By News Americas Now Staff Writer

News Americas Now, NY, NY, Mon. Oct. 19, 2026: A celebration of the life of Guyanese Pan-Africanist and co-founder of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) Baba Eusi Kwayana will continue tonight, October 19th with a Nine Night celebration, a Guyanese mourning tradition marking nine days since a death while a legacy website, EusiKwayanaLegacy.com, is set to launch tomorrow, October 20.

The family and admirers of Baba Kwayana, who died October 10 at his Atlanta home at age 101, released a multi-city, multi-week program of commemoration stretching from Georgia to Guyana over the coming weeks Sunday.

Born Sydney Evanson King in Lusignan in 1925, Kwayana helped found the People’s Progressive Party with Dr. Cheddi Jagan in the late 1940s, served as Minister of Communication and Works in the short-lived 1953 PPP government, and later co-founded the WPA in 1974 alongside historian and activist Dr. Walter Rodney. He was elected to Guyana’s National Assembly in 1985 and remained active in the WPA until his death — 52 years of service, by the party’s own count. He was also an educator, playwright and author whose works include Guyana: No Guilty Race and Walter Rodney: His Last Days and Campaigns.

Publisher of News Americas Now, Felicia J. Persaud, said she first came to know Brother Eusi Kwayana in 1995, when she worked as a parliamentary assistant to the WPA Member of Parliament at Rodney House in Georgetown, Guyana.

“What I remember most was his extraordinary gentleness,” she said. “Brother Eusi was always gracious. I cannot remember him ever raising his voice. He was unfailingly polite and always addressed me as ‘Sister Felicia.’ And whenever I saw him, he seemed to be doing what he had spent so much of his life doing – reading, researching, thinking, typing, and writing. A quiet discipline about him stayed with me.”

She also revealed that one thing she found especially peculiar at the time was his diet. “By 1995, Brother Eusi had stopped eating cooked food altogether and ate only raw foods – long before raw food diets, clean eating, and all the wellness language we hear today had become fashionable. I remember thinking even then how remarkable his discipline was.”

“Perhaps there was something to it after all. Living to 102 is an extraordinary innings,” added Persaud. “But longevity alone does not define a life. Brother Eusi lived with purpose. He thought deeply. He wrote. He researched. He questioned. He served. And through more than a century of Guyanese history, he remained engaged with the ideas, struggles, and possibilities of the country he loved. For me, however, I will also remember the gentleman behind the public figure – the soft-spoken man at Rodney House who never failed to greet me as ‘Sister Felicia.’”

Atlanta, Georgia – Oct. 30-Nov. 1

A public viewing and wake will be held Friday, October 30, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Murray Brothers Funeral Home, 1199 Utoy Springs Rd SW. A life celebration service follows Saturday, October 31, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hillside International Truth Center. A memorial sweat lodge and grounding ceremony is planned for Sunday, November 1, in South Fulton, with RSVP details to be announced.

Guyana, South America – Nov. 13-15

Kwayana’s body will lie in state in Guyana on November 13, alongside a completion-of-walk wake that evening at 6 p.m. A homegoing service and interment are set for November 14 at 1 p.m., followed by a Congosaw – a traditional African-Guyanese wake and life celebration – on November 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Culture, Continuity and Legacy

A 41-Day Celebration follows on November 20, and organizers plan to launch a foundation in Baba Kwayana’s name on April 4, 2027, on what would have been his 102nd birthday. News Americas Now will continue to follow the commemorations for Baba Kwayana, whose seven-decade political and cultural legacy spanned Guyana’s independence movement, its post-independence politics, and its diaspora.

RELATED: Eusi Kwayana – Guyanese Pan-Africanist And Co-Founder Of The WPA Passes At 101

By News Americas Now Staff Writer

News Americas Now, NY, NY, Mon. Oct. 19, 2026: The crisis inside the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has escalated on two fronts, with a sitting judge now accusing the court’s own president of abusing his authority, and lawyers in a separate, high-profile extradition case demanding he step aside entirely.

