Obama cancels meeting with Philippines Duterte following remark

(Vatican Radio) US President Barack Obama has cancelled a planned meeting with the President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte who earlier used coarse language to describe the American leader.

It came after Mr. Obama had said he would raise the issue of drug related murders with Mr. Duterte, whose crackdown has led to the unregulated killings of nearly two and a half thousand suspected drug dealers and users since he took office in June.

In a statement issued this morning Mr Duterte expressed regret over the remark in a rare display of contrition by the politician.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama arrived in Laos for a three day visit meant to rebuild trust between the two nations.

This was the first time a sitting US president has set foot in the isolated southeast Asian nation of Laos.

Obama is one of several world leaders coming to the communist country of nearly 7 million people, which is hosting the annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.