OTTAWA: A contrite Justin Trudeau publicly apologized Thursday for his “absolutely unacceptable” behavior, as decades-old images showing the Canadian prime minister in blackface makeup rocked his re-election campaign. Trudeau, 47, was already under fire for an ethics lapse and other controversies, so the resurfacing of photos and videos of him engaging in activities he himself termed “racist” dealt a fresh …

WASHINGTON: The US intelligence watchdog briefed lawmakers Thursday about the handling of a whistleblower complaint on alleged behavior by President Donald Trump, with a senior Democrat expressing alarm that the administration refuses to share the complaint with Congress. The allegations, rejected by Trump as “presidential harassment,” have set lawmakers on a collision course with the office of the Director of …

WASHINGTON: The number of birds in the United States and Canada has fallen by an astonishing 29 percent, or almost three billion, since 1970, scientists reported Thursday, saying their findings signaled a widespread ecological crisis. Grassland birds are the most affected, because of the disappearance of meadows and prairies and the extension of farmland, as well as the growing use …

KABUL: In a dusty Kabul suburb, hundreds of workers check and recheck biometric fingerprint readers — part of a massive effort to ensure Afghanistan´s upcoming presidential election is not tainted by fraud allegations that have marred previous polls. The young employees at the Independent Election Commission (IEC) are rushing through final technical preparations for the vote, set for September 28. …

WASHINGTON: Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg met Thursday with US President Donald Trump and members of Congress on a political reconnaissance mission to Washington, where he rejected calls to break up the world´s biggest social network. Zuckerberg’s visit comes as Facebook faces a myriad of regulatory and legal questions surrounding issues like competition, digital privacy, censorship and transparency in political …

A Houston court on Thursday issued summons against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for committing human rights violations in occupied Kashmir just days ahead of a massive rally he is scheduled to address in the city. According to the Houston Chronicle, summons were also issued against Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah and Commander of Indian Armed forces Lieutenant General Kanwal Jeet Singh Commander. …

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has paid glowing tributes to his uncle Shaheed Murtaza Bhutto on his 23rd martyrdom anniversary which will be observed on Friday. In his message on the day, the PPP Chairman said that Shaheed Mir Murtaza Bhutto waged a brave struggle against the dictator Zia ul Haq and suffered heavily at the hands of …

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan has constituted a full bench to hear the constitutional petitions challenging the presidential reference filed against senior Judge of the Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Geo News reported on Friday. Headed by Justice Umar Atta Bandial, the bench will comprise 10 judges of the apex court. Members of the Supreme Judicial Council including …

MAKKAH: Prime Minister Imran Khan performed Umrah in Makkah-tul-Mukarramah early Friday. The prime minister’s wife Bushra Begum accompanied him during the holy rituals. The prime minister also had a rare opportunity to enter the Holy Kaa’ba as the doors were especially opened for him. During Umrah, the prime minister prayed for the prosperity and stability of the country. The prime …

KARACHI: The Meteorological Department on Friday forecast that a mild heat wave is likely to affect  Karachi during September 21 to 24.  The Met Office warned that the maximum temperature was likely to remain in the range of 38 to 40 degrees centigrade with surface wind expected to blow from East-Northeast during the period. Last year, a heatwave killed 65 …