London, May 22 (AP) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he has signed an agreement handing over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The archipelago in the Indian Ocean is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia.

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Starmer says the agreement secures the future of a base that is “right at the foundation of our safety and security at home”.

The signing was delayed for several hours after a UK judge imposed a last-minute injunction blocking the transfer. That was later lifted by another judge. (AP)

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)