UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a deal surrendering sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after a judge overturned a last-minute injunction that had blocked its finalization on May 22.
The agreement allows London to keep control of a strategically important U.S.–UK air base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Indian Ocean archipelago, via a 99-year lease costing the UK some 3.4 billion pounds ($4.6 billion).
It also contains the option of a 50-year extension of the lease, with the UK keeping the right of first refusal.
The signing was meant to go ahead during a virtual ceremony on the morning of May 22, but that was delayed by several hours after a judge blocked the move in the early hours….
Starmer Signs Chagos Islands Deal After Court Throws Out Injunction
