InfoAnda - Cuba's fading Fidel Castro turns 85 on Saturday |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

German exporters say world trade picking up | 12 July 2009
iTunes offers feature films in HD | 20 March 2009
Nissan to slash production at Spanish plant | 7 February 2010

Suicide bomb in Pakistani city of Peshawar kills 3 | 24 August 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Cuba's fading Fidel Castro turns 85 on Saturday |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Technology Media Small Business Green Business Legal Deals Earnings Summits Business Video Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia Afghan Journal Africa Journal India Insight Global News Journal Pakistan: Now or Never? World Video Politics Politics Home Front Row Washington Politics Video Technology Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland Felix Salmon Breakingviews George Chen Bernd Debusmann Gregg Easterbrook James Pethokoukis James Saft John Wasik Christopher Whalen Ian Bremmer Mohamed El-Erian Lawrence Summers The Great Debate Unstructured Finance Newsmaker MuniLand Money Money Home Analyst Research Global Investing MuniLand Reuters Money Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Life & Culture Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Left Field Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Article Comments (0) Full Focus Editor's choice A selection of our top photos from the past 24 hours. Full Article Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Verizon gets picket injunctions in 3 states, seeks more 11 Aug 2011 Wall St rises, S&P seeking second winning day | 10:48am EDT Former judge sentenced to prison for "kids for cash" scheme 11 Aug 2011 "Chaos reigns" as courts struggle to process UK rioters 11 Aug 2011 Euro zone crisis reaches France, turns existential 10:53am EDT Discussed 184 U.S. loses AAA credit rating from S&P 176 Obama says he inherited economic problems 107 Stock index futures tumble on S&P downgrade Watched Japan's tsunami broke off a piece of Antarctica Wed, Aug 10 2011 Underwater volcano erupts off Oregon coast Wed, Aug 10 2011 New face of U.S. woman mauled by chimp Thu, Aug 11 2011 Cuba's fading Fidel Castro turns 85 on Saturday Tweet Share this Email Print Factbox Factbox: Contractor case stalls U.S.-Cuba rapprochement Fri, Aug 5 2011 Related News Sea defeats body, not spirit, of swimmer, 61 Tue, Aug 9 2011 Chavez to return to Cuba for more chemotherapy Fri, Aug 5 2011 Cuban court upholds sentence for jailed American Fri, Aug 5 2011 More "spiritual" Chavez changes outlook on life Fri, Aug 5 2011 Analysis & Opinion Why Apple might just be the first $1 trillion company The broken promises of Russia’s second revolution Related Topics World » People » Cuba » Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro attends an event at Havana University to celebrate the 65th anniversary of his joining the university to initiate his studies in 1945 in Havana November 17, 2010. Credit: Reuters/Alex Castro/Cubadebate/Handout By Jeff Franks HAVANA | Fri Aug 12, 2011 9:52am EDT HAVANA (Reuters) - Revolutionary legend Fidel Castro turns 85 on Saturday, still an important figure in his communist-ruled Cuba, but increasingly a fading presence in the life of the country he ran for 49 years. He gave up his last leadership post this year when he stepped down as head of the ruling Communist Party and has retreated further and further from public view. His gradual slipping away appears to be a product of choice borne of necessity, but also of a transition plan to wean Cuba from its once near-total dependence on the charismatic Comandante's leadership. He is rarely seen or heard from and has stood largely on the sidelines as his younger brother and replacement, President Raul Castro, struggles to reform Cuba's Soviet-style economy. "His role has diminished significantly. He has stepped away more so than at any point in the last five years," said Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, a Cuba expert at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. "It may be a case of Raul Castro solidifying his governing style and Fidel willingly receding," he told Reuters. Cuba was to celebrate the birthday on Saturday with a nationally televised "serenade" by a lineup of musicians. Organizers said this week they did not know if Fidel Castro would attend personally. He came to power on New Year's Day 1959 when his guerrilla forces swept down from the eastern Sierra Maestra mountains to topple U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. As Cuba's president, he outlasted nine U.S. presidents and five decades of U.S. hostility, but in July 2006 he underwent emergency intestinal surgery and suffered complications from which he never fully recovered . He handed power provisionally to Raul Castro, then did so officially when he resigned in February 2008 and his younger sibling was elected president by the National Assembly. The fading of Fidel's political presence has mirrored a physical decline that was most notable at a Communist Party congress in April when he made just one appearance and had to be helped to his chair on the stage. The man once famous for his hours-long speeches sat wordlessly as his brother did all the talking in a silent passing of the torch. TENDING TO SICK CHAVEZ A year ago, when he reappeared in public after four years of semi-seclusion, he was vigorous enough to launch a campaign warning the world that U.S. moves against Iran's nuclear capability could lead to a nuclear holocaust. Now, like many elderly, he is tending to the health of a sick friend, in this case close leftist ally Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who is being treated in Cuba for an undisclosed type of cancer. Fidel Castro