AP PHOTOS: Displaced Chagos islanders fear they will never go home after a UK-Mauritius deal

LONDON (AP) — Bernadette Dugasse was just a toddler when her family was forced to leave her birthplace, the Chagos Islands. She didn’t get a chance to return until she was a grandmother, and only for a visit.

Dugasse, 68, has spent most of her life in the Seychelles and the U.K. Like hundreds of others native to the Indian Ocean islands, Dugasse was kicked out of her homeland more than half a century ago when the British and U.S. governments decided to build an important military base there.

After years of fighting for the right to go home, Dugasse and other displaced islanders watched in despair Thursday as the U.K. government announced it was formally transferring the Chagos Islands’ sovereignty to Mauritius.

While political leaders spoke about international security and geopolitics, the deal meant only one thing for Chagossians: That the prospect of ever going back to live in their homeland now seems more out of reach than ever.

“We are the natives. We belong there,” said Dugasse, who has reluctantly settled in Crawley, a town south of London. “It made me feel enraged because I want to go home.”

——

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Chagossian Bernadette Dugasse shows sea shells from the Chagos Islands during an interview with The Associated Press, at her home in London, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Chagossian Bernadette Dugasse looks at a Chagos Islands map during an interview with The Associated Press, at her home in London, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Chagossian Bernadette Dugasse shows photos of a church in the Chagos Islands during an interview with The Associated Press, at her home in London, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

People demonstrate outside the High Court in London, Thursday, May 22, 2025, after a British court blocked the U.K. from transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius hours before the agreement was due to be signed. (AP Photo/Thomas Krych)

Chagossian Bernadette Dugasse shows sand and sea shells from the Chagos Islands during an interview with The Associated Press, at her home in London, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

People demonstrate outside the Foreign Office in London, Thursday, May 22, 2025, after a British court blocked the U.K. from transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius hours before the agreement was due to be signed. (AP Photo/Thomas Krych)

Chagossian Bernadette Dugasse shows photos of the Chagos Islands during an interview with The Associated Press, at her home in London, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Chagossian Bernadette Dugasse pauses, during an interview with The Associated Press, at her home in London, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

People demonstrate outside the High Court in London, Thursday, May 22, 2025, after a British court blocked the U.K. from transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius hours before the agreement was due to be signed. (AP Photo/Thomas Krych)

People demonstrate outside the Foreign Office in London, Thursday, May 22, 2025, after a British court blocked the U.K. from transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius hours before the agreement was due to be signed. (AP Photo/Thomas Krych)

Chagossian Bernadette Dugasse poses for a photograph outside her home in London, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Chagossian Bernadette Dugasse speaks, during an interview with The Associated Press, at her home in London, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Chagossian Bernadette Dugasse looks at a Chagos Islands map during an interview with The Associated Press, at her home in London, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Managerless Manchester United crashed out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday.

At the end of a week that saw the storied Premier League team fire head coach Ruben Amorim, the loss at Old Trafford has likely consigned United to another trophyless season and was greeted with loud jeers from the home crowd.

Former United striker Danny Welbeck scored what proved the decisive goal in the 64th minute, and Benjamin Sesko's late header was only a consolation for the hosts in the third-round match.

United has exited both domestic knockout competitions at the earliest possible stage this season, following the humbling loss to fourth-tier Grimsby in the English League Cup. The latest defeat means United will play the bare minimum of 40 competitive games for a top division team this season.

Its only chance of silverware this term is the Premier League, which would require a remarkable turnaround with the 20-time champion currently seventh in the standings and 17 points behind leader Arsenal with 17 games left.

United hopes an interim coach will be able to secure Champions League qualification, with the club having spoken to former players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick about taking on the role until the end of the season. Youth coach Darren Fletcher, who has taken charge of the two games since Amorim's departure, is also a contender, as well as former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The loss to Brighton underlined the job facing the interim coach.

Brajan Gruda fired the visitors ahead in the 12th, with Welbeck doubling the advantage after the break. Sesko scored his third goal in two games in the 85th, but substitute Shea Lacey was sent off four minutes later and United could not force an equalizer to take the game to extra time.

Arsenal advanced earlier Sunday with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a hat trick in a 4-1 win at Portsmouth.

Martinelli's treble helped the Premier League leader come back from going a goal down to the second-tier Championship team inside three minutes.

Colby Bishop stunned Arsenal with the opening goal at Fratton Park, but the lead only lasted five minutes after Andre Dozzell scored an own-goal.

Martinelli put the visitors ahead with a flicked header in the 25th. He slid in for his second six minutes after the break and headed in his hat-trick goal in the 72nd. It was the first time the Brazilian had scored a hat trick for Arsenal.

Victory could have been even more emphatic if Noni Madueke had converted from the penalty spot in the first half.

“It’s always tough to go into these places, especially in the manner that we started the game, conceding the early goal, but we managed to turn things around so I’m very happy,” said manager Mikel Arteta.

Record 14-time FA Cup winner Arsenal last lifted the trophy in Arteta’s first season in charge in 2020. It was the last major honor the London club won, but victory against Portsmouth maintains its four-pronged trophy pursuit along with the Premier League title, the Champions League and the English League Cup.

“I think we are very privileged to be where we are, and the games that we have to play, which means that we are in every competition,” Arteta said.

Top-flight Leeds was also behind to Championship opposition, but recovered from 1-0 down to beat Derby 3-1 at Pride Park.

Third-tier Mansfield pulled off an upset to beat Championship side Sheffield United 4-3 and Norwich routed Walsall 5-1, with Jovon Makama scoring a hat trick. Norwich head coach Philippe Clement later said that U.S. international Josh Sargent refused to play in the game.

Relegation-fighting West Ham needed extra time to beat QPR 2-1. Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos’ goal saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s team end a 10-match winless run.

West Bromwich Albion beat Swansea 6-5 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra time. Hull won 4-3 against Blackburn on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Brighton's Danny Welbeck celebrates after scoring during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Manchester United and Brighton in Manchester, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Manchester United's Matheus Cunha reacts during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Manchester United and Brighton in Manchester, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli scores during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Portsmouth and Arsenal in Portsmouth, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke celebrate after a goal during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Portsmouth and Arsenal in Portsmouth, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Leeds United's James Justin scores their side's third goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Derby County and Leeds United, in Derby, England, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (David Davies/PA via AP)

Leeds United's Ao Tanaka, right, celebrates with Wilfried Gnonto after scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Derby County and Leeds United, in Derby, England, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (David Davies/PA via AP)

Arsenal players celebrate after a goal during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Portsmouth and Arsenal in Portsmouth, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)