PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is making a surprise trip to riot-hit New Caledonia, the French Pacific territory that has been gripped by days of deadly unrest and where indigenous people have long sought independence.
“He will go there tonight,” government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot said after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday where the president said he’d decided to make the more than 33,000-kilometer (20,000-mile) round trip himself to the archipelago east of Australia.
Six people have been killed, including two gendarmes, and hundreds of others injured in New Caledonia amid armed clashes, looting and arson, raising new questions about Macron’s handling of France’s colonial legacy.
There have been decades of tensions between indigenous Kanaks who seek independence for the archipelago of 270,000 people, and descendants of colonizers and colonists who want to remain part of France.
Five Rohingya found dead after Arakan Army arrest — Radio Free Asia
Five Rohingya found dead after Arakan Army arrest — Radio Free Asia
Teresa Palmer dazzles in rhinestones and a plunging top in behind
Channing Tatum transforms into tech billionaire in Blink Twice trailer
Timberwolves dispute between Taylor and Lore, Rodriguez over ownership moves to mediation
Biden tries to navigate the Israel
Saudi Arabia's King Salman enters hospital for routine examinations, state media say
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
Star Trek reunion! Sir Patrick Stewart dines with longtime co