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.

AER LINGUS is now offering such tempting deals to New York that growing numbers are whizzing over to the Big Apple just for the weekend.

Celia Cruz, the Cuban-born singer who went from Havana nightclubs to become the “queen of salsa”, has died.