Ottawa: The re-election bid of Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a fervent advocate of the multiculturalism integral to Canadian identity, has been thrown into disarray with the emergence of his pictures from his youth days, wearing dark makeup. Time magazine published a photo, showing him wearing brownface makeup to a party at a school where he taught 18 years ago, one week into a federal poll campaign with his Liberal Party in a tight contest against the Conservatives. The photograph shows Trudeau, then 29, wearing a turban and robes with his face, neck and hands darkened at a gala party in 2001.

Trudeau had apologised on Wednesday, saying, "I made a mistake when I was younger and I wish I hadn't. I wish I had known better then, but I didn't and I'm deeply sorry for it. Now I recognise it was something racist to do," he said. "I'm disappointed in myself."