New Caledonians vote to remain part of France for 2nd time

Residents of New Caledonia voted narrowly against independence from France on Sunday for the second time in two years, with support for independence growing in the Pacific island territory.The French Overseas Ministry estimated that 53.26 percent had voted in favor of remaining as a French overseas territory and 46.74 percent had voted against, according to local media.The result of Sunday's independence referendum, the second of a possible three votes negotiated by Paris, pro-independence and anti-independence groups in 1998, was tighter than the previous referendum in 2018 in which 56.7 p…READ FULL ARTICLE