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| Fidel Castro, Cuba's leader of revolution, dies at 90 | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Fidel Castro, Cuba's former president and leader of the Communist revolution, has died aged 90, his brother has said. | Fidel Castro, Cuba's former president and leader of the Communist revolution, has died aged 90, his brother has said. |
| "The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died at 22:29 hours this evening (03:29 GMT Saturday)," President Raul Castro said. | "The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died at 22:29 hours this evening (03:29 GMT Saturday)," President Raul Castro said. |
| Fidel Castro ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost 50 years before Raul took over in 2008. | Fidel Castro ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost 50 years before Raul took over in 2008. |
| His supporters said he had given Cuba back to the people. But he was also accused of suppressing opposition. | His supporters said he had given Cuba back to the people. But he was also accused of suppressing opposition. |
| Live updates | Live updates |
| Obituary: Fidel Castro | Obituary: Fidel Castro |
| Fidel Castro: A life in pictures | Fidel Castro: A life in pictures |
| Fidel: The world icon | Fidel: The world icon |
| Ashen and grave, President Castro told the nation in an unexpected late night broadcast on state television that Fidel Castro had died and would be cremated later on Saturday. | |
| There would now be several days of national mourning on the island. | There would now be several days of national mourning on the island. |
| Raul Castro ended the announcement by shouting the revolutionary slogan: "Towards victory, always!" | Raul Castro ended the announcement by shouting the revolutionary slogan: "Towards victory, always!" |
| Barring the occasional newspaper column, Fidel Castro had essentially been retired from political life for some time, the BBC's Will Grant in Havana reports. | Barring the occasional newspaper column, Fidel Castro had essentially been retired from political life for some time, the BBC's Will Grant in Havana reports. |
| In April, Fidel Castro gave a rare speech on the final day of the country's Communist Party congress. | In April, Fidel Castro gave a rare speech on the final day of the country's Communist Party congress. |
| He acknowledged his advanced age but said Cuban communist concepts were still valid and the Cuban people "will be victorious". | He acknowledged his advanced age but said Cuban communist concepts were still valid and the Cuban people "will be victorious". |
| "I'll soon be 90," the former president said, adding that this was "something I'd never imagined". | "I'll soon be 90," the former president said, adding that this was "something I'd never imagined". |
| "Soon I'll be like all the others, "to all our turn must come," Fidel Castro said. | "Soon I'll be like all the others, "to all our turn must come," Fidel Castro said. |
| Castro - who had survived many assassination plots - was the longest serving non-royal leader of the 20th Century. | Castro - who had survived many assassination plots - was the longest serving non-royal leader of the 20th Century. |
| Castro temporarily handed over power to his brother in 2006 as he was recovering from an acute intestinal ailment. | Castro temporarily handed over power to his brother in 2006 as he was recovering from an acute intestinal ailment. |
| Raul Castro officially became president two years later. | Raul Castro officially became president two years later. |
| Fidel Castro's key dates | Fidel Castro's key dates |
| Cuba's revolutionary leader | Cuba's revolutionary leader |
| Throughout the Cold War, Fidel Castro was Washington's bete noire. | Throughout the Cold War, Fidel Castro was Washington's bete noire. |
| An accomplished tactician on the battlefield, he and his small army of guerrillas overthrew the military leader Fulgencio Batista in 1959 to widespread popular support. | An accomplished tactician on the battlefield, he and his small army of guerrillas overthrew the military leader Fulgencio Batista in 1959 to widespread popular support. |
| Within two years of taking power, he declared the revolution to be Marxist-Leninist in nature and allied the island nation firmly to the Soviet Union. | Within two years of taking power, he declared the revolution to be Marxist-Leninist in nature and allied the island nation firmly to the Soviet Union. |
| Yet, despite the constant threat of a US invasion as well as the long-standing economic embargo on the island, Castro managed to maintain a communist revolution in a nation just 90 miles (145km) off the coast of Florida. | Yet, despite the constant threat of a US invasion as well as the long-standing economic embargo on the island, Castro managed to maintain a communist revolution in a nation just 90 miles (145km) off the coast of Florida. |
| Despised by his critics as much as he was revered by his followers, he outlasted ten US presidents and defied scores of attempts on his life by the CIA. | Despised by his critics as much as he was revered by his followers, he outlasted ten US presidents and defied scores of attempts on his life by the CIA. |