US drops Cuba from terror blacklist

WASHINGTON: The United States dropped Cuba from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism on Friday, removing yet another hurdle as the two countries seek to restore diplomatic ties frozen for five decades. Cuba has vehemently protested its 1982 inclusion on the blacklist—which hampered its access to global markets and tarred it as an international pariah—and had demanded that the decision be rescinded.

Secretary of State John Kerry confirmed that effective Friday a “final decision” had been taken to remove Cuba from the list, after President Barack Obama in April gave Congress 45 days to object.