Barrack Obama

Edward Snowden: Why Obama should pardon me

 The world famous whistle-blower is making his case for a presidential pardon, saying his decision to leak a trove of highly classified National Security Agency documents helped bring about much needed change.

"If not for these disclosures, if not for these revelations, we would be worse off," Snowden toldThe Guardian journalist Ewen MacAskill in a video interview published Tuesday.

Obama: Trump's 'wacky ideas' should be challenged

"People start thinking behavior that in normal times we would consider completely unacceptable and outrageous becomes normalized," Obama said during a news conference at the tail end of his visit to Laos.

"People start thinking that we should be grading on a curve," he said. "But I can tell you from the interactions I have had over the last eight or nine days with foreign leaders that this is serious business."

Obama, Duterte exchange 'pleasantries' after spat

A White House official said that Obama had a "brief discussion" with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ahead of a gala dinner in the Lao capital marking the beginning of the yearly ASEAN summit.

The meeting took place in a holding space for leaders, the official said, adding the "exchange consisted of pleasantries between the two."

Duterte was likely keen to clear the air after publicly scoffing earlier this week at suggestions that Obama would raise the issue of extrajudicial killings during their planned meeting.

Duterte's tongue the least of Obama's Philippine problem

A foul-mouthed outburst cost the new leader of Washington's key Pacific ally a chance to meet President Barack Obama in Laos on Tuesday. Duterte blasted Obama as a "son of a bitch" and warned he would not tolerate any violation of Philippines sovereignty he said such a question would entail, after which the White House canceled their planned parley.

Obama, Duterte and other notorious political insults

His controversial comments have led to diplomatic consequences with the US president cancelling a scheduled meeting with Mr Duterte.

But the Philippine leader, who has insulted prominent figures before, is not the only one guilty of offending world leaders.

From a "sadistic nurse" to "the devil" himself, here are some of the more memorable comments made by or about those in positions of power.

Arafat the 'son of 60,000 whores' (1999)

After cursing Obama, Duterte expresses regret

Duterte, who cursed Obama as a "son of a bitch" Monday, said in a statement through his spokesman that he regretted "it came across as a personal attack on the US President."

"We look forward to ironing out differences arising out of national priorities and perceptions," the statement released on Tuesday read.

Diddy to black voters: 'Hold our vote'

"The heat has to be turned up so much that as a community, we've got to hold our vote," Diddy told the Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC Sunday. "Don't pacify yourself; really revolutionize the game. Make them come for our vote. It's a whole different strategy, but I think we need to hold our vote because I don't believe any of them."

The entertainment icon explained that while he thinks that Obama has done "an excellent job" as president, he also feels that the first black presidency didn't fully deliver on its promise.

US and China join Paris climate pact

He made the comments during a "candid exchange" with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in Hangzhou before the G20 summit, the White House said.

In July, an international tribunal ruled against Chinese claims to rights in the South China Sea.

China dismissed the ruling and said it would not be bound by it.

Pacific leaders raise climate change issue at Leaders Summit

The conference began on Thursday, Sept 1, with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill Chairing a Special Meeting Of The Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders Standing Committee where key issues on the agenda were finalised.

The number one issue on the minds of Pacific Leaders is climate change,” O’Neill said.

“People and communities in the Pacific are in grave danger and countless lives threatened by extreme weather brought about by climate change and our Leaders are demanding action,” O’Neill said, as the Chair of the Conference.

Obama ventures to tiny Pacific island fighting a tide of trash

Barack Obama landed on the remote Pacific island of Midway less than a week after the US President created the world's largest protected marine reserve in the area surrounding the tiny atoll.

It's a big green feather in Obama's cap as he seeks to cement his environmental legacy before he leaves office.