This is not the first time he has resorted to apology as the means of getting out of a scrape.

ECONOMIST: Bagehot

Case in point Obama just apologized AGAIN for USA. This time it was an apology to our enemies because they have accused (accused and so far not fact) a garbage man in Afghanistan of not separating the garbage prior to burning.

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She implied at the time that her apology for the targeting, conveniently timed to front-run the Treasury IG report, was a spontaneous answer to a surprise question from the audience.

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Although they accepted Mr Lee's apology, they still insist that it will take some time to restore relations to normal.

ECONOMIST: Malaysia

"I saw the referee at half time and said 'you are due me an apology' and I got spoken to like I was a little boy, " the Hearts boss told BBC Scotland.

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At the time, victims were pressing for an apology from the British government, which ultimately came to be delivered by the then prime minister, Gordon Brown, in February last year.

BBC: Oranges and Sunshine