UK court gives green light to reach Chagos Islands deal

BRITAIN signed an agreement Thursday handing sovereignty over the contested and strategically located Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a move the government says ensures the future of a US-UK military base that is vital to British security.

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The Indian Ocean archipelago is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia. Under the agreement, the UK will pay Mauritius 101 million pounds ($136 million) per year to lease back the base for at least 99 years. Starmer said that base, operated by US forces, is crucial for British counterterrorism and intelligence and is "right at the foundation of our sa