UK hands back its Indian Ocean islands

Hello. Today we're focusing on the Chagos Islands, a remote archipelago in the Indian Ocean which was, up until now, a British territory. The UK has announced it is giving up its sovereignty to Mauritius, although a secretive military base operated jointly with US forces will remain there. My BBC Persian colleagues report on the split mood in Iran, where not everyone supports escalating tensions with Israel. Also in your newsletter: treasure hunts, train rides, and false starts.

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UK gives up Chagos Islands sovereignty

The US-UK military operate a highly secretive base from one of the islands, Diego Garcia. Credit: Getty Images

The UK has announced it is giving up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, a remote but strategically important archipelago in the Indian Ocean. The deal will see Britain hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining a US-UK military base on the atoll of Diego Garcia.

Why is this happening now?

Mauritius has long argued that it was illegally forced to cede the Chagos Islands in return for its own independence from the UK in 1968. A handful of Chagossians, who’d been forced to leave the islands in the following years, repeatedly sued Britain. But international opinion only began to shift recently. African nations began to speak with one voice on the matter, pressing on the issue of decolonialisation. Then Brexit left many European nations reluctant to continue backing the UK’s stance in international forums.

What are the terms of the deal?

The UK will provide a package of financial support to Mauritius, which will also be able to begin a resettlement programme on the Chagos Islands, but not on Diego Garcia. There, the UK will ensure operation of the military base for "an initial period" of 99 years. The deal is still subject to finalisation of a treaty, which both sides promised to complete as quickly as possible.

What are the Chagossians saying?

Opinions are divided. Isabelle Charlot said the deal brought back hopes her family could return to her father's island "roots". Plans for the Mauritius government to arrange resettlement would mean a "place that we can call home - where we will be free," she said. But Frankie Bontemps, a second generation Chagossian in the UK, told the BBC that he felt "betrayed" and "angry" at the news because "Chagossians have never been involved" in the negotiations.

THE BIG PICTURE

World's longest treasure hunt comes to an end

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Thirty-one years ago, puzzlemaker Max Valentin buried the statue of an owl in France and published a book of arcane clues to find it. Since then the "Chouette d'Or" has gained cult status in the country, with ten of thousands of people pursuing the €150,000 (£126,000) golden bird. On Thursday, it was finally found, the hunt's organiser announced.

And finally... in Belfast

Regular readers of this newsletter will have followed the cruise ship which has been stranded in Belfast for four months. Passengers departed the Northern Irish city for their world tour on Monday - only to be promptly returned to port again, owing to incomplete paperwork. Three days later, it has again left for good. Fingers crossed that this is the last time.