Parkland annexed as new Crown Dependency
On Wednesday 5th, the most recent expansion of the Empire took place with the annexation of the Crown Dependency of Kingeston. Kingeston, which consists of just over two and a half acres of parkland bordered by the Canadian province of Ontario, was claimed for Austenasia by Austin Jaax, who has been appointed Governing Commissioner of the new claim and given a position in the Privy Council. As a Crown Dependency, Kingeston will not be represented in Parliament but will be administered by Jaax autonomously from the central government. In other news, on 4 December, the Emperor announced the official start of winter in the Austenasian calendar.
Austenasia celebrates its tenth anniversary!
Happy Independence Day! The Empire of Austenasia is today celebrating ten years since its foundation in 2008. The third Saturday in September is celebrated annually as Independence Day, whereas the actual anniversary is September 20th. Parliament this morning passed an Act making every day from today until the 20th an unprecedented six-day-long public holiday. Celebrations are underway in the territorial claims and embassies of the Empire right across the world. A party will take place at the Imperial Residence later today, attended by dignitaries from Austenasia, other small nations, and the local area. Numerous messages of congratulations have been received from foreign governments, and the Prime Minister is expected to give a celebratory speech later today.
First Austenasian coins released to mark 10th anniversary
For the first time in Austenasia’s history, a set of coins has been minted by the Treasury. One hundred zinc-alloy coins, each 3.8 cm in diameter, have been produced in celebration of the upcoming tenth anniversary of Austenasian independence, which will be celebrated on Saturday 15th September. The coins each have a face value of £3, and are legal tender within Austenasia, but are intended to be of a commemorative nature. One side of the coin has a portrait of Jonathan I, whereas the other has the inscription “Ten years since the Declaration of Independence”. Both sides are circled by an inscription of the name and Latin title of the Monarch, together with the civic (2018) and ecclesiastical (7527) year. Many of the coins will be gifted to Austenasian dignitaries and friendly foreign heads of state. Members of the public are able to buy the coin while stocks last via this link, for its face value plus a set postage and packaging charge.
Further expansion for the Empire
The population and territory of Empire of Austenasia grew yesterday, despite the Town of Ionisia being ceded back to Greece. In an Act of Parliament passed yesterday morning, Ionisia was dissolved whereas Amerdansk – a Territory annexed in 2016 – was expanded into a Town with the annexation of an adjoining house. Amerdansk, which had previously consisted of an uninhabited garden, now includes a residential property inhabited by three. Lord Anthony Clark, former Governor of the territory, now serves as its Acting Representative. Ionisia joined Austenasia on 6 August last year, precisely one year before its dissolution. Inhabited by dual citizens of the Kingdom of Imvrassia, the town was founded in an exercise of national friendship between Imvrassia and Austenasia. Its three residents have retained Austenasian subjectship in a ceremonial capacity in a sign of the enduring friendship between the two states. The expansion of Amerdansk has outweighed the territorial loss of Ionisia, with Austenasia actually making a net gain of roughly 187 square feet. In addition to the new Austenasians living in Amerdansk, non-residential subjectship has been granted to Admiral Shiro Mephistopheles, the Empire’s new Minister of Defence. His eight days in office prior to gaining subjectship mark the only time a non-Austenasian has ever held a position in Cabinet. The population of Austenasia now stands at 82.
Imperial Party holds first conference
The Imperial Party, currently the only registered political party in the Empire, held its first Annual Conference on Saturday. The conference was the first event of its kind in Austenasian history, and was described by Prime Minister and Imperial Party Leader Lord Admiral Joseph Kennedy as “a success for Austenasian democracy.” The conference opened with the national anthem and was followed by speeches from the Prime Minister and Lord Vice Admiral Eren Lewis, Deputy Prime Minister and Imperial Party Chairman. Following the addresses, the members of the Imperial Party Board (the governing body of the party) answered questions from those in attendance. The conference was attended by party members and guests both foreign and domestic, including His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, who commented that “it is a truly encouraging thing to see this level of political engagement and organisation amongst its people.” Following the conference, the Deputy Prime Minister stated “I think the conference went extremely well. It is an example of the activity and dedication that the Imperial Party has and will have as we enter our tenth year as a nation.”
Diplomabear arrives in Wrythe
Diplomabear, a well-travelled teddy bear which started its journey in August 2012, arrived yesterday morning in the Imperial Residence. The Diplomabear World Tour was started by Pierre d’Égtavie, leader of Egtavia, after said nation was annexed by St.Charlie in 2012. With Egtavia no longer in control of its own foreign policy, Diplomabear served as a means of forging unofficial, friendly ties with other small nations around the world, to which it was sent on condition that it would be passed on to the government of another. With the dissolution of Egtavia in 2013, Diplomabear became a symbol of diplomacy and friendship between small nations as a whole. In early 2015, Renasia – the country in which Diplomabear was then being hosted – dissolved, and Diplomabear was assumed lost forever. However, in August 2016, Emperor Jonathan I was able to contact a former Renasian official and have Diplomabear recovered and sent on to Überstadt, restarting the tour, this time under the direction of the Grand Unified Micronational (GUM). After some other stops, Diplomabear has now come to Austenasia, arriving at Wrythe yesterday morning. This is the second time that Diplomabear has been to Austenasia, having also been hosted at Wrythe in 2012, making the Empire the first destination which Diplomabear has visited twice. Emperor Jonathan I has published a photograph to Facebook showing him holding Diplomabear in Parliament Hall in the Imperial Residence. The Emperor is wearing the Egtavian Star, a medal presented to him by d’Égtavie while Egtavia was still independent. Some of the other twelve destinations visited by Diplomabear include Molossia, Landashir, Wyvern, and Zealandia.
New site selected for Rushymia
Notices have been placed around a large area of derelict land under a mile from the Imperial Residence announcing that the land is being considered for annexation by the Empire of Austenasia. The notices – addressed to the British government and to the owners of the land – give a period of three months for an objection to be made before the Austenasian government will consider the land unwanted and thus eligible to be claimed. Should no valid objections be raised, the land will be used for the re-founding of the Kingdom of Rushymia, as authorised by Parliament in October last year. Despite the land measuring roughly 35 acres, its legal status is somewhat murky. Although