Iconic Cuban Fidel Castro dead

Havana: Fidel Castro, the fiery apostle of revolution who defied the US for nearly half a century as Cuba's leader, died late on Friday, ending an era for the country and Latin America.

Several world leaders, including the President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Castro's demise.

"The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died late on Friday," President Raul Castro, his younger brother, announced in a midnight broadcast.

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.

The Cuban government announced that Fidel Castro's ashes will be interred at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba on December 4.

Cubans will be able to pay homage to Castro at the Jose Marti memorial in Havana on November 28, 29. A mass rally will be held in the capital. On December 4, at 7 am, his ashes will be interred at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery, the resting place of 19th century Cuban independence hero Jose Marti and numerous other leading figures in the country's history.

Several days of national mourning would be observed on the island nation. 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 revolutionary icon, one of the world's best-known and most controversial leaders, survived countless US assassination attempts and premature obituaries, but in the end proved mortal after suffering a long battle with illness.

Castro ruled Cuba as a one-party state for almost half a century before handing over the powers to his brother Raul in 2008.

His supporters praised him as a man who had given Cuba back to the people. But his opponents accused him of brutally suppressing opposition.

In April, 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".

"I'll soon be 90, this is something I'd never imagined, soon I'll be like all the others, to all our turn must come," he said.