Philippines scrambles to soothe tensions after Obama slur
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.