Warning: This report contains accounts of sexual assault and violence that some readers may find distressing. Ramia was preparing for a family picnic, on a warm summer day in her village in Latakia province in western Syria, when a white car drove up, she said
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here in the national capital. Pichai is here for the Global AI Impact Summit 2026 and will deliver the keynote address on February 20 at the summit. New Delhi: Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra
The back-and-forth between the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association has taken another turn. On Tuesday afternoon, the WNBPA submitted a new counterproposal, only to have it shot down yet again by the league, as negotiations intensify ahead of the new season
The leadership has made it clear that performance and public perception will be key criteria in deciding nominations The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing for a major organisational overhaul in Assam ahead of the assembly elections
Political and strategic considerations will overshadow economic ones in the choices that countries make going forward, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday (February 17, 2026). Speaking at the Global Economic Cooperation 2026 summit organised by the Future Economic Cooperation
Brief symbol of decolonisation, Chagos Islands is once again a flashpoint in great-power rivalry
The UK formally agreed to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in May 2025. With the Trump administration's explicit support, this move ended one of the longest-running territorial disputes in Britain's remaining overseas territories.
The decision has been hailed by some as a long-overdue act of decolonisation, condemned by others as a strategic misstep. Unexpectedly, Donald Trump has now reignited the debate, branding the deal an “act of great stupidity”.
Why has this small chain of remote Indian Ocean islands become such a flashpoint?
The roots of the crisis lie in the dismantling of Britain's empire in the 1960s. The Chagos archipelago was historically administered as part of colonial Mauritius, then a British colony. In 1965, three years before Mauritian independence, the UK separated Chagos from Mauritius to create a new territory: the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The creation of a new colony was an act shaped by cold war strategy. Mounting economic and strategic pressures in the late 1960s – including the devaluation of the pound in 1967 and the Labour government's 1968 decision to withdraw British forces east of the Suez Canal – together curtailed Britain's regional defence role in the Indian Ocean.
As Britain retreated “east of Suez”, it still wanted a secure military foothold in the Indian Ocean, particularly one that could be used jointly with the US. Diego Garcia, the largest island in Chagos, was ideal: isolated, strategically positioned between Africa and Southeast Asia, near major trade routes and capable of hosting a major naval and air facility.
The costs were met by the UK, with £3 million paid to Mauritius to cede the islands. But the price of this strategy was paid by the Chagossians. Between 1967 and the early 1970s, the islanders were forcibly removed from their homes and relocated to Mauritius and Seychelles. Their removal was brutal: families were separated, livelihoods destroyed, and a distinct island community effectively erased.
By the 21st century, Britain's legal position was increasingly untenable. In 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled that the separation of the Chagos archipelago from Mauritius had been unlawful and that the UK should “terminate” its administration “as rapidly as possible”. The UN General Assembly backed this view with an overwhelming but non-binding vote.
Mauritius has consistently argued that the islands are a stolen part of its national territory, and therefore their decolonisation is incomplete. Over time, this case gained traction – Britain's continued control of Chagos came to symbolise the unfinished business of empire.
By 2022, James Cleverly, then the UK's foreign secretary, opened negotiations with Mauritius to “resolve all outstanding issues” over the archipelago. In October 2024, the Labour government under Keir Starmer concluded that a negotiated settlement was preferable to decades more legal wrangling.
The deal struck with Mauritius did two things: it transferred sovereignty over the archipelago to Mauritius, while securing a 99-year lease on Diego Garcia to allow the existing US-UK military base to continue operating at a cost of £3.4 billion.
On paper, this protected British (and by extension US) strategic interests in the region while satisfying the legal argument from the UN. However, while the deal was initially supported by the US, the deal has come under attack from other UK political parties, and increasingly jars with Trump's vision of the world.
The significance of Chagos is its location. Diego Garcia is one of the most important western military installations outside Europe and North America. It has been described as “an all but indispensable platform” for US interests in the Middle East and East Africa, with B-52 bombers recently used from the base to strike Yemen.
In an era of renewed great-power rivalry, the island's value has increased. As China expands its naval presence in the Indian Ocean, western governments see Diego Garcia as a counterweight. However, critics of the deal have raised questions about the China-Mauritius relationship, arguing this would allow China a crucial foothold in the region.
