Daily Headlines: January 16, 2015

* Cuba: Several new, relaxed travel and commerce restrictions from the U.S towards Cuba go into effect today as part of a bilateral push to normalize bilateral relations.

* Colombia: President Juan Manuel Santos announced his willingness to seek a bilateral ceasefire with the FARC yet a chief government negotiator noted that the Colombian military’s offensive against the rebels has not been suspended.

* Brazil: Health officials in Brazil removed the prohibition on the sale and import of a medicine containing a cannabis-based ingredient.

* Mexico: The U.S. will allow Mexican companies to apply for permission for “long-haul, cross-border transportation” based on NAFTA guidelines according to the State Department.

Video Source – YouTube user Newsy Politics

Online Sources – CNN; New York Times; Xinhua; ABC News