AILING CASTRO MISSES CUBAN PARADE !

Raul Castro has been acting president since August. Cuban President Fidel Castro has missed a massive military parade held in his honour in Havana, fuelling more speculation about his health. President Castro, 80, had emergency intestinal surgery at the end of July and has not been seen in public since.
Cuba's acting leader, Raul Castro, Fidel's younger brother, led events.
He used the opportunity to attack the US but also renewed an offer to hold talks with Washington to end decades of bitter and tense ties.
Until the last minute no-one knew if Fidel Castro would make an appearance at the parade, held as part of belated birthday celebrations for him and to mark a key date in Cuban history.
State secret
The events began with Raul Castro riding on a jeep through Havana's main square after a 21-gun salute before he launched into a speech praising the Cuban revolution.

Most Cubans have known no other leader. He attacked Washington but also left open the possibility of improving ties.
"We take this opportunity to once again state that we are willing to resolve at the negotiating table the longstanding dispute between the United States and Cuba... as long as the said resolution is based on the principle of equality, reciprocity, non-interference and mutual respect," he said.
The BBC's Stephen Gibbs in Havana says it is significant that Raul Castro used such an event to repeat this, something Fidel Castro would never have done.
Raul Castro gave no further information on the state of his brother's health, which is a state secret.
"Long live Fidel! Long live a free Cuba!," he concluded in front of a crowd of thousands of Cubans.
It had been thought that President Castro might take the opportunity to make his first public appearance in four months on such a significant date.
Exactly 50 years ago to the day, Mr Castro made another comeback, returning to Cuba from exile in Mexico to launch a guerrilla war aided by Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
Three years later, their 9,000-strong force overthrew the regime of Fulgencio Batista.
Frail-looking
Soviet-era tanks and missile launchers were on show in Havana's Revolution Square.

President Castro last appeared on TV over a month ago.
Soldiers marched past and a replica of the Granma, the yacht that carried Fidel Castro back from exile, was pulled along the street.
Senior Cuban government figures say that speculation about the Cuban leader's health is ill-informed and spread by his enemies.
But President Castro's non-appearance will increase doubts that he will resume control, correspondents say - a development that would be life-altering news for Cubans, most of whom know no other leader.
Birthday celebrations were initially scheduled when the Cuban leader turned 80 in August, but were moved to December after he became ill.
His last appearance on Cuban television, looking frail and wearing pyjamas rather than his trademark military fatigues, was more than a month ago.

BBC NEWS REPORT.