French president Emmanuel Macron flies to New Caledonia amid ongoing unrest

Smoke rises during protests in Noumea, New Caledonia (Nicolas Job/AP)

French president Emmanuel Macron is flying to New Caledonia to seek a political solution to the unrest that has rocked the French archipelago in the south-western Pacific Ocean, with violence still simmering while he is in the air.

The unrest has raised new questions about Mr Macron’s handling of France’s colonial legacy.