The leak-probe allegations

According to reporting in Trinidad’s Sunday Express, Justice Peter Jamadar has accused CCJ President Winston Anderson of administrative overreach after Jamadar’s administrative officer, identified as Ms. Simmons-Peters, was questioned about her outside activities under the cover of an internal investigation into a media leak. Jamadar alleges she was warned she could face up to two years in prison under Trinidad and Tobago’s Computer Misuse Act, and that her files and communications were scrutinized as part of the probe.

In a six-page email reportedly sent to Anderson and fellow judges on September 4, Jamadar characterized the episode as “abuse of power,” arguing that Anderson – who Jamadar says is himself a party to the underlying dispute the leak investigation was meant to examine — should not have had oversight of an inquiry that reached into his staff’s conduct. The Sunday Express reported that another CCJ judge, Justice Rajnauth-Lee, received a similarly worded email as part of the same investigation, which was led by the court’s IT manager, identified as Mr. Burgess.

A second conflict-of-interest claim: the Mohamed extradition case

The leak-probe dispute lands on top of a separate, still-unresolved conflict-of-interest controversy tied to Anderson’s handling of the extradition case against Guyana opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed, who are fighting extradition to the United States on fraud and money-laundering charges.

Defense attorneys Roysdale Forde SC, Siand Dhurjon and Damien DaSilva sent a 14-page letter to the CCJ Registrar on August 14 demanding Anderson recuse himself from all proceedings involving their clients, ahead of hearings that resumed September 3. The letter cited leaked internal communications in which Justice Chile Eboe-Osuji accused Anderson of trying to “single-handedly override judicial independence” to force through a decision the panel majority opposed in the Mohameds’ case.

The attorneys also pointed to a separate claim by PNC Leader Aubrey Norton, who said in an August 11 interview that Anderson called him seeking to broker agreement on filling Guyana’s Chief Justice and Chancellor posts with government-preferred candidates — a role the attorneys argue belongs constitutionally to Guyana’s president and opposition leader, not the CCJ’s president. Anderson denied discussing the appointments for personal benefit and denied panel-fixing, though he acknowledged, per the Jamaica Gleaner, that he may have handled an unrelated judicial dress-code matter “too strongly.” The Mohamed camp’s lawyers said the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission’s announced independent review would not provide timely relief given the imminent hearings, and set their own seven-day deadline for a response.

A widening pattern

Together, the two episodes mark the second and third waves of reporting in two months to raise questions about Anderson’s leadership: in August, five of the CCJ’s six sitting judges were reported to have challenged his conduct over allegations of panel-fixing, which Anderson publicly denied on August 14; the Mohamed recusal demand followed days later; and the Jamadar leak-probe allegations, reported in October, suggest the internal rift has not settled.

The CCJ serves as the final court of appeal for several CARICOM member states and as the court of original jurisdiction interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas for the whole Caribbean Community, meaning the credibility of its presidency carries weight for trade rulings and constitutional matters well beyond Trinidad and Tobago or Guyana.

Sunday Express reported it sent requests for comment to Anderson, the CCJ and the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission on September 30 and again on October 5, and had received no response by its October 11 print edition.

News Americas Now has not independently verified the underlying allegations in either matter and is reporting on the basis of the cited outlets’ investigations. This story will be updated as the CCJ, Justice Anderson, the RJLSC or the Mohamed defense team respond.

RELATED: A Sitting CCJ Judge Says The Court’s President Tried To Influence The Ruling Against Guyana’s Opposition Leader.

Dr. Isaac Newton

News Americas Now, NY, NY, Sat. Oct. 167, 2026: Several students recently contacted me with a troubling question: Should they participate in university graduation ceremonies scheduled for the Sabbath, online or in person? After years of study, financial sacrifice, and personal perseverance, they want to celebrate their achievements without compromising their faith. Their dilemma deserves careful attention because it brings three legitimate concerns into conversation: biblical teaching, individual conscience, and institutional responsibility. A sound response must take all three seriously without claiming more theological certainty than the evidence supports.

The Sabbath

For Seventh-day Adventists, the Sabbath is sacred time devoted to God, worship, rest, fellowship, and service. Exodus 20:8–11 establishes its biblical foundation, Isaiah 58:13–14 presents it as a spiritual delight, and Mark 2:27 emphasizes its purpose for human well-being. The General Conference’s Sabbath Observance guidance provides principles for applying this understanding to contemporary life, but it does not specifically prohibit every graduation ceremony scheduled for Saturday. Graduation can express gratitude to God and dedicate learning to service. Yet its celebratory purpose alone cannot settle questions about scheduling, travel, ceremonial demands, and the displacement of worship or rest. Biblical principles must inform the assessment of the activity as it actually occurs.

