Cubans line the streets at start of Obama's 'historic' visit

Cheers of 'USA' and 'Obama' rang out on Sunday evening as President Obama began his historic three-day visit to Cuba. Despite the driving rain, crowds turned out in force to catch a glimpse of the American leader and his wife Michelle Obama as they enjoyed a walkabout around Old Havana, their view slightly marred by the sea of umbrellas protecting the premiere couple from a tropical storm.

Just a few hours earlier, the Obamas emerged from Air Force One with their daughters Sasha, 14, and Malia, 17. Smiling broadly, the family walked in light drizzle along a red carpet to be greeted by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez.

Obama is the first sitting US president to visit Cuba since the 1959 revolution, and speaking at the reopened US embassy in Havana shortly after his arrival, he described the trip as "historic".

"It's wonderful to be here," he told the embassy staff. "Back in 1928, President Coolidge came on a battleship. It took him three days to get here, it only took my three hours. For the first time ever, Air Force One has landed in Cuba, and this is our very first stop."

He added that the trip was a chance for him to lay out his "vision for a future that is brighter than our past".