An American among several believed held by Huthis in Yemen was freed and receiving treatment Tuesday in neighboring Oman, which has been hosting talks between Washington and the Iran-backed Shiite rebels.

A diplomat in Muscat said the talks between the Americans and the Huthis were aimed at promoting a proposed peace conference in Geneva, which the United Nations has so far failed to persuade the warring parties to attend.

President Barack Obama has urged Myanmar to end discrimination against its ethnic Rohingya minority if it wants to succeed in its democratic transition from decades of junta rule.

The plight of the Muslim group, 1.3 million of whom live in western Myanmar but are mostly denied citizenship, has come under scrutiny as a migrant crisis unfurls in Southeast Asia.

The United States removed Cuba from its blacklist as a state sponsor of terrorism on Friday, in a landmark move aimed at paving the way towards normalizing ties frozen for half a century.

The decision means Cuba will now have better access to U.S. banking facilities and American aid, and a ban on arms exports and sales is also lifted.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday denounced Vladimir Putin's "pure aggression" in Ukraine, warning that Western nations must be prepared to respond with further sanctions against Russia if necessary.

Condemning the Russian president's actions abroad and repression at home, Biden said facing down Putin was "critical to checking further aggression down the road."

An American youth who appeared in MTV reality show "Catfish" last year was arrested on Wednesday for making a series of bogus "terrorist threats" against metro stations, trains and buses in the U.S. capital.

Jerez Nehemiah Stone-Coleman, 20, nicknamed "Kidd Cole", is accused of making 11 crank 911 calls between December last year and May, warning of bomb threats or hostage situations on the Washington transport network.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon David Hale announced on Wednesday plans to build a new embassy, which he said will give the mission more space to deepen ties between the two countries.

The new facilities, which will be located next door to the current embassy in the town of Awkar, “is just one more example of the enduring partnership that exists between the United States and Lebanon,” said Hale following talks with Ambassador Charbel Wehbe at the Foreign Ministry.

The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs has reiterated Washington's support for Lebanon to meet the challenges it is facing and said the presidential elections would not solve all of the country's issues.

Lawrence Silverman said on Thursday at a conference organized by the Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce in New York that the U.S. stands by Lebanon to confront the challenges it is facing as a result of conflicts in the region.

The combative governor of Okinawa vowed Wednesday he would continue his fight to block the construction of a new U.S. airbase on the southern Japanese island, as he readied to take his case to Washington.

Takeshi Onaga told reporters in Tokyo he was "confident" he could stop the development of a base at the rural coastal spot of Henoko, which would replace the existing Futenma military facility in built-up Ginowan.

U.S. President Barack Obama weighed faster training and arms supplies for Iraqi tribes Tuesday, while eying a rapid counteroffensive to retake Ramadi from the Islamic State group.

"We are looking at how best to support local ground forces in Anbar" province, National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey told Agence France Presse, "including accelerating the training and equipping of local tribes and supporting an Iraqi-led operation to retake Ramadi."

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Lloyd J. Austin III visited Beirut on Saturday to renew Washington's commitment to provide military aid to Lebanon, the U.S. Embassy announced.

The General met with Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Lebanese Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji, the U.S. mission said in a press release.