For the UK, the base also underpins its claim to still be a meaningful military actor beyond Europe. For this reason, sovereignty transfer was carefully managed. Britain was not abandoning the base, but ensuring an arrangement that kept western military access intact while removing the colonial stain.
On one level, the Chagos deal looks like a model of decolonisation. Britain accepted international law, acknowledged a historic wrong and negotiated a settlement.
Yet this is happening at a moment when global politics is becoming more overtly imperial in style. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, China's assertive regional ambitions and Trump's expansionist rhetoric about Greenland all suggest a world less governed by law and more by power.
In that context, Britain's attempt to “do the right thing” over Chagos risks looking out of step. It reflects a rules-based worldview that is under pressure.
This creates a dilemma for the British government, which on January 20 vowed to “never compromise on national security”. The government defended the deal, saying it had to hand over the Chagos Islands because the military base was “under threat” from international legal action.
Britain is no longer an imperial sovereign with uncontested control over distant territories. It is a mid-sized power that must balance history, law, alliances and strategy.
This situation also exposes Britain's continued dependence on the US for its global military clout and economic advantages. Without the US, Diego Garcia would be far less significant. The US substantially provides most of the base's military capability. Trump's criticism underscores a deeper vulnerability: Britain's post-imperial identity remains tethered to American power.
James Brocklesby is Lecturer in History, Sheffield Hallam University.
This article was first published on The Conversation.
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: ECI suspends 7 officials in Bengal over Trump asks Iran to be ‘reasonable’ in next round of talks over nuclear deal SC questions centre over Sonam Wangchuk's transcript Tamil Nadu Congress Chief Meets Kharge Over Hyatt Hotels chairman steps down over Jeffrey Epstein ties Infosys stock rises over 3% after strategic tie-up with Anthropic BNP, Jamaat Face Off At Bangladesh Oath-Taking Over Reform Council Pledge Nepal clinch historic seven-wicket over Scotland Galgotias University asked to vacate AI Impact Summit Expo stall over Chinese ‘robotic dog’ row US Deploys Over 50 Jets To West Asia Amid Tensions
For the fourth time in less than two weeks, a sea of red and blue descended on the Wankhede Stadium. And it turned out to be a case of fourth-time lucky for Nepal as it ended its T20 World Cup sojourn by gifting the 19,000-odd fans a much-anticipated win against Scotland
1 days ago
An avalanche in California's Lake Tahoe region has left 10 backcountry skiers missing, authorities say, with six more people stranded and awaiting rescue. The avalanche was reported about 11:30PST (19:30GMT) in the Castle Peak area near the town of Truckee
1 days ago
One of the biggest changes is the renumbering of several commonly used tax documents, including salary and tax-credit statements used by millions of taxpayers. New Delhi: The government has proposed major changes to income-tax compliance forms under the Income-tax Act, 2025
1 days ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met with Spanish President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón at Hyderabad House in New Delhi amid high-level engagements at the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026. The meeting between the two leaders followed President Sanchez’s arrival in the national
1 days ago
Pakistan's water crisis to worsen with approaching summers as India plans to halt excess Ravi river water flow to Pakistan with the completion of Shahpur Kandi barrage. Pakistan’s water crisis is deepening amid the Indus Waters Treaty suspension and is not going to end soon
1 days ago
Warner Bros Discovery is in talks with Paramount Skydance Corp. for a potential takeover. The Ellison family's bid has seen a slight increase. Warner boss David Zaslav is negotiating to secure the best possible deal for shareholders. Paramount needs to address remaining concerns to surpass
1 days ago
Vikrant Massey and Sheetal Thakur had been together for several years, officially registered their marriage on February 14, 2022, before hosting a traditional wedding ceremony on February 18, of the same year. New Delhi: Actor Vikrant Massey marked his fourth wedding anniversary with wife Sheetal
1 days ago
French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron met Bollywood stars in Mumbai, the delegation will travel to Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Mumbai: Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej met French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron in Mumbai on Tuesday
1 days ago
The United States has significantly increased its military presence in West Asia, deploying dozens of fighter jets to the region amid rising tensions with Iran and ongoing indirect nuclear negotiations in Geneva. The developments come alongside strong warnings from Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah
1 days ago
