Volcano clouds Barack Obama’s visit to Indonesia

President Obama and his wife Michelle arrived in Jakarta today but aides said he may have to cut short his 24-hour visit to Indonesia because of concerns over a volcanic ash cloud.

The President, on a 10-day tour of Asia, lived for four years in Jakarta as a boy when his divorced mother married an Indonesian. He will not have time to visit childhood haunts.

Mr Obama will then go to South Korea and Japan, with the G20 economic summit to begin on Thursday.

The US has embraced Indonesia as a moderate Muslim nation and partner in counter-terror efforts in the wake of attacks in Bali, Jakarta, and elsewhere in the region between 2002 and 2005. Like India, Indonesia is also seen as a counterweight to China's gathering strength.

"Lots of US interests and lots of challenges and opportunities intersect in Indonesia," said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications.