Volcanic ash could shorten Obama's Indonesia trip

JAKARTA: Volcanic ash spewing from the mouth of Mount Merapi in central Java could force US President Barack Obama to cut short his trip to Indonesia, an official on Air Force One told reporters on Tuesday.

"The modelling for the volcanic ash will likely necessitate that we leave Indonesia several hours earlier than the schedule had it laid out tomorrow," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

He said Obama, who has twice had to cancel trips to Indonesia due to domestic politics, still hoped to deliver a keynote speech scheduled to take place at the national university tomorrow.