Consider three students facing different circumstances. One can attend a virtual ceremony from home, avoiding travel but spending several hours in a scheduled program during sacred hours. Another must travel internationally for a commencement that the university offers only once, sacrificing an opportunity to celebrate with family if absent. A third can collect the degree on another day through an arrangement the institution readily provides. These situations present different practical considerations, although none automatically determines the theological conclusion. Online participation does not eliminate every Sabbath concern, just as physical attendance alone does not establish the full moral character of an activity. Purpose, duration, competing responsibilities, available alternatives, and the individual’s informed convictions all deserve consideration. Students need sound biblical guidance and room for conscientious judgment, not assumptions about their motives.

CONSISTENCY

Institutional consistency raises an equally important concern. When church leaders discourage Sabbath graduation while Adventist educational institutions schedule commencement exercises during those hours, students deserve a clear explanation of the apparent tension. An established practice does not independently establish theological authority; personal disagreement, likewise, does not prove institutional misconduct. Church leaders should distinguish scriptural teaching from formal Church policy, theological interpretation, and pastoral counsel. Educational administrators should publish scheduling policies early, assess feasible alternatives, explain genuine constraints, and consider reasonable accommodations. Where rescheduling is practical, avoiding foreseeable conflicts deserves serious consideration. Where circumstances limit flexibility, transparent explanations and fair treatment can help students make informed decisions without unnecessary uncertainty or pressure.

The implications extend beyond graduation. Faith-based education makes a public commitment to integrate belief, learning, and service. Its credibility depends partly on how faithfully institutional decisions reflect that commitment and how fairly those decisions affect the people institutions exist to serve. Students bear responsibility for examining Scripture and acting conscientiously; church leaders bear responsibility for teaching with theological accuracy; and administrators bear responsibility for policies that demonstrate consistency between professed principles and organizational practice. A degree recognizes years of intellectual achievement. The Sabbath testifies to a life ordered around God. Bringing these commitments into conversation requires biblical fidelity, intellectual honesty, and practical compassion. The integrity of Christian education is strengthened when its convictions are clear, its decisions are principled, and its treatment of students reflects the faith it professes.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Isaac Newton is a leadership strategist, governance scholar, and author specializing in institutional excellence, ethical leadership, and human development. Educated at the University of the Southern Caribbean, Oakwood University, Princeton, Columbia, and Harvard, he writes on leadership, governance, and institutional development. His books include Fix It Preacher, Face Life Squarely, and Intimate Intimacy. He is also coauthor of Steps to Good Governance, Daring to Hope, When Nations Kneel, and The Belief Code.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Leadership Succession – Too Important to Step Aside?

By News Americas Now Staff Writer

News Americas Now, NY, NY, Fri. Oct. 16, 2026: A viral TMZ report claiming Sean “Diddy” Combs suffered a head injury in a prison fight with Jamaican former “don” Christopher Michael Dudus Coke is now being denied by nearly everyone with direct knowledge of it as simply Fake News. The Federal Bureau of Prisons told the Daily Mail flatly that “the story you are referring to is false and did not happen.” Combs’s family has disputed the account. And Coke’s aunt, Angela Jackson, said on Instagram that the report is “completely false and nothing more than fake news,” adding that her nephew has never even met Combs and that the two men are held in separate sections of Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution.

What hasn’t been denied, and what the original report got right regardless of whether the fight itself happened, is that Combs is still being held at Fort Dix and that an NBC News report on his lifestyle behind bars did trigger prison raids and phone confiscations. Beyond that, the Bureau of Prisons has declined to discuss any inmate’s confinement in detail, citing privacy and security, so Combs’s reported head injury remains unverified.

But the story went viral for a reason, and on Caribbean social media this week it wasn’t really about Diddy at all – it was about Dudus. Whether or not the two men ever crossed paths, the fact that so many people instantly believed a Jamaican “don” serving a federal sentence could still be the most feared man in an American prison says something about who Christopher Coke actually is to the Caribbean diaspora, even sixteen years after he left Jamaica in handcuffs.

