Former president Fidel Castro has broken his silence over Cuba and the United States’ move to restore full diplomatic relations, saying that although he does not trust Washington’s politics, differences between the nations should be resolved through co-operation.

The highest-level US delegation to Cuba in decades has kicked off two days of negotiations after grand promises by President Barack Obama about change on the island and a sombre warning from Cuba to abandon hopes of reforming the communist government.

Three men who served long US prison terms for spying have received a standing ovation in Cuba’s parliament, as President Raul Castro declared that detente with Washington will not change the communist system he leads.

Bells tolled in celebration and teachers halted lessons as President Raul Castro told his country Cuba was restoring relations with the United States after more than 50 years of hostility.

President Barack Obama has announced the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba and declared an end to America’s “outdated approach” to the communist island in a historic shift aimed at ending a half-century of Cold War enmity.

President Barack Obama says the US will end its outdated approach to Cuba that has failed to advance US interests.

President Barack Obama has spoken to Cuban President Raul Castro about normalising full diplomatic relations between the long time foes.

SOME people, egged on by hysterical sections of the media, suspected that ESB trade union boss Brendan Ogle had an agenda to destroy the State, to bring down the Government, to cause anarchy, that he was up to much more than defending the pension rights of ESB staffers.

Tens of thousands of spectators have braved foul weather to join heads of state from around the world in celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela in South Africa.

Joyous, singing South Africans gathered in the rain today to honour Nelson Mandela at a massive memorial service that is expected to draw some 100 heads of state and other luminaries, united in tribute to a global symbol of reconciliation.

One hundred state-run produce markets and 26 other establishments were scheduled to become private co-operatives today as communist-run Cuba continues to shed secondary economic activity in favour of individual initiative and markets.

Cuban President Raul Castro says he will not seek another five-year term after the one he started yesterday.

Cuba has begun an experimental programme letting islanders use debit cards for their peso bank accounts to shop in so-called dollar stores.

Cuban President Raul Castro has said his government is willing to mend fences with bitter Cold War foe the United States and sit down to discuss anything, as long as it is a conversation between equals.

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Cuba in the footsteps of his more famous predecessor, gently pressing the island’s long-time communist leaders to push through “legitimate” reforms their people desire.

The pope left Spanish-speaking Latin America’s most Roman Catholic country today on his way to its least.

Venezuela's military high command reaffirmed its loyalty to President Hugo Chavez in a public show of support a day after Mr Chavez's departure for Cuba to undergo surgery removing a possibly cancerous tumour.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced capitalism during a speech at Cuba’s University of Havana on the third leg of a trip to highlight friendships with his Latin American allies, most of them thorns in Washington’s side.

Cuban faithful celebrating Christmas say they have plenty to cheer this year as they prepare for the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI, the first visit by a pontiff to the Communist-run island since John Paul II’s historic tour nearly 14 years ago.

Cuba said today it will allow property to be bought and sold for the first time since the early days of the revolution.

Nearly two dozen singers and musicians from nine Latin American nations honoured Fidel Castro with a concert on the eve of the former Cuban leader’s 85th birthday.

VENEZUELA’S ever-theatrical President Hugo Chavez made a surprise homecoming yesterday after cancer surgery in Cuba and declared himself “fine” despite speculation he may still require lengthy treatment.

Communist Party delegates gave their blessing to a sweeping slate of economic changes designed to breathe life and a bit of free-market spirit into Cuba's moribund economy, and also voted in a new party leadership at a historic summit.

President Raul Castro has named a new economy minister, and put the outgoing minister in charge of implementing economic reforms that will be hammered out at a Communist Party Congress.

Cuba is calling workers across the island to special meetings so that labour leaders can brief them on half a million government layoffs coming in the next six months and suggest ways that those fired can make a living.

Fidel Castro told a visiting American journalist that Cuba’s communist economic model does not work, a rare comment on domestic affairs from a man who has conspicuously steered clear of local issues since stepping down four years ago.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had a private five-hour meeting in Cuba with Fidel Castro.

President Raul Castro startled Cuba by saying about one in five Cuban workers may have to be made redundant.

Officials from the Cuban Roman Catholic Church today revealed the names of five more political prisoners who will be released into exile in the coming days under a landmark agreement with President Raul Castro’s government.

Cuba has promised the Catholic Church it will free 52 political prisoners, slashing the number it holds by nearly a third in what would be the communist-run island’s largest release of dissidents since Pope John Paul II visited in 1998.

The Vatican's foreign minister arrived in Cuba to discuss the island's economic plight, and rights activists hope his visit may get more political prisoners freed or at least moved to jails closer to home.

President Raul Castro fired Cuba's transportation minister for professional mistakes and replaced the head of the Sugar Ministry after he admitted incompetence, the latest in a growing series of leadership shake-ups.

State-owned media today reported the death of a jailed, dissident hunger striker, acknowledging four days after the fact a story most Cubans had already heard through word of mouth.

Cuba’s President Raul Castro declared the global climate summit in Copenhagen a failure from the start and urged left-wing Latin American leaders to devise their own plan on how to cope with climate change.

Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon dismissed President Barack Obama’s recent overtures to Cuba and said for the first time that the new US administration’s stance is “the continuation of an illegal, unjustifiable and failed policy”.

A top official said Cuba is willing to discuss everything with the Obama administration, but it won’t give up its form of government in talks to improve relations.

Signalling its willingness to discuss improved relations with the US, Cuba granted three visiting members of the Congressional Black Caucus the first meeting with Fidel Castro by American officials since he fell ill in 2006.

Fidel Castro met for 90 minutes with Chile’s president, who said the ailing former Cuban leader appeared “in very good shape”.

Fidel Castro threw his first punch at President Barack Obama after several weeks of praise for the new leader, demanding the US return Guantanamo Bay military base to Cuba and criticising the US defence of Israel.

Cubans with classic American cars – or even rusty Russian sedans – are being encouraged to apply for taxi licences and set their own prices for the first time in nearly a decade as the communist government turns to the free market to improve its woeful transport system.

Fifty years after triumphant armed rebels descended from the eastern mountains, communist Cuba celebrated the revolution’s anniversary with toned-down festivities following a trio of devastating hurricanes and under the enduring public absence of an ailing Fidel Castro.

President Raul Castro warned Cubans to prepare for a “realistic” brand of Communism that was economically viable and did away with excessive state subsidies designed to promote equality on the island.

CUBANS are getting wired. The island’s communist government put desktop computers on sale to the public for the first time last Friday, ending a ban on PC sales, as another restriction on daily life fell away under President Raul Castro.

President Raul Castro has announced that Cuba will convene its first Communist Party congress since 1997 – a major gathering that could chart the island’s political future long after he and his older brother Fidel are gone.