UK signs deal to hand over control of Chagos islands

The UK has signed a long-awaited deal to hand control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed. It means Britain will give up sovereignty of the Indian Ocean territory and lease back the vital UK-US Diego Garcia military base – at a cost of £101m a year. Politics Live: Starmer signs deal to hand over UK control of Chagos Islands to Mauritius In a news conference, the prime minister said the base is of the “utmost significance to Britain”, having been used to deploy aircraft to “defeat terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan”, and “anticipate threats in…