HAVANA, Aug 13: On his 80th birthday, Fidel Castro cautioned Cubans he faced a long recovery from surgery and advised them to prepare for ‘adverse news’, but urged them to stay optimistic, while a newspaper published the first photographs of the Cuban leader since his illness.

Castro, whose illness forced him to step aside as president two weeks ago, said his health had improved, but warned he still faced risks.

“I feel very happy,” said a statement attributed to Castro in the Juventud Rebelde newspaper. “For all those who care about my health, I promise to fight for it.”

The online edition of the Communist Youth newspaper also published four photographs of Castro wearing what looked like a white and red track suit.

In two of them he is talking on the telephone and in another is showing a copy of the Saturday edition of Granma, the Communist Party newspaper, as if to prove the photo was taken on Saturday.

In the statement, Castro said his stability has ‘considerably improved’ but added: “To affirm that the recovery period will take a short time and that there is no risk would be absolutely incorrect.

“I ask you all to be optimistic, and at the same time to be ready to face any adverse news,” it added.

“To the people of Cuba, infinite gratitude for your loving support. The country is marching on and will continue marching on perfectly well.”

On Saturday, Granma said Castro was walking and talking again, and even working a bit.

It was the most optimistic report yet since intestinal surgery forced him to step aside as president.

Meanwhile, his close friend and political ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, said on Saturday that he would visit the Cuban leader.

“Tomorrow I will be with Fidel celebrating his 80th birthday,” Chavez said at a news conference in Caracas after declaring his candidacy for re-election in December.

“I’ll take him a nice gift, a good cake, and we’ll be celebrating the 80 years of this great figure of America and our history,” Chavez said.—AP