New Caledonia

New Caledonia's pro-independence Palika party has restated that it wants the next referendum on independence from France to be held before the next year's French presidential election.

There is continued high tension in New Caledonia over the planned sale of the Vale nickel plant to a new consortium Prony Resources.

The French overseas minister Sebastien Lecornu has suggested the French state take a larger role in New Caledonia's Vale nickel.

The president of New Caledonia's Southern Province has made a fresh suggestion on how to structure a purchase of the Vale nickel plant.

Charges have been laid against the spokesperson of New Caledonia's government who is accused of receiving excessive allowances.

Reports from New Caledonia say there has been another major arson attack at the site of the Vale nickel plant.

There has been an arson attack in New Caledonia on the SLN mine site in Kouaoua.

New Caledonia's pro-independence group, the FLNKS, has firmly condemned protestors involved in arson and vandalism at the Vale nickel plant.

A fire has erupted at the Vale nickel mine site in New Caledonia, whose planned sale has been at the centre of recent disturbances.

Reports from New Caledonia say the Thio mine site of the SLN nickel company remains shut on instigation of the pro-independence FLNKS movement.

Road blocks in New Caledonia have been removed after last week's protests and riots over the sale of the Vale nickel plant.

Pro-independence leaders in New Caledonia say they intend to relax protest action against the sale of the Vale nickel plant in the south of the country.