Stories by Patrick Decloitre

New Caledonia's government portfolios and their respective ministers have been announced 13 days after its President was elected.

Coalition talks are set to be complicated because in the last parliament at least two parties had MPs split across both the government and opposition benches.

A round-up of news in brief from the French Pacific, including a jail sentence for a drug trafficker.

"I will invite, this January, (New Caledonia's) political forces to come to Paris and open those negotiations."

New Caledonia's mothballed nickel plant, Koniambo nickel appointed a new chairman.

A round-up of French Pacific news for 11 January.

His election came after the first attempt to elect a President failed to bring out a sufficient majority.

New Caledonia's Congress on Tuesday elected its 18th government.

A man has died following a shark attack off the small town of Koumac, on New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre.

Authorities in French Polynesia have seized a record 524 Kg of cocaine aboard a Spanish-flagged vessel on Christmas Eve.

An emergency 231-million-Euro French package for New Caledonia has been reduced by one third because of the French Pacific territory's current political crisis.

A round-up of news in brief from French Pacific territories, including New Caledonia's Congress to meet in the new year to elect a new government.

A block resignation means the whole government of New Caledonia is deemed to have resigned, and should now act in a caretaker mode.

Former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls is France's new Minister for Overseas.

"Children were falling to the ground, everyone was falling all around, it was panic" when the earthquake struck, group supervisor says.

As French Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government has fallen to a motion of no confidence just three months after coming to office, New Caledonia is among the major victims.

The New Zealand Foreign Minister's schedule will include meetings with "a wide range of government, political, business and civil society leaders" from 3 to 5 December.

French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said even though there remained some "sensitive areas", New Caledonia was on the path to experiencing a "return to normal".

This followed an earlier ruling on 22 October 2024 from the Court of Cassation, which is tasked to rule on possible procedural mistakes in earlier judgements.

New Caledonia's largest pro-independence party unveiled the main outcome of its Congress last weekend, including its plans for the French Pacific territory's political future.

Small and medium business federation president Nicole Moreau says the crisis following the May 2024 riots was not only human and economic, but also social.

A round-up of news in brief from French Pacific territories, including a group of young New Caledonians arriving in Aotearoa this week as part of an ongoing regional mobility scheme.

President Jacques Lalié has been disqualified to contest the next provincial elections after he was found guilty of "favouritism" on Tuesday.

New Caledonia's chiefly community is mourning the death of Great Chief William Boarat, from the district of Koumac (far north-eastern tip of the main island of New Caledonia).

Within the pro-independence camp, the two main moderate parties UPM and PALIKA have reacted favourably, although they have recently distanced themselves from UC.