Compiled By NAN Staff Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Jan. 3, 2017: Here are the stories making news across the Caribbean, Latin America and its US Diaspora  for today, Jan. 3, 2017:
NYC
A 31-year-old Guyanese man became New York’s first homicide victim for 2017 when he was shot dead during an attempted robbery, which left his younger brother nursing a gunshot wound to the back. Ricky Kalisaran who had travelled from Guyana to attend his grandmother’s funeral scheduled for later this week, was shot dead. His brother, 24-year-old Sunny Kalisaran, is currently hospitalized. No arrests have yet been made in the shooting.
Caribbean
The University of the West Indies (UWI) has announced the official recognition of its degrees in China. His Excellency Ambassador Niu Qingbao, of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Jamaica, affirmed The UWI’s status as an approved university by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China.
The Coast Guard based in San Juan has begun searching for a French 74-year-old tourist on a cruise from Miami to the Caribbean who is believed to have fallen overboard north of Puerto Rico.
Jeon Pierre Knorr was last seen by his wife 3 a.m. Monday morning aboard MSC Cruises’ Divina before disappearing, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s new governor, who was sworn in Monday, has promised an immediate push for statehood in a territory facing a deep economic crisis. Gov. Ricardo Rossello, 37, proposed several measures aimed at alleviating the crisis shortly after he was sworn in at midnight. Among them is a proposal to hold a referendum that would ask voters whether they prefer statehood or independence.
Guyana
Guyana Police say they have two men in custody following the weekend  the murders of a poultry dealer and a cattle farmer. Police said cattle farmer Azrudeen Hussain, 24, and 34-year-old Desmond Singh were shot and killed at Humphrey’s Street, Friendship, East Bank Demerara.
Jamaica
Jamaica’s police are yet to make a breakthrough into the Sunday morning murder of 17-year-old Calabar High School student Stephan McLaren. McLaren was stabbed to death in St Andrew shortly after leaving an entertainment establishment.
Haiti
HHhaiti marks 214 years since political independence even as its citizens still await the official results of the November 20, 2016 presidential and legislative elections.
Dominica
Leader of the Opposition United Workers Party, Lennox Linton, has written to attorney Anthony Astaphan, asking for the basis of statements made by Astaphan which claims Linton defamed his character and his duty as a Parliamentary constituency representative giving a CBS interview over the sale of Dominican passport to foreigners.
Cuba
U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, a Republican congressman from northeast Arkansas, says he will reintroduce legislation to ease trade restrictions with Cuba, and says he’s hopeful that barriers to agricultural sales will be addressed early this year despite the new President. The federal government currently bars farmers from extending credit to Cuban purchasers. As a result, Cubans must provide “cash in advance” whenever they purchase U.S. agricultural products. Crawford’s legislation would allow credit to be extended, a change favored by many of the state’s farm groups.
BVI
The Government of the British Virgin Islands has chosen China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) as the preferred bidder to complete the runway extension project of the T.B. Lettsome International Airport. The bid advanced by the CCCC was $153,432,572.10.
Trinidad
Chutney legend Anand Yankarran has died. Yankarran, 51, died of a heart attack at the Couva District Hospital at about 7.30 am yesterday.
St. Lucia
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Eastern Caribbean is among many mouring the sudden passing of Sir Dwight Venner, former governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and former Director of Finance and Planning of Saint Lucia. Sir Dwight died at the age of 70 on  December 22, 2016 at Tapion Hospital in St. Lucia.
Venezuela
Venezuelan singer Memo Morales, 79, has died after suffering a heart attack during a New Year’s Eve concert in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. Morales, who was popularly known as El Gitano Maracucho (The Gipsy from Maracaibo), became famous for singing songs with a Spanish flair, such as boleros and pasodobles. He often sang with popular orchestras such as Billo’s Caracas Boys. His most popular song was Ni se compra ni se vende.
Brazil
Police in northern Brazil are searching for dozens of inmates who escaped from an overcrowded prison complex during a riot that left 56 dead, officials say. The area in Manaus, in Amazonas state, has been isolated. Officials say 40 out of 87 fugitives have been recaptured. The violence began on Sunday and ended 17 hours later. It was the deadliest prison riot in Brazil in years.
