World Court weighs Britain's claim to Chagos Islands in Indian Ocean

FILE PHOTO: Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major United States military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean leased from Britain in 1966./File Photo

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The legality of Britain's claim to the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, which house a major U.S. military base, will be considered by the International Court of Justice on Monday when it starts a week of hearings.

Britain has overseen the islands since 1814 and in 1965 detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, a British colony that became independent three years later.