A widespread YouTube outage on Tuesday disrupted video access worldwide, including India and the US. YouTube suffered a widespread outage on Tuesday, halting video access for users across multiple countries, including India and the United States
1 days ago
Tech giant Microsoft on Wednesday announced at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi that the company is on pace to invest $50 billion by the end of the decade to help the Global South access artificial intelligence (AI)."Our five-part program is designed to make AI diffusion real at scale
1 days ago
A massive wildfire emergency has unfolded across the US Plains. In the northwestern part of Oklahoma, a fast-moving fire on the southwest side of Woodward forced evacuations on Tuesday. Wind gusts near 60 mph pushed flames through the red cedar-filled neighbourhoods
1 days ago
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday claimed that then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had asked him to decide on the date for his swearing in as CM when 58 party MLAs had supported him back in 2014. Sharing what he called his “days of distress" in the Congress
1 days ago
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called the AI Summit a disorganized PR spectacle. He alleged that Chinese products were displayed at the event. This comes amid controversy over a robotic dog at the summit. Critics claim it was a Chinese-made product, not an Indian innovation
1 days ago
The Delhi Traffic Police has launched a dedicated ‘Digital Lok Adalat’ system to make the traffic challan settlement easier for the citizens, making the process quicker and more convenient. This initiative, introduced in collaboration with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) and
1 days ago
India is discussing age-based restrictions with social media companies, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Tuesday, following moves by Australia and other countries to ban young teens from popular platforms. Vaishnaw, speaking at a global artificial intelligence conference in New Delhi
1 days ago
Gold Rate Today: Gold retreats from record highs as 24K prices fall and futures dip on MCX. Check today’s city-wise rates and expert insights. Gold Rate Today: Gold prices have taken a breather after scaling record highs, with fresh data showing a noticeable dip in both domestic and global
1 days ago
A new leak has offered a closer look at the upcoming Infinix GT 50 Pro, pointing to design changes and hardware upgrades over last year’s gaming-focused model. The smartphone, from Infinix, has surfaced in alleged renders alongside a detailed specification sheet shared by tipsters online
1 days ago
Nissan Gravite vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: The Gravite’s smaller engine may feel underpowered, particularly when the car is loaded with seven people and luggage. In contrast, the Ertiga’s larger engine make it more practical for real-world family use and long-distance driving
1 days ago
Ameesha Patel has been issued a non-bailable warrant by a Moradabad court in connection with a 2017 fraud case, she is accused of accepting money for a wedding performance and issuing a cheque that later bounced. Legal trouble has resurfaced for Ameesha Patel as a Moradabad court issued a
1 days ago
The Ministry of Education on Tuesday organised a special session titled “Ministry of Education – Pushing the Frontier of AI in India" at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi as part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attended the session
1 days ago
The reactor involved was Ward 250, which belongs to a new class of compact microreactors. Washington: The United States has carried out an operation that has drawn global attention in the field of advanced energy technology. A nuclear reactor moved through the sky
1 days ago
Beyond the mines: Archaeologists uncover a massive 3,000-year-old gold processing city in Egypt’s Eastern Desert. Discover the ancient smelting furnaces, residential districts, and the 628 'Ostraca' library fragments rewriting history.Beyond the mines: Archaeologists uncover a massive 3
1 days ago
Even as debate around AI intensifies across industries, concerns about the technology are also growing. In an interview with CNN-News18 at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales discusses artificial intelligence, misinformation risks, open-source innovation
1 days ago
PAK vs NAM live streaming, match time, broadcasters and weather update as Pakistan fight for Super 8 qualification. Pakistan face Namibia in a high-stakes ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash on February 18 at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, with Super 8 qualification hanging in the balance
1 days ago
Salim Khan Health Updates: On Tuesday night, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was seen leaving the Lilavati Hospital where his 90-year-old father and veteran screenwriter Salim Khan has been admitted following complaints of swelling. The actor stepped out of the hospital premises late at night and
1 days ago
New Delhi: Massive traffic congestion hit several parts of the national capital as global leaders arrived for the high level AI summit. New Delhi: Heavy traffic congestion was reported across several key routes in the national capital as global leaders arrived to attend the high-profile AI summit
1 days ago
