Cuba's state-run TV announced that Communist revolution leader Fidel Castro died Friday. Castro ruled Cuba for almost half a century before handing power to his brother Raul in 2008 due to poor health. BBC News writes his supporters praised him as a man who had given Cuba back to the people, while opponents accused him of suppressing opposition. Castro's alliance with the Soviet Union sparked several confrontations with the U.S during the Cold War, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, and The Miami Herald writes that no other individual has ever "tormented" the U.S. more. Castro had reportedly survived hundreds of U.S. assassination attempts and premature obituaries, and the news of his death may trigger celebrations among Cuba's exile community in Miami, The Guardian reports. In 2014, the U.S. announced plans to restore ties with Cuba, with President Obama saying neither countries were "well-served by a rigid policy that's rooted in events that took place before most of us were born." In an opinion piece this year, Castro accused Obama of sweet talking Cubans and ignoring the accomplishments of Communist rule, according to Reuters. The Guardian writes Castro's greatest legacy is free health care and education, but adds that he is also responsible for government controls that have "strangled" the Cuban economy. President Raul Castro said his brother will be cremated Saturday morning.