Samuel Bashfield

A dispute over sovereignty in the Indian Ocean tracks Britain’s dwindling empire and the path of international law.

In claiming sovereignty over Chagos, London privileges Western interests. And breaks international law.

A coral reef in the middle of the Indian Ocean, owned by no-one, is fast becoming a focus of international controversy.

The UK faces a lose-lose situation as demonstrators put disputed Indian Ocean archipelago in the spotlight.

Satellite imagery reveals the transformation of an Indian Ocean island into a strategic outpost. Many questions remain.

As internet domains go, .io is a money spinner. Would a change to the “British Indian Ocean Territory” cancel an asset?

Mauritius can’t have sovereignty over the Chagos and US nuclear weapons housed on Diego Garcia. Or can it?

Australian support for Britain’s contentious Chagos sovereignty claim risks delegitimising its South China Sea policy.