New Caledonia votes on becoming independent from France

NOUMEA, New Caledonia (AP) — Voters in New Caledonia came in large numbers to choose whether the archipelago in the South Pacific should get independence from France and break ties first established in the mid-19th century. Sunday’s independence referendum is part of a three-decade decolonization effort aimed at settling tensions between native Kanaks seeking independence and those willing to remain in France. More than 180,000 voters were invited to answer the question: “Do yo