Obama cancels meeting with Philippines' Duterte after insult

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers an address at the Lao National Cultural Hall, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, in Vientiane, Laos September 6, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

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 b****", a comment that prompted Washington to call off a bilateral meeting.