The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is nearing completion of a $500,000 upgrade of old video cameras used to monitor its new "customs controlled areas," including the primary inspection area for arriving international passengers. As part of the work, the agency is introducing audio-monitoring equipment as well.

"It is important to note that even though audio technology is installed, no audio is recorded at this time. It will become functional at a later date," CBSA spokesman Chris Kealey said in a written statement. But whenever that occurs, the technology, "will record conversations," the agency said in a separate statement in response to Citizen questions.

Meanwhile, as many as 88 of the new high-definition video cameras are to be ready this summer. Once the Ottawa equipment is activated, signs will be posted referring passersby to a "privacy notice" that will be posted on the CBSA website, and to a separate help line explaining how the recordings will be used, stored, disclosed and retained.

The CBSA statement said that audio-video monitoring and recording is already in place at other unidentified CBSA sites at airports and border points of entry as part of an effort to enhance "border integrity, infrastructure and asset security and health and safety."

Over recent years a range of miniature drones, or micro air vehicles (MAVs), based on the same physics used by flying insects, have been presented to the public.

The fear kicked off in 2007 when reports of bizarre flying objects hovering above anti-war protests sparked accusations that the U.S. government was accused of secretly developing robotic insect spies.

The following year, the US Air Force unveiled insect-sized spies 'as tiny as bumblebees' that could not be detected and would be able to fly into buildings to 'photograph, record, and even attack insurgents and terrorists.'

That announcement was five years ago and, since the U.S. military is usually pretty cagey about its technological capabilities, it raises the question as to what it is keeping under wraps.

Researchers have now developed bio-inspired drones with bug eyes, bat ears, bird wings, and even honeybee-like hairs to sense biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. And the U.S. isn't the only country to have poured money into spy drone miniaturisation. France has developed flapping wing bio-inspired microdrones.

St. Joseph's in Hills and St. Mary parishes in Lone Tree and Nichols, Iowa gave a total of 150 home enthronement packets to Mass attendees the weekend of May 26-27. Catholics also spoke at those Masses about how the devotion has enriched their spiritual lives.

The enthronement ceremonies the Catholics took part in involved a blessing, prayer and promise to dedicate one's home and self to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary.

"The Enthronement is more than a blessing of the Sacred Heart picture for the home," reads a ceremony guide produced by the Priests of the Sacred Heart. It is the dedication of a person and family to the Divine Heart of Jesus, for us to live in union with him by love, grace and obedience to his Commandments. The Enthronement brings countless graces and blessings, as enumerated in the Twelve Great Promises he made to Saint Margaret Mary." In the visions of 17th-century French nun and mystic Margaret Mary Alacoque, Jesus promised graces, peace, consolation, blessings, mercy and more to people devoted to his Sacred Heart.

He was introduced to home enthronement by Terry Ball, who heard about it from the Knights of Columbus of St. Wenceslaus Parish in Iowa City. He and fellow Knight David Fetzer are working to promote home enthronement statewide, Sieren said.

Ball said part of the enthronement is committing to a spiritual devotion of your choice. For about a month, he and Mona have observed a daily time of prayer together in their kitchen, where images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary hang. "This is a powerful spiritual tool," Ball said.

"Our homes need the enthronement to bring us the grace to deal with whatever happens in our lives and our homes," said Hills parishioner Kay Evans.

Of those Christians, 25.3 percent identified themselves as Catholic, 17.1 percent as Anglicans, 5 percent as Uniting Church (a union of the Congregational Union of Australia, the Methodist Church of Australasia and the Presbyterian Church of Australia) and 2.8 percent as Presbyterian and Reformed - meaning that every major Christian denomination in Australia has suffered a decline in membership from 2006.

What is more, between 1986 and 2006, the number of Hindus in Australia increased sevenfold, while the number of Buddhists has fivefold. The number of Australians with no religious affiliation rose to 22.3 per cent in 2011 from holding 18.7 percent of the population in 2006. In the 2006 census, 55,000 people even selected "Jedi" as their religious affiliation, a belief system stemming from George Lucas' representation of "the Force" in his "Star Wars" series.

"This is fundamentally shifting the cultural mix of Australia," the 2011 census executive director Andrew Henderson said. In total, about one in four Australians were born overseas, and as many as 43.1 percent of people had at least one overseas-born parent.

While Australia allows same-sex partnerships, described as de facto relationships that hold the same rights as heterosexual ones, there were 1,338 same-sex couples in Australia who identified themselves as married. The vast majority, or 96 percent of respondents, however, answered that they were in de facto same-sex relationships.