has not been seen since the party congress except in videos chatting with Chavez, in which his physical frailty was clear, but he still seemed mentally alert. Chavez' illness inspired the only opinion column, or "reflection," by Fidel Castro this summer. Until three months ago, the old revolutionary had written regular opinion pieces on world affairs assiduously published by Cuban state media. In his July 3 piece on Chavez, in which he predicted the Venezuelan leader's full recovery, he said he had "momentarily" been writing less because he was "attending to other matters that are now top priority." He gave no more explanation. After his five years out of power, life without Fidel Castro is not as unimaginable for Cubans as it once was. He is loved by some and hated by others, but increasingly Raul Castro, 80, has supplanted him as the man considered critical to the future of the Revolution. His importance is magnified by the lack of younger potential leaders under him. "People used to worry about what would happen if Fidel died, but now it's Raul. Raul replaced Fidel, but who will replace Raul?" said mechanic Rafa Marrero. Nevertheless, Benjamin-Alvarado said Fidel Castro's death will be a "historical moment" for Cuba and perhaps the catalyst for more change. Whether they like Fidel Castro or not, Cubans "are ready to move on. So that will be the point where there will be pressure on Raul to extend the changes he has initiated," he said. (Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Anthony Boadle) World People Cuba Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Social Stream (What's this?) Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Mobile Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Contact Us Advertise With Us Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electric trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Friday, 12 August 2011
Cameron denies austerity drive caused UK riots |
Bomb kills five U.S. troops in southern Afghanistan |
Syrian forces kill 11 in swoop on northern towns |
Western Libya rebels strike north towards coast |
No jail for Nazi war criminal Scheungraber: lawyer |
WFP says has more access in Somalia, Mogadishu a challenge |
Egypt moves to scrap decades-old emergency law |
U.S. urges Israel, Palestinians to avoid unilateral moves |
Venezuela's Chavez says feels well in chemotherapy |
Dozens of ships fleeing Benin waters due to piracy: navy |
Google+ social network gets games |
Chinese authorities find 22 more fake Apple stores |
AOL approves buyback after shares tumbled 32 percent |
UK may disrupt social networks during unrest |
Analysis: In Twitter era, authorities must adapt or struggle |
Plan laid out for texting 9-1-1 messages |
Cisco bulls may underestimate tough road ahead |
Intel expects Ultrabook PCs priced below $999 in Q4 |
Caution marks mobile device market in H2: Gartner |
Country star Billy Grammer dies age 85 |
Interrupters film looks at stopping city violence |
Miranda Cosgrove breaks ankle in tour bus crash |
Kim Kardashian sues Old Navy over look-alike ads |
Aguilera, Cee Lo to sing at Jackson tribute concert |
White House rejects claim about bin Laden raid film |
UK's Cameron under pressure over cuts after riots |
China recalls bullet trains in new blow to technology showcase |
Syrian forces kill 19, U.S. threatens more sanctions |
Riot erupts in southwest China town: reports |
Houston lands 2013 NBA All Star Game
UK team looks to lure Lakers star Ron Artest
Israel okays 1,600 settler homes for East Jerusalem |
Matsui, Jackson sparks A's past Jays
TV show bares new face of woman attacked, deformed by chimpanzee
Giants VP of communications Pat Hanlon lashes at team's fans on Twitter
Ivory Coast arrests 57 troops from former regime |
Stricker Sizzles! Steve Stricker nearly sets major record, shoots 63 at PGA
True Blood renewed for fifth season
Miranda Cosgrove's tour postponed after tour bus crashes
WFP says has more access in Somalia, Mogadishu a challenge |
Amazon, Wal-Mart launch e-reader, movie service in the cloud
Chris Brown reveals tour dates with Kelly Rowland, T-Pain
Analysis: Apple going after Google in tablet spats? |
Google and Facebook face-off in social games |
Zynga draws fewer paid players than expected |
Renren posts small Q2 profit; Q3 view drags down stock |
Analysis: Tech world vies for piece of insurance exchanges |
Nvidia's outlook beats Street, shares soar |
Feminist Gloria Steinem hopes TV doc inspires |
Barefoot Bandit signs movie deal to pay victims |
Norway names commission to judge attack response |
Australian unemployment rate rises to 5.1% for July
Yemen says soldier killed in protest city of Taiz |
Cuba's fading Fidel Castro turns 85 on Saturday |
MTV plans Britney Spears tribute for VMAs
SEC investigating S&P's downgrade of U.S. debt
NASA forms Human Exploration and Operations Directorate
Japan says to set up new nuclear safety watchdog |
"Jersey Shore" star admits to having had nose job
"So You Think You Can Dance" crowns Melanie Moore Season 8 winner
Libya rebels take casualties in fight for Brega |
US retail sales rise 0.5% in July
Plumber helps catch Starbucks Peeping Tom
Pregnant woman mauled and killed by her own pit bull
Forgotten 2005 quake victims still need help
Euro zone crisis reaches France, turns existential |
Famine squeezes life out of southern Somalia |
Insight: China's microbloggers rattle the censor's cage |
German court sets Samsung, Apple hearing for Aug 25 |
Wyclef Jean offers new skills to quake-hit Haitians |
Stephen Colbert aims comedic political ad at Iowa |
Glenn Close to get lifetime award at Spanish festival |
Former Warrant singer Jani Lane dies in Los Angeles |
Film buffs eye movie locations in Brooklyn |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01