By Roberta Rampton and Manuel Mogato VIENTIANE (Reuters) – (Note: paragraphs 1, 6 and 19 contain language that may offend some readers) New Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte sought to defuse a row with the United States on Tuesday, voicing regret for calling President Barack Obama a "son of a bitch", a comment that prompted Washington to call off a bilateral meeting. The tiff between the two allies overshadowed the opening of a summit of East and Southeast Asian nations in Vientiane, Laos. It also soured Obama's last swing as president through a region he has tried to make a focus of U.S. foreign policy, a strategy widely seen as a response to China's economic and military muscle-flexing.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-cancels-meeting-philippines-duterte-insult-015257668.html

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