Freeport declares force majeure

The US mining giant Freeport-McMoran has said it is no longer liable for contracts on sales from its strike-hit copper and gold mine in Papua.

The Grasberg mine in restive Papua province has been hit by six weeks of action over pay and conditions.

The declaration of force majeure frees Freeport of some of its contractual obligations to customers of the world's second largest copper mine.

There have been several deaths during the strike which thousands have joined.

Gunmen attacked a police patrol car 5km from the mine early on Wednesday, police told AP news agency.

The unidentified gunmen fired several rounds, the detective said, but no-one was injured.

Besides the strike, the mine has also been hit by road blockades and suffered a damaged pipeline.

Workers at the mine, currently paid up to about $3 (?1.90) per hour, had demanded up to $43 per hour after hearing what their counterparts earned in Freeport mines elsewhere, but have since scaled back their demands, reports say. (*)