Cabinet met on Wednesday 24 June 2026 and began with a spiritual meditation highlighting “Great is God and Greatly to be Praised,” before receiving a briefing from the Prime Minister on OECS discussions focused on cost of living pressures, trade expansion, Citizenship by Investment concerns, regional transport improvements, and institutional reform aimed at strengthening efficiency and integration across member states.

Cabinet approved an increase in the Passenger Head Tax from US$40 to US$50 per traveller. The additional revenue will support key regional institutions, including the ECCAA and ECSC, while CARICOM travel remains exempt to protect regional movement and maintain integration within the Caribbean community.

Cabinet also approved the engagement of Smith Warner International to carry out a coastal assessment and engineering design for Fort James Beach. The work supports the planned Fort James Renaissance Park and will address erosion, climate resilience, shoreline stability, and long-term coastal protection through evidence-based engineering solutions.

Cabinet endorsed a public-private partnership for the development of a 15-acre beachfront hotel at Yeptons. The project includes up to EC$40 million in public and state investment, alongside private capital and Citizenship by Investment funding. The initiative aims to increase local ownership in tourism and expand employment and investment opportunities.

Cabinet approved negotiating positions with the United States regarding a limited resettlement arrangement for third-country nationals. The Government confirmed strict screening measures, exclusion of individuals with criminal backgrounds, and acceptance of only a small annual number while maintaining national sovereignty and security safeguards.

Cabinet further approved the expansion of the Potters Sports Field redevelopment to include a full Olympic-sized swimming pool and upgraded facilities. The project also includes a new EC$5 million academic block at Sir Novelle Richards Academy, strengthening education infrastructure and supporting youth development and community growth.

Cabinet welcomed a US$9 million grant from the CDB and FAO for dams and water catchment systems to improve agricultural water security, irrigation capacity, and food production resilience. The initiative forms part of wider climate adaptation and food security planning.

Cabinet also approved a Vice-Regal Warrant establishing formal rules for national titles, including “The Right Honourable,” “The Honourable,” and “Excellency,” standardizing protocol and recognition across public office and national honours.nding on the amount of cloud cover in their atmospheres. Future observations by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope are expected to reveal more about their chemical makeup.

Super-puff planets are considered rare throughout the universe. Astronomers believe they form in the gas-rich disks surrounding young stars before gradually losing much of their material over time. This process leaves behind giant planets with extremely low densities.

The findings were published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Astronomers say studying rare worlds like these helps scientists better understand how planets form and evolve across the galaxy.

NASA has confirmed nearly 6,300 exoplanets beyond our solar system, but fewer than 40 are classified as super-puffs. The discovery gives astronomers another opportunity to learn more about the diversity of planetary systems in the universe.