UK forced to halt Chagos Islands deal after Trump criticism | CNN

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. A spokesperson told CNN that “we continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base.” However, it is understood that there is not enough time left in the current parliamentary session to enshrine the deal into British law. The UK government has long said the deal could not proceed without US support and it is understood there hasn’t yet been an exchange of notes with Washington, a normal procedure before which any treaty could be enacted. What are the Chagos Islands and why does Trump think Britain would be stupid to give them up? According to British newspaper The Times, the bill also won’t be included in the King’s Speech next month, which sets out the UK government’s legislative agenda for the upcoming year. The Foreign Office would not comment on that report. A UK government spokesperson told CNN that “Diego Garc