Pope Leo XIV has affirmed the right of people to return to their homes after an unjust exile.

The governments of Britain and Mauritius have signed a deal settling the future of the Chagos Islands after overcoming last-minute legal hurdles.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he has signed an agreement handing over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Britain’s government has confirmed that it will not finalize a deal to hand over sovereignty of the contested Chagos Islands to Mauritius until President-elect Donald Trump’s administration is consulted.

The British government says it still plans to hand over a contested Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important military base, to Mauritius.

The government of Mauritius on Friday banned access to social media websites ahead of parliamentary elections later this month.

Islanders who were forced to leave their remote Indian Ocean home to make way for a U.S. military base half a century ago protested outside the U.K. Parliament on Monday.

The U.K. has agreed to hand sovereignty of the long-contested Chagos Islands, an archipelago of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius, in a deal to secure the future of a strategically important U.K.-U.S. military base at Diego Garcia.

Mauritius has lifted its highest storm alert and eased a nationwide curfew after a cyclone battered the Indian Ocean island and nearby French island of Reunion.

Authorities say a tropical cyclone caused heavy flooding and at least one death in Mauritius as cars were washed away by surges of water in the Indian Ocean island’s capital city and other places.

A cyclone which is intensifying as it approaches the southeastern African coast has been labeled as “dangerous” by the United Nation’s weather agency on Monday as nations brace for landfall.

Britain has reaffirmed its sovereignty over a remote Indian Ocean archipelago after Mauritius underlined its own territorial claim by planting a flag on the islands.

A delegation from Mauritius is set to sail Tuesday to the Chagos Islands to press the country’s claim for the strategically important Indian Ocean archipelago, which is also claimed by Britain and is home to an American military base.

Madagascar has put six of its regions on high alert as tropical Cyclone Batsirai is forecast to hit the Indian Ocean island’s east coast Saturday with intense winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles) per hour.

Madagascar is bracing for a new cyclone even as the Indian Ocean island recovers from a tropical storm that wreaked devastation last month.

A nurse holds a dose of AstraZeneca vaccine before administering it to a tourist resort employee north of Port Louis, Mauritius, Wednesday Feb. 10, 2021. That approval could come after separate WHO group meetings on Friday and Monday to assess whether an emergency-use listing for the AstraZeneca vaccine is warranted. AdCravioto said the AstraZeneca vaccine should be used in older age groups despite the lack of solid data, similar to advice from the EMA and Britain. The expert group noted that “preliminary analyses” showed the AstraZeneca vaccine had a reduced effectiveness against coronavirus variants that have emerged in Britain and South Africa. “Therefore, it is good to see the WHO recommend the use of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine in all ages groups, including older populations,” he said in a statement.

JOHANNESBURG Honking and drumming, tens of thousands of people protested Saturday in Mauritius over the governments slow response to an oil spill from a grounded Japanese ship and the alarming discovery of dozens of dead dolphins in recent days. It later cracked under the pounding surf and spilled around 1,000 tons of fuel oil into fragile marine areas. Authorities on Friday said at least 39 dead dolphins have washed ashore but its not yet clear what killed them. The oil is a new low-sulfur fuel oil that is being introduced to reduce air pollution, Jacqueline Sauzier with the Mauritius Marine Conservation Society told the journal Nature this week. Experts from ship owner Nagashiki Shipping, France and the United Nations have since arrived at the scene, and multiple investigations are underway.

In this photo supplied by Greenpeace on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, dolphins lay dead on the shore on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. At least 14 dolphins have washed up and died on the coast of the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, where a Japanese ship ran aground and spilled more than 1,000 tons of fuel, report environmental groups and experts. (Eshan Juman/Greenpeace via AP)

In this photo supplied by Greenpeace on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, dolphins lay dead on the shore on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. Other dolphins stranded on shore and appeared seriously ill, environmental consultant Sunil Dowarkasing said. We are seeing these dolphins swim up to the shore in distress and then die, said Dowarkasing, a former member of parliament. The oil spill and sinking of the bow are ruining what had been the best-preserved area of our island, he said. The Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef near the eastern coast of Mauritius on July 25.

