Vale's move to exit New Caledonia nickel mine heightens unrest

Intruders seize machinery, while authorities halt international flights

20201210 New Caledonia

Vale's Goro mine, seen in 2015, is one of the largest employers in New Caledonia. © AFP/Jiji

MICHAEL FIELD, Contributing writer

AUCKLAND -- Authorities on the Pacific island of New Caledonia suspended international flight services on Thursday amid unrest over plans by Brazilian mining company Vale to exit its operations there.

The French colony of New Caledonia, 1,200 km east of Australia, is home to around a quarter of the world's known reserves of nickel, a key ingredient for making steel and batteries.

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