Obama calls off meeting with Philippine leader amid 'whore' jibe

US President Barack Obama has cancelled a meeting in Laos with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who had earlier called him a "son of a whore".

National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said Mr Obama would meet South Korea's president instead.

Mr Obama had said he would raise the issue of drug-related extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

Mr Duterte said if he did that, "Putang ina (son of a whore) I will swear at you in that forum."

Mr Obama flew to Laos on Monday for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, after attending the G20 meeting in Hangzhou, China.

Duterte: From 'Punisher' to president

Speaking in Manila before he left for Laos, Mr Duterte referred to his anti-drugs campaign that has led to the killing of 2,400 suspected drug dealers and users since he took office in June.

Mr Duterte has sanctioned the killing of drug dealers to try to wipe out the narcotics trade.

"The campaign against drugs will continue. Many will die, plenty will be killed until the last pusher is out of the streets.

"Until the [last] drug manufacturer is killed we will continue."

He said Mr Obama must not disrespect him. "We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that to me," he said.

Mr Obama had replied that Mr Duterte was a "colourful guy" and that he had asked his team "to find out, is this in fact a time where we can have some constructive, productive conversations".

Mr Price later indicated it was not. "Instead, he will meet with President Park [Geun-hye] of the Republic of Korea this afternoon," he said.

Mr Obama's last scheduled trip to Asia as president has not been without incident, having also been caught up in a protocol row with hosts China over his arrival in Hangzhou.

The UN has repeatedly condemned Mr Duterte's policies as a violation of human rights. The Roman Catholic Church, the dominant religion in the Philippines, has also criticised Mr Duterte.

In August, two UN human rights experts said Mr Duterte's directive for police and the public to kill suspected drug traffickers amounted to "incitement to violence and killing, a crime under international law".

Source by:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37281821

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Louisiana floods: Obama 'heartbroken' after tour

President Barack Obama has toured the flood-ravaged areas of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he vowed to help residents rebuild in the coming months.

"We are heartbroken by the loss of life," he said after his tour.

Mr Obama dismissed criticism that he arrived too late and praised state officials for their initial response.

The president also met the family of Alton Sterling and the families of the Baton Rouge police officers killed last month.

Mr Sterling, a black man, was killed at the hands of a white police officer in Baton Rouge.

His death, along with the police killing of Philando Castile in St Paul, Minnesota, stoked racial tensions and led to protests across the country.

Nearly two weeks later, three officers were shot and killed and three more were injured in a shooting near the Baton Rouge police headquarters. The gunman, Gavin Long, was shot dead at the scene.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who travelled to Louisiana four days ago, and others have criticised Mr Obama for not cutting short his vacation on Martha's Vineyard to visit the devastated areas.

But Mr Obama hit back after meeting with flood survivors, urging Americans to stay focused on helping the state.

• How bad is Louisiana flooding?

"Let me just remind folks. Sometimes once the flood waters pass, people's attention spans pass. This is not a one-off. This is not a photo-op issue," he said.

Mr Trump fired back on Tuesday, tweeting: "President Obama should have gone to Louisiana days ago, instead of golfing. Too little, too late!"

The deadly floods, which began on 11 August, have killed at least 13 people and have left more than 2,800 people in shelters.

The president declared a major disaster on 14 August, allowing the state to access federal resources to assist local officials with the clean-up.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has already dispensed $127m (£96m) in assistance, according to the president.

"Sometimes when these kinds of things happen, it can seem like too much to bear," Mr Obama added.

"But what I want the people of Louisiana to know is you're not alone, even after the TV cameras leave."

The floods have been described as the worst natural disaster to hit the US since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Source by:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37171151

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