Officials say the grounded Japanese ship that leaked tons of oil near protected areas off the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius, has split apart with remaining fuel seen spreading into the turquoise waters. (2020 Maxar Technologies via AP)JOHANNESBURG Authorities in Mauritius have arrested the captain of the Japanese ship that ran aground near Mauritius and spilled 1,000 tons of oil on the Indian Ocean island's protected coastline. The Wakasio ran aground a coral reef on July 25 and after being pounded by heavy waves for several days the vessel cracked and started leaking oil on August 6. The Mauritius government is under pressure to explain why immediate action wasnt taken to empty the ship of its fuel before it began to leak. The larger part of the ship will be dragged off the coral reef where it ran aground and towed away, possibly to India for salvage.

The MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius, can be seen from the coast of Mauritius, Sunday Aug. 16, 2020. The grounded Japanese ship that leaked tons of oil near protected areas off this Indian Ocean island nation has split apart, with remaining fuel spreading into the turquoise waters. (AP Photo/ Sumeet Mudhoo-L'express Maurice)JOHANNESBURG Work began Monday to remove the two pieces of a grounded Japanese ship that leaked tons of oil into the protected coast of the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius and broke apart. Only officials and hired workers are permitted to work in the coastal area and the waters surrounding the grounded ship. The Mauritius government is under pressure to explain why immediate action wasnt taken to empty the ship of its fuel before it began to leak.

Volunteers take part in the clean up operation in Mahebourg, Mauritius Wednesday Aug. 12, 2020 surrounding the oil spill from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. (AP Photo/Beekash Roopun-L'express Maurice)JOHANNESBURG The grounded Japanese ship that leaked tons of oil near protected areas off the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius has split apart, officials said Saturday, with remaining fuel spreading into the turquoise waters. Some 1,000 tons of fuel began to leak on Aug. 6. The Mauritius government is under pressure to explain why immediate action wasnt taken to empty the ship of its fuel. Owner Nagashiki Shipping has said residual amounts of fuel remained on the ship after pumping.

The MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius, can bee seen from the coast or Mauritius, Wednesday Aug. 12, 2020. Anxious residents of this Indian Ocean island nation have stuffed fabric sacks with sugar cane leaves in an effort to stop the oil spill from reaching their shores. (AP Photo/ Kooghen Modeliar-Vyapooree-L'express Maurice)

Anxious residents of this Indian Ocean island nation have stuffed fabric sacks with sugar cane leaves in an effort to stop the oil spill from reaching their shores. Today we can confirm that there is just a small amount of oil left on the ship. We will continue to do our utmost to minimize the impact of oil spill recovery and environmental pollution, said representative director Kiyoaki Nagashiki, a statement said. Battered by heavy waves, the ship cracked and began to leak oil on Aug. 6. Environmental group Greenpeace Africa warned that the consequences of the oil spill may be lasting.

This photo provided by the French Army shows oil leaking from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius, Tuesday Aug.11, 2020. Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius were working around the clock trying to reduce the damage to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a tanker ran aground on a coral reef. An estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ship's cargo of 4 tons has already escaped into the sea, officials said. (Gwendoline Defente, EMAE via AP)

This photo provided by the French Army shows oil leaking from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius, Tuesday Aug.11, 2020. An estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ship's cargo of 4 tons has already escaped into the sea, officials said. The Japanese ship, MV Wakashio, ran aground on a coral reef about a mile off Mauritius on July 25, and prolonged pounding by heavy surf caused the vessel to crack about two weeks later. Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said his government is working with the ship's owners to try to prevent any further spillage. France sent a navy ship, military aircraft and technical advisers after Mauritius appealed for international help Friday.

This photo taken and provided by Sophie Seneque, shows oil in Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius, Sunday Aug. 9, 2020, after it leaked from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius. Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius are working around the clock to reduce the damage done to the Indian Ocean island from an oil spill after a ship ran aground on a coral reef. Shipping officials said an estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ships cargo of 4 tons has escaped into the sea. (Sophie Seneque via AP)JOHANNESBURG Urgent efforts increased in Mauritius on Monday to empty a stranded Japanese ship of an estimated 2,500 tons of oil before the vessel breaks up and increases the contamination of the island's once-pristine coastline. Jugnauth has declared the oil spill a national emergency, but some residents say he acted too late.