Fidel Castro Jnr has died after taking his own life, it has been reported

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Castro Junior, 68, also known as “Fidelito” because of the resemblance to his father, had initially been hospitalised for depression and then continued treatment outside of a hospital.

Cubadebate website said: “Diaz-Balart, who had been attended by a group of doctors for several months due to a state of deep depression, committed suicide this morning.”

The son of the Cuban leader became a nuclear physicist after studying in the Soviet Union.

He continued to work as a scientific counsellor to the Cuban Council of State and was vice-president to the Cuban Academy of sciences at the time of his death.