DUDUS COKE

Coke’s name brought Jamaica to a standstill in May 2010. As the Tivoli Gardens “area don” with alleged ties to drug and gun trafficking through his Shower Posse network, Coke was wanted on a U.S. extradition request that the Jamaican government sat on for months — a delay that triggered a political crisis, cost a justice minister his job, and badly damaged a prime minister’s credibility. When security forces finally moved into the Tivoli Gardens community in West Kingston to extract him, the operation became one of the deadliest in the island’s modern history: a state of emergency, gun battles in the streets, and a civilian death toll that human rights investigators and community advocates have put anywhere from the 40s into the dozens beyond that, with many residents insisting the real number is higher than what was ever officially confirmed. A full, independent accounting of what happened in Tivoli Gardens that week has still never been delivered to the families who lost people.

Coke evaded capture for weeks afterward before he was caught trying to flee the island and was extradited to the U.S., where he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and was sentenced in 2012 to 23 years.

Sixteen years later, a false story about him was still believable enough to go viral worldwide within hours – proof that Coke’s name still carries real weight, for better or worse, long after he left Jamaican streets. Whatever actually happened or didn’t happen at Fort Dix this week, that’s the part of this story the diaspora already understood, and the part most American outlets chasing the Diddy angle never will: the families of Tivoli Gardens are still waiting on accountability for what that 2010 operation cost them, while the man at the center of it remains, even from behind bars, one of the most talked-about figures to ever come out of Jamaica. He is scheduled to be released on January 28, 2029, and likely will be deported back to Jamaica.

RELATED: Dudus To Spend 23 Years In Jail

By News Americas Now Staff Writer

News Americas Now, NY, NY, Thurs. Oct. 15, 2026: Guyana Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and two of his staff remained in police custody as of today, nearly three days after a shooting incident outside the Georgetown residence of Senior Superintendent Prem Narine, head of the Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch, according to statements from his party.

Mohamed, leader of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party and a prominent figure in Guyana’s opposition politics, was arrested late Monday night along with two other men after police say shots were fired at the vehicle they were traveling in near Narine’s home. Police have said officers returned fire after being fired upon first. Mohamed’s camp disputes that account entirely, maintaining that police shot at the vehicle without provocation.

No formal charges against Mohamed had been publicly confirmed as of Thursday, and no bail has been reported granted on the new matter. Police have said a search of the vehicle turned up an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, a finding central to the possession charges authorities have indicated they intend to pursue.

Mohamed’s attorney, Siand Dhurjon, has firmly disputed that account, telling reporters the weapon was planted. According to Dhurjon, an initial search of the vehicle immediately after the stop turned up nothing, and the firearm only “appeared” after police brought in a sniffer dog – a sequence he argues undermines the credibility of the evidence against his client.

No public statement addressing the specific planted-evidence allegation has been located from the Guyana Police Force. WIN has continued to characterize the entire episode as a politically motivated attempt to sideline Mohamed, who has emerged as one of the most visible challengers to the current government.

“You all understand the bigger picture. The bigger picture is not the gun what (the named officer) planted where he aimed a
 firearm at us to kill us. That is the bigger picture. I could have been a dead man and then he won’t have planted any gun in the vehicle,” he said on a Facebook Live on his sister’s Facebook page.

The new arrest comes as Mohamed is already fighting a separate, long-running legal battle: a U.S. extradition request against him, which he has contested on constitutional grounds. Guyana’s Court of Appeal is currently weighing his civil challenge to provisions of the Fugitive Offenders Act underpinning that request and has reserved its ruling, with a decision not expected for as long as a month. No date has yet been set for the underlying extradition hearing before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman.

Taken together, the shooting, the new firearm charges, and the still-pending extradition fight mean Mohamed now faces simultaneous legal fronts at a politically sensitive moment in Guyana, with his supporters framing each development as part of a single, coordinated effort against him and authorities maintaining that the cases are being handled strictly on the facts.

Guyanese influencer Melly Mel called the claims false and alleged it was an assassination attempt gone wrong.

This is a developing story.

RELATED: Protesters Gather At Kitty Police Station After Guyana Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed Shot At, Arrested