The UK has been forced to pause its plan to hand over the Chagos Islands, on which the US air base in Diego Garcia resides, after US President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the deal. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government are not completely scrapping the plan to hand the islands to Mauritius. When the deal to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which claims sovereignty over the Indian Ocean territory, was first announced it was fully supported by the US. Supporters and members of the Chagos Islands hold placards and flags outside the Houses of Parliament in January to protest against the proposed deal. In 1965, an agreement between the US and UK split the Chagos Islands from Mauritius and, though Mauritius gained independence three years later, the Chagos Islands remained under British control.

Source: CNN April 11, 2026 13:04 UTC