Starmer faces pressure as Chagos Islands legal case weakens

Keir Starmer faces pressure as the legal case for transferring the Chagos Islands to Mauritius weakens. A minister revealed that the UK is protected under international law against challenges related to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The UK government is nearing a deal to hand over the islands, which includes leasing back the Diego Garcia airbase for 140 years at a cost of £18 billion. Critics argue that the International Court of Justice ruling is only advisory and question the necessity of the deal. Opposition MPs hope to convince Donald Trump to veto the agreement by highlighting the unraveling legal arguments. They assert that the UK has a clear legal basis to maintain control over the islands, which are vital for UK-US security.