Castro back on feet two months after fall

Cuban President Fidel Castro walked for the first time in public yesterday since shattering a knee in a fall two months ago, drawing cheers of "long live Fidel" from his supporters.

Mr Castro, dressed in his olive-green military uniform, walked into the year-end session of the National Assembly assisted only by a young girl.

He haltingly covered the width of the hall and climbed a small flight of stairs to the podium where he took his seat.

Mr Castro tripped after making a speech in October, shattering his left knee into eight pieces and fracturing an arm, doctors said. His recovery has been cloaked in secrecy though he is believed to still spend most of his time in a wheelchair and be undergoing extensive rehabilitation.

Mr Castro, 78, has appeared determined to dispel any speculation that he might step back from the leadership role he has held since coming to power in a 1959 revolution.

Just five days after his fall he appeared on television for two hours, his leg hidden behind a desk. He has made two similar appearances since then.

Mr Castro first appeared in a wheel chair in early November. He stood in public a month ago to receive Chinese President Hu Jintao, then again earlier this month when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez visited.