New Caledonia votes on independence from France

People queue to cast their votes in Noumea, New Caledonia (Mathurin Derel/AP)

Voters in New Caledonia are voting on whether they want independence from France in a referendum that marks a milestone in a three-decade decolonisation effort.

More than 180,000 voters were invited to answer the question: “Do you want New Caledonia to gain full sovereignty and become independent?”