UK court temporarily blocks deal to hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius

A British High Court judge has temporarily halted the UK government from transferring control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The decision, made just before an expected virtual signing ceremony, was in response to legal action taken by two British nationals born on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago. The judge’s injunction prevents the government from making any definitive moves regarding the transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory until a further court hearing. The legal challenge argues that the residents of the islands have not been properly consulted and their wishes ignored, as the islands have been under British control since 1814.