Castro challenges Forbes over report on alleged personal fortune
Cuba's President Fidel Castro described as a "calumny" a U.S. magazine report of his having a personal fortune of around 900 million U.S. dollars, local media said on Thursday.

"They cannot remain quiet. We must make them speak," Castro said during a seven-hour program, his second television show on the topic within 10 days, demanding the U.S government and the Forbes magazine apologize for the "lies."

In a May 5 article named "Fortunes Of Kings, Queens And Dictators", Forbes said Castro was the seventh richest head of state in the world, ahead of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, who allegedly has around 500 million dollars.

Castro made the remarks during Wednesday's "Round Table," a daily public affairs program.

In a previous speech, Castro said he would step down from the post he has occupied for more than 40 years, if anyone, including the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and all banks in the world, could prove he had even one dollar in an overseas bank.

Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque told television that neither U.S. intelligence agencies nor Forbes magazine had been able to respond to the challenge.

Forbes said it had assumed Castro had amassed his vast fortune from his control on some state-owned enterprises.

Other officials, including Central Bank Chief Francisco Soberon, also appeared on the program in a show of solidarity with Castro.

British parliament member George Galloway, appearing on the program, also defended Castro against the report.