U.S. Embassy Sorry for Hanging Philippines' Flag Upside Down
The U.S. Embassy has issued an apology to Filipino President Benigno Aquino III for staging his meet-and-greet with President Obama in front of an upside flag of the Philippines on Friday. "This was an honest mistake," said an American spokesperson.
Aquino—the newly elected son of a pair of famed revolutionaries, one of whom was the Philippines' first female president—was in New York for the United Nations general assembly. President Aquino met Obama on Friday, at a summit between the American president and Southeast Asian leaders. In the above photograph, Obama shakes hands with Aquino; behind them, the Philippines' flag is arranged with the red stripe on top, when the correct orientation is with the blue stripe on top. [LAT, image via AP, click to enlarge]