Ammon News - President Joe Biden is to remove the US designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a prisoner release deal, the White House said on Tuesday.

Shortly afterwards, Cuba announced it would release 553 prisoners detained for "diverse crimes". It is hoped these will include participants in anti-government protests four years ago.

President-elect Donald Trump reinstated the country's terror designation in the final days of his first presidency in 2021, banning US economic aid and arms exports to the country.

But on Tuesday, a Biden administration official said an assessment of the situation had presented "no information" that supported the designation.

Cuba said Biden's move was a step "in the right direction" despite its "limited nature".

"This decision puts an end to specific coercive measures that, along with many others, cause serious damage to the Cuban economy, with a severe effect on the population," the country's ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement.

Biden is to notify Congress of his plans, which also include reversing Trump-era financial restrictions on some Cubans, a White House statement said.

He will also suspend the ability of individuals to make claims to confiscated property in Cuba, the statement read.

It is unclear whether Trump will reverse this latest decision when he returns to office on 20 January. BBC