Fidel Castro has Resumed Some Duties.

President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela told a news conference that his close friend and ally Fidel Castro had “almost totally recovered” from his illness and had “reassumed a good part of his duties” as Cuba’s leader, although not formally. Mr. Chávez has regularly offered updates on Mr. Castro’s health in the more than eight months since the Cuban leader underwent emergency intestinal surgery and ceded his leadership responsibilities to his brother Raúl. The Cuban foreign minister, Felipe Pérez Roque, traveling in Vietnam, also said that Mr. Castro, who is 80, had resumed some of his leadership responsibilities. “He receives reports about the country’s situation and is directly involved in managing some important issues,” Mr. Roque said.

More here-- http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/14/world/americas/14briefs-castro.html?_r=1&oref=slogin