Cuban TV shows fresh images of Fidel Castro

HAVANA, Oct 29 (Reuters) Cuban television showed images on Saturday of convalescing leader Fidel Castro walking, reading the day's newspapers and speaking on the telephone.

Castro, defying enemies whom he said had declared him dead, said he was taking part in government decisions, following the news on television and making regular telephone calls as he recovers from emergency intestinal surgery in late July.

''Now that our enemies have prematurely declared me dying or dead, I am happy to send my compatriots and friends around the world this short film material,'' Castro said.

''Now they will have to resurrect me,'' he said.

The images showed Castro browsing through yesterday's ruling Communist Party daily Granma and walking in a sweat suit down a corridor to speak on a wall telephone in a clear voice.

They were the first images of Castro released in six weeks.

His prolonged absence from public view fueled rumors in recent weeks that the 80-year-old Castro was dead and change imminent was in Cuba, one of the world's last communist-run nations.

Castro was forced to relinquish power temporarily for the first time since his 1959 revolution to his younger brother Raul Castro on July 31 after undergoing surgery to stop intestinal bleeding.

Cuban officials deny the leftist leader has stomach cancer, but have given no details of his illness, which are a closely guarded state secret.

Raul Castro, 75, has not been seen in public for three weeks.

Reuters DKS VP0523