National NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh Engaged

New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh pulled back the curtain on his closely guarded private life, letting Canadians know Tuesday night that he is engaged.

Singh, 38, proposed to girlfriend Gurkiran Kaur, 27, at a private party Tuesday night just blocks away from the Ontario legislature in Toronto where he served as a provincial legislator for six years.

Singh surprised Kaur, an entrepreneur and fashion designer, with the proposal in front of several dozen friends and family members at a vegetarian restaurant where they had their first date.

Singh was elected federal NDP leader last fall and had been guarded about his personal life, but social media posts in December made headlines after it was reported he and Kaur were engaged.

The couple shot down the rumours, saying it was instead a "rokha'' — a traditional Punjabi ceremony held ahead of a wedding and usually attended by close family.

Thishappened! Mexico congress passes national ban on circus animals

A circus dog performs in costume during a free public show in Mexico City's main square, the Zocalo, Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Mexico's congress passed a national ban on circus animals on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014.| AP/Rebecca Blackwell

Mexico's congress has passed legislation to ban the use of animals in circuses across the country.

The lower chamber's vote Thursday followed one earlier in the week by the Senate and came six months after Mexico City passed a similar ban that is to go into effect next year. Six states also adopted bans.

The House of Deputies said in a statement that the chamber voted 267-66 to approve the bill aimed at combating mistreatment of animals. It calls for fines for violations and requires circuses to submit lists of the wildlife they possess, which would then be made available to zoos interested in taking the animals.

The bill now needs the signature of President Enrique Pena Nieto. He hasn't spoken about the proposal, but it was introduced by an allied party.

China ban singing of National Anthem at weddings & funeral

According to a statement by Chinese Xinhua News Agency, China’s national anthem can no longer be performed at weddings, funerals, balls or other non-political functions. They can now only be performed at certain dignified events.

The anthem, known as the March of the Volunteers' may be played at the start of important celebrations or public political gatherings, formal diplomatic occasions or significant international gatherings.

The anthem can also be performed when Chinese athletes win medals and “at arenas where national dignity should be fought for and safeguarded".

Photo | 500,000 LED light illumination at National Zoo Washington

Visitors at the National Zoo walk under a canopy of lights called "ZooLights" in Washington, DC. The zoo is illuminated by over 500,000 LED lights. 

This 12yrs Dude Nailed US National Anthem Before The Bears/Lions Game

It Appears Canada's National Security Needs Money

Senator Colin Kenny| HuffPost
In light of the tragic events in Ottawa and St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, the Harper government is looking to increase the powers of our national security agencies to combat terrorism.

But the greatest challenge facing our security officials isn't a lack of powers. They already have plenty of them. The problem is a lack of funding.

For years now, the Harper government has been cutting the national security budget and we're only now beginning to see the consequences in a striking way.

With our vulnerability to terrorism just recently highlighted, the prime minister has placed our national security officials in a precarious situation. They are being asked to do whatever it takes to stop the next attack, but with significantly lower levels of funding. As a result, they are being forced to juggle their limited resources to make up for the shortfall.

Just two years ago, spending at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) was slashed from $540 million in 2012 to $496 million the following year.