An official picture of the Cuban president, Fidel Castro, appeared yesterday on the front page of the Communist party youth newspaper, Juventud Rebelde, in a bid to further dispel persistent doubts about his health. In the photo, Castro was standing next to Angola’s president and Castro appeared to have gained weight.

There had been speculation in the United States that Mr Castro’s imminent death or incapacitation could open the way for a new relationship with the island state. The US has had sanctions in place against Cuba for more than four decades.

Mr Castro has not been seen in public since July 31 last year. He had undergone intestinal surgery and ceded power to his brother Raul, 75, while he recuperated. Source: The Guardian

Havana, Cuba.

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