Cuba’s Fidel backs Obama

The compliment, however, is likely to give ammunition to Obama’s rivals.  It will hand Republican nominee, Senator John McCain, an opportunity to question Mr Obama's foreign policy.

McCain has already attacked Obama because of the remarks of a top Hamas official. Ahmed Yousuf said he hoped Obama would become the U.S. president. Hamas is listed by the U.S. State Department as a terrorist organisation.

In a column in Cuba’s Granma newspaper, Castro said that although he disagrees with Obama’s decision to maintain Washington's trade sanctions against Cuba, he thinks Obama is “the most progressive candidate for the U.S. presidency.”