Noumea, France: Hundreds of military and armed police reinforcements deployed Friday to the riot-scarred streets of France’s Pacific territory of New Caledonia, seeking to quell clashes that have left five people dead and hundreds injured.Anger over France’s plan to impose new voting rules has spiralled into the deadliest violence in four decades in the archipelago of 270,000 people, which lies between Australia and Fiji — 17,000 kilometres (10,600 miles) from Paris.French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said about 1,000 extra security forces were being sent to New Caledonia — adding to the 1,700 already present — while authorities would push for “the harshest penalties for rioters and looters”.Extra forces began landing Thursday at the French army-controlled La Tontouta International Airport and could be seen moving through the capital Noumea in red berets, toting rifles, gas masks and riot shields.Using state of emergency powers, security forces had imposed “a calmer and more peaceful situation” around Noumea for the first time since the unrest started on Monday, according to the high commission representing the French state.
