President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is not only popular in Brazil. He has just been praised by US president, Barack Obama. During a lunch at the Group of 20 summit in London on Wednesday, Obama shook hands with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and told Australian prime minister, Kevin Rudd, "This is my man, right here. I love this guy." Obama followed the comment by saying Lula is "the most popular politician on Earth."

Lula will today visit the building site at London’s Olympic Park for the 2012 Games, accompanied by minister of sport, Orlando Silva, governor of Janeiro, Sérgio Cabral, mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, and president of Rio 2016, Carlos Arthur Nuzman. The officials are in London with Lula to promote Rio de Janeiro’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.