Fidel appears in public

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro appeared in public on Thursday by visiting a school here to mark the birthday of his late sister-in-law, a revolutionary heroine.

Castro visited the educational complex named after Vilma Espin, who fought alongside the former leader against the government of Fulgencio Batista and later married his brother Raul, the current president, Xinhua reports.

The 89-year-old leader took part in a ceremony paying homage to Espin, who died in 2007 at age 77, together with students and teachers of nursery and primary education.

He described the visit as a "privilege" for him, saying that type of school was like a "kind of dream".

TV broadcast images showing Castro saying hello and talking animatedly to children and school teachers on issues related to education, health and food.

Castro handed over power to his younger brother in 2008 after a serious intestinal surgery that put him on the brink of death. Since then, he has been devoted to writing articles on international politics.

The former leader, who usually receives international personalities visiting the island country at his home in Havana, made his last public appearance in the summer of 2015.