New Caledonia votes "no" to independence from France

Residents of New Caledonia voted against cutting ties with France on Sunday by a tighter-than-expected margin in the territory's long-awaited independence referendum.Local media estimated the final result to be 57 percent to 43 percent in favor of remaining a French overseas territory, with official figures expected to be announced Monday.Independence has long been a goal of indigenous people in the semi-autonomous territory, who were dispossessed of their traditional lands in 1853 when the French took control of the archipelago.Voter turnout was almost 80 percent in the referendum, which a…READ FULL ARTICLE