France on Thursday denied it was planning to cede sovereignty over two uninhabited islands in the Pacific after far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen accused President Emmanuel Macron of seeking to give up overseas territories.The volcanic islands of Matthew and Hunter lie several hundred kilometres east of the French overseas territory of New Caledonia but are also claimed by the island nation of Vanuatu, which won independence in 1980.Modern France still has overseas territories across the globe, from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean and Pacific, legacies of the colonial era that are now vital strategic footholds for Paris.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Three-time presidential candidate for the far-right National Rally Le Pen had reposted on X an article published on December 14 in the Le Figaro daily speculating that the two islands could be ceded to Vanuatu.“Let it be very clear: national sovereignty is neither negotiated nor