FIDEL CASTRO, who has wielded absolute power over Cuba for 47 years, remained out of sight yesterday amid uncertainty surrounding his health following intestinal surgery.

Fidel Castro, who took control of Cuba in 1959, rebuffed repeated US attempts to oust him and survived communism’s demise almost everywhere else, temporarily relinquished his presidential powers to his brother Raul last night because of surgery.

THE British Ministry of Defence was yesterday accused of playing a lethal game of “Russian roulette” with Government weapons expert David Kelly.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was at a key meeting which agreed the circumstances in which the British Ministry of Defence would publicly name weapons expert David Kelly, the Hutton Inquiry was told today.