Castro misses May Day parade

Speculation over the health of Cuban leader Fidel Castro is growing following his absence from the start of a May Day workers parade in Havana.

It appears the 80-year-old is still too weak to appear in public following his emergency surgery for intestinal problems nine months ago.

The surgery forced him to step aside as president, handing over responsibilities to his brother, Raul, although Cuban authorities have continually said that he will return to public duties.

Castro had called on all Cubans to turn the parade into a massive anti-US protest having recently made clear his opposition to US plans to use food crops to produce ethanol for cars.

The Communist leader had suggested that such plans would require the labour of the world's impoverished sugar cane workers.

After recent video footage showed him looking stronger, there were suggestions that he might make a triumphant appearance in Revolution Square, but he was not on the main podium as the parade began.

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