France imposes emergency in Pacific territory of New Caledonia

Paris: Violence raged across New Caledonia for the third consecutive day on Thursday, hours after France imposed a state of emergency in the French Pacific territory, boosting security forces’ powers to quell deadly unrest in the archipelago that has long sought independence.

French authorities in New Caledonia and the interior ministry in Paris reported that five people, including two police officer, have been killed in the violence

after protests earlier this week over voting reforms pushed by President Emmanuel Macron’s government turned deadly.

At least 60 members of the security forces were injured and 214 people

were arrested in the Thursday’s clashes with police, arson and looting, according to the territory’s top French official, High Commissioner Louis

Le Franc.