, be reflected in a contract so that Ronaldo's presence can be confirmed as soon as possible. Corinthians is led by very serious, determined people, and we are very happy about that," agent Fernando Farah told the website GloboEsporte.

Sao Paulo/Bras