UK shelves Chagos Islands handover to Mauritius after failing to secure US backing

The UK has shelved plans to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after failing to secure formal backing from the United States.

According to the BBC, the UK has still not received a formal exchange of letters from the United States. This is a legal necessity required for the Treaty to be enacted.

The UK government has now has run out of time to pass the necessary legislation before Parliament is suspended for the upcoming break, effectively putting the deal on hold.

Under the proposed agreement, the UK would have transferred sovereignty of the Chagos Islands while leasing back the military base on Diego Garcia, which is seen as strategically important to both the UK and the US.