Australia has expanded a ban on cattle shipments to Indonesia, after a television expose showed images of Indonesian slaughterhouse practices that shocked Australian viewers.

The move, announced late Tuesday, extends a temporary ban on that cattle trade from 11 Indonesian abattoirs to all 770 slaughterhouses in the country. The ban is expected to last up to six months while Australian authorities seek assurances that meat processors are using humane practices in Indonesian slaughterhouses.

The television report aired last week showed steers being whipped, beaten and gouged and taking minutes to die after repeated cuts to the throat.

Critics of those practices are demanding changes in Indonesian slaughter methods so that cattle are shocked senseless with stun guns before the animals are killed. Australia's shipments of live cattle to Indonesia are worth more than $320 million a year.

There was no immediate response from Jakarta to the ban.

Last week, Indonesian officials said that local slaughter methods are based on Islamic teachings.

Investigating judges at the tribunal prosecuting Khmer Rouge war crimes have rejected a request to extend their probe into a third case that is opposed by the Cambodian government.

Judges Siegfried Blunk and You Bunleng ruled Tuesday that the request from international prosecutor Andrew Cayley was “invalid” because he had not secured the approval of his Cambodian co-prosecutor, who opposes pursuing the case. Cayley told VOA's Khmer service he will appeal the decision.

Cayley had protested after the prosecuting judges closed their 20-month investigation of so-called Case 003 in April, saying they had failed to visit suspected crime sites or even interview the two suspects.

The action exposed a deep rift in the United Nations-backed court, which has convicted one Khmer Rouge prison warden and is expected to try the top four surviving Khmer Rouge leaders later this year.

The tribunal has been collecting evidence for a third and fourth cases, but Prime Minister Hun Sen opposes any further prosecutions, saying they would divide the country.

The dispute between Cayley and the investigating judges broke into the open when the British prosecutor issued a public statement citing deficiencies in the initial investigation. The judges responded by ordering Cayley to retract his statement, saying he had disclosed confidential information. That order is under appeal.

Legal experts following the proceedings fear that Cambodian members of the tribunal have been influenced by pressure from the government. Cayley's Cambodian co-prosecutor has said she believes the suspects in Case 003 are outside the jurisdiction of the court.

The Khmer Rouge is blamed for the deaths of as many as 2 million people through executions, starvation and overwork during its period of harsh rule in the late 1970s.

South Korea says its top envoy to nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea will visit China this week to meet with his counterpart.

South Korea's foreign ministry announced Tuesday that Wi Sung-lac will meet Thursday with China's representative to the six-party nuclear talks, Wu Dawei. The two are expected to discuss ways of reviving the stalled talks and inter-Korean relations.

The meeting comes amid renewed tensions between the two Koreas. Other parties in the disarmament talks, the United States, China, Russia and Japan, have said better relations between Seoul and Pyongyang are needed before the talks on dismantling North Korea's nuclear arms programs can resume.

The last round of those talks was held in Beijing in December 2008.

North Korea has recently expressed a desire to return to the talks it abandoned in 2009 after the United Nations imposed tough new sanctions on Pyongyang for carrying out a nuclear test and test-firing a series of missiles. But the two sides have been in a bitter disagreement following North Korea's two deadly attacks on its neighbor last year.

The U.S. diplomat in charge of East Asian and Pacific affairs, Kurt Campbell, is due in Seoul Friday.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Wednesday that the North test-fired a short-range missile off its west coast last week in the first such launch in 19 months.

Yonhap quoted an intelligence source as saying Pyongyang fired the KN-06 missile into the Yellow Sea in the middle of last week, after apparently working on it to increase its range.

Meanwhile, a group of European Union officials is visiting North Korea to assess the food needs in the impoverished country, following a similar mission by the United States last month.

Pyongyang has appealed for international food aid, citing severe food shortages this year. But South Korea and the United States are skeptical about the food need amid concerns that the communist nation wants to stockpile supplies for next year's celebration of the 100th anniversary of North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung.

Mark Toner, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, told reporters Tuesday in Washington that the United States has not made any decision on whether to resume humanitarian aid to North Korea. He confirmed that one of the concerns is that the food could be diverted for other uses, instead of being distributed to the needy.

Syrian civilians are fleeing a restive border town with troops and tanks approaching, fearing retribution after the government accused “armed gangs” of “massacring” scores of its security men. Local residents disputed the official account, saying the violence broke out following a wave of defections from security forces sent to attack the city.

Witnesses in Jisr al-Shughour said Tuesday people are fleeing the area for the Turkish border or nearby villages after the government vowed to respond “decisively” to the recent violence. Activists described the town as nearly empty, saying even medical personnel had left.

Details of the recent events in Jisr al-Shughour remain unclear. Government officials say armed gangs killed 120 soldiers in the town during clashes over the past few days. Syrian authorities have acknowledged losing “intermittent” control of the area.

But residents and activists said Tuesday fighting erupted between members of the security forces when soldiers began to switch sides, joining with protesters after days of bloody crackdowns. Other reports said Syrian civilians also took up arms to defend themselves, with some giving medical care to the defectors.

For weeks, rights groups have cited sporadic reports of defections and military units fighting each other. If unofficial accounts of the killings in Jisr al-Shughour are confirmed, the clashes would represent the deadliest mutiny since the 3-month uprising began.

Neither version of events could be independently verified because foreign journalists are not allowed in Syria.

The region near the Turkish border has become the most recent flashpoint in a widespread anti-government uprising with protesters calling for an end to President Bashar al-Assad's 11-year authoritarian rule.

Meanwhile, France's foreign minister says it is “inconceivable” that the United Nations Security Council has remained silent on the escalating crackdown in Syria.

Alain Juppe told reporters at the U.N. Tuesday that France is working with Britain and other European allies to gather majority support for a resolution condemning Syrian violence against civilians. He said a date to vote on the issue would be set in “days, maybe hours.”

A draft circulated last month does not propose military intervention. Still, Russia said Tuesday it would veto a resolution against Syria in the U.N. Security Council.

In London, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Mr. Assad needs to “reform or step aside.” U.S. President Barack Obama and his top officials have made similar statements urging the Syrian leader to transition to democracy or “get out.”

Also Tuesday, a report that Syria's ambassador to Paris had quit prompted speculation of dissent within the Syrian government. France 24 television aired comments it said was Lamia Shakkour resigning. But Al-Arabiya later broadcast comments in Arabic it said were from Shakkour in which she denied making such a statement.

Rights groups say at least 1,100 people have been killed in the government's crackdown against the anti-government campaign that began in March. More than 10,000 people have been arrested.

U.S. President Barack Obama says Greece needs the support from the rest of Europe if it is to emerge from its economic calamity.

Speaking at the White House next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr. Obama called Europe's economic problems a tough and complicated issue.

He said Greece needs structural reforms to make it more competitive and greater transparency in its economic system.

But he said it also needs private investment. He called on those holding Greek debt to decide along with European countries how that debt is managed.

The president said American economic growth depends on a sensible resolution of Europe's problems, calling default a disaster for the United States.

The European Union is planning another multi-billion dollar bailout for Greece after last year's $160 billion package with the International Monetary Fund did little to help pull Greece out of debt.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is working to convince his Cabinet to agree to more deep spending cuts and tax hikes to satisfy the EU.

But ordinary Greeks are livid that they are being asked to make more sacrifices.

Officials in Nigeria have filed fraud charges against the country's outgoing parliament speaker.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says the charges filed by prosecutors Tuesday accuse Dimeji Bankole of conspiring to inflate the cost of computers, printers and televisions and of rigging a bid to purchase luxury cars.

The officials say the charges were filed to ensure the former speaker would remain in detention while the anti-corruption agency prepares to file more charges.

The commission suspects Bankole misappropriated at least $60 million in parliamentary funds.

Bankole is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

Authorities detained the former speaker Sunday after a four-hour standoff at his home in Abuja.

Bankole had told the agency he would turn himself in for questioning on Monday. But an EFCC spokesman said officials decided to act after an intelligence report showed the lawmaker planned to flee the country on Sunday.

Bankole lost a re-election bid in April and served as speaker until Friday, when the outgoing House of Representatives held its final meeting.

U.S. President Barack Obama says it is only a “matter of time” before Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi gives up power.

Mr. Obama spoke Tuesday at the White House, alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The U.S. president said the NATO-led mission in Libya has made “significant” progress, protecting the people from a “potential slaughter” by Mr. Gadhafi's forces.

Chancellor Merkel said Germany is “of one heart” with its NATO allies in supporting the operation in Libya. But she acknowledged that the U.S. and Germany may sometimes have differences of opinion.

Germany has kept its troops out of the operation, but President Obama said Germany has allowed other NATO allies to increase their support for the Libya mission by increasing its resources and personnel in Afghanistan.

Mr. Obama honored Ms. Merkel with the pomp and ceremony of a state visit, including a formal state dinner at the White House Tuesday evening. During the dinner, the president presented the chancellor with the U.S. Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor, one rarely given to non-Americans.

First Lady Michelle Obama said Tuesday the honor was a testament to the “extraordinary life” of the chancellor, the first woman to hold the post, as well as the first East German.

Speaking at the welcoming ceremony earlier in the day, President Obama called Germany one of the United States' strongest allies and Chancellor Merkel one of his “closest global partners.” Ms. Merkel said the United States and Germany share the same values, which she said are “democracy and freedom, rule of law and the universality of human rights.”

At their meeting, the two leaders discussed economic policy, Afghanistan and the Middle East peace process.

President Obama said they agreed that Iran's nuclear program remains a very serious concern, and that the country faces the threat of additional international sanctions if it continues to ignore its international obligations.

Mr. Obama said he and the chancellor also agreed that Europe's debt crisis must be contained. President Obama said a Greek default on its debt would be “disastrous.”

Mr. Obama said they also discussed their support for political and economic reform across the Middle East and North Africa, especially in Tunisia and Egypt. He said they agreed this historic moment “must not be squandered.”

A massive cloud of volcanic ash billowed through the atmosphere above South America Tuesday, disrupting air travel for much of the day.

Flights to and from cities in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil were interrupted, although some airlines began resuming flights later in the day.

The ash is spewing from the Puyehue volcano in southern Chile, which erupted for the first time in a half century Saturday, sending a column of gas about 10 kilometers into the air.

Volcanic ash can damage jet engines. Last year a volcano eruption in Iceland forced thousands of flights to be cancelled, wrecking travel plans for millions and costing airlines nearly $2 billion in losses.

Indonesian authorities say rescuers have recovered 27 bodies after a passenger ferry capsized in the waters off Borneo Island.

Officials said Tuesday that 73 people have been rescued from the vessel, which sank Monday near Borneo's South Kalimantan province. More than 100 people were aboard, at least five of whom have been listed as missing.

Officials believe that the accident was caused by overcrowding and bad weather.

With over 17,000 islands, the Indonesian archipelago is heavily dependent on sea travel, but the sector has been marred by several fatal accidents over the years due to poor safety standards.