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| Raul Castro named Cuban president | Raul Castro named Cuban president |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Raul Castro has been unanimously selected to succeed his brother Fidel as leader by Cuba's National Assembly. | Raul Castro has been unanimously selected to succeed his brother Fidel as leader by Cuba's National Assembly. |
| Raul was widely expected to be chosen for the post and his name was the only one put before the communist deputies. | Raul was widely expected to be chosen for the post and his name was the only one put before the communist deputies. |
| Fidel Castro, 81, stepped down after nearly half a century in charge. He had been out of the public eye since July 2006 when he had major surgery. | Fidel Castro, 81, stepped down after nearly half a century in charge. He had been out of the public eye since July 2006 when he had major surgery. |
| Raul, 76, has in effect been president since and the National Assembly vote was seen as formalising his position. | Raul, 76, has in effect been president since and the National Assembly vote was seen as formalising his position. |
| Vice-president | |
| The BBC's Michael Voss in Havana says that although Raul Castro's selection was not a surprise, the shock came in his choice of vice-president. | |
| It has been expected that he would name one of Cuba's younger generation of leaders as his number two, but he has opted for Machado Ventura. | |
| Cubans in Havana discuss the priorities of their next presidentIn pictures | Cubans in Havana discuss the priorities of their next presidentIn pictures |
| Mr Ventura is a 78-year-old hardline Politburo member, our correspondent says, and one of the original leaders of Cuba's communist revolution. | |
| Our correspondent says Raul Castro now has to steer the Caribbean island through un-charted waters in an unpredictable period of economic and political renewal. | |
| Before Sunday's session, Raul Castro had suggested implementing major economic reforms and "structural changes". | Before Sunday's session, Raul Castro had suggested implementing major economic reforms and "structural changes". |
| He has worked to ensure a smooth political transition, keeping the army loyal to the regime and strengthening the Communist Party's hold by introducing reforms and weeding out corrupt officials. | He has worked to ensure a smooth political transition, keeping the army loyal to the regime and strengthening the Communist Party's hold by introducing reforms and weeding out corrupt officials. |
| He has also had the advantage of continued economic support from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the form of millions of barrels of cheap oil, our correspondent adds. | He has also had the advantage of continued economic support from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in the form of millions of barrels of cheap oil, our correspondent adds. |
| Letter announcement | Letter announcement |
| HAVE YOUR SAY With Chavez in the background providing cheap oil, the new government will see less need to adopt a progressive economy.Alfred Saville, Hamilton, CanadaSend us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY With Chavez in the background providing cheap oil, the new government will see less need to adopt a progressive economy.Alfred Saville, Hamilton, CanadaSend us your comments |
| Fidel Castro, who has ruled Cuba since leading a revolution in 1959, announced his retirement in a letter published on the website of the Cuban Communist Party's newspaper Granma last week. | Fidel Castro, who has ruled Cuba since leading a revolution in 1959, announced his retirement in a letter published on the website of the Cuban Communist Party's newspaper Granma last week. |
| He said he had not stepped down after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in 2006 because he had had a duty to the Cuban people to prepare them for his absence. | He said he had not stepped down after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery in 2006 because he had had a duty to the Cuban people to prepare them for his absence. |
| But retirement, he added, would not stop him from carrying "on fighting like a soldier of ideas", and he promised to continue writing essays entitled Reflections of Comrade Fidel. | But retirement, he added, would not stop him from carrying "on fighting like a soldier of ideas", and he promised to continue writing essays entitled Reflections of Comrade Fidel. |
| Though he has not been seen in public for 19 months, the government occasionally releases photographs and pre-edited video of him meeting visiting leaders from around the world. | Though he has not been seen in public for 19 months, the government occasionally releases photographs and pre-edited video of him meeting visiting leaders from around the world. |