Castro to reappear on TV after four-year absence

HAVANA - Veteran Cuban leader Fidel Castro was expected to make his first formal television comments in four years later Monday, when he is expected to appear on Cuban television.

Castro, set to turn 84 Tuesday, is to appear in a special edition of the programme Mesa Redonda (Round Table) to talk about the Middle East, where he predicts a war will happen, according to Granma, the daily of the Cuban Communist Party.

Granma did not say whether the programme will be broadcast live or whether it has been pre-recorded.

Castro was last seen in public July 26, 2006, when he withdrew due to an as-of-yet unknown illness, although still photos and videos have been released now and then. This weekend, Cuban media published photographs of a visit from the elderly Castro to the Cuban National Centre for Scientific Research (CNIC) last week.

Castro officially stepped down from power in Cuba in 2008, to be followed by his brother and long-time aide Raul Castro. But he has also made his voice heard through his writings in Granma and other publications.