Patrick Decloitre

The French Minister for Overseas landed in French Polynesia on Wednesday (Tuesday local time) for his first official visit to the territory.

New Caledonian politicians who inked their commitment to a deal with France on 12 July will be offered special police protection, following threats uttered especially on social networks.

Pro-and-anti-independence parties committed to a deal regarding the future political status of the French Pacific territory on Saturday.

As part of a range of possible options, the French president reportedly put on the table an "associated State" status for the French territory, with a "strong link with France".

A delegation from political leaders as well as representatives from New Caledonia's economic and civil society have converged to Paris over the past few days.

The drugs were found in the Panama-flagged vessel named SM Dante, which had left Peru in May and was headed to Australia.

The confirmation came on Thursday in the form of a letter sent individually to an undisclosed list of recipients.

A Court of Appeal in Paris on Thursday ruled for the release of Kanak pro-independence leader Christian Téin from custody, almost one year after his arrest in New Caledonia.

Macron dedicated a significant part of his address to the situation in New Caledonia.

A Parisian appellate court has delayed the release of New Caledonia's Kanak pro-independence leader, Christian Téin, from custody following an appeal by prosecutors.

One of seven people transferred to mainland France almost a year ago, following the May 2024 riots in New Caledonia, has been allowed to return home.

The latest round of discussions, earlier this month, ended in a stalemate.

Air New Zealand ceased flights between Auckland and the French territory's capital, Nouméa on 15 June 2024, at the height of violent civil unrest.

New Caledonia and French Polynesia are both in the UN's list of non-self-governing territories to be decolonised, respectively since 1986 and 2013.

This follows confrontations between law enforcement and violent groups last week, including incidents of arson, stone-throwing and vehicles being set on fire.

New Caledonia's political parties have yet to reach an agreement on the French Pacific territory's future status.

Talks about New Caledonia's political future were progressing slowly between Manuel Valls and all sides of the political spectrum.

The New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister travels to Nouméa today, where he will hold talks with visiting French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls.

Manuel Valls, who is visiting New Caledonia for the third time in two months, has again called all sides to live up to their responsibilities.

The ANZAC Day Dawn service ceremony in New Caledonia was attended by a larger-than-usual number of representatives from the region.

Monsignor Susitino Sionepoe, 60, from Wallis-and Futuna, was officially installed on Saturday.

However, the French government's Minister for Overseas says the document is not a "unilateral position".

Three people are dead, two of them children, following two separate fishing incidents in French Polynesia.

The French government has appointed Jacques Billant, 65, whose career involves a long stint in the French military, as the new High Commissioner.

Téin is the head of a Field Action Coordinating Cell that organised a series of marches and demonstrations that later degenerated into months of civil unrest in New Caledonia.