CUBANS ERA CASTRO

CUBANS prepare to turn the age on Castro era.

HAVANA : Cuban President Raul Castro steps down on Thursday passing the baton to a new generation in a transition that brings to a close the Castro bothers' six decade grip on power.

''We have come a long way..... so that our children, those of the present and those of the future, will be happy,'' Castro said in one of his last speeches as leader last month.

The 86-year old has been in power since 2006, when he took over after illness sidelined his brother Fidel, who seized power in 1959 revolution.

Between them, father of the nation Fidel and younger brother Raul ruled Cuba for nearly 60 years, making the Caribbean island, a key player in the Cold War and helping keep Communism afloat despite the collapse of the Soviet Union.

On Thursday, that chapter of history will come to a close when the National Assembly elects a new president of the Council of State, catapulting the island into the post-Castro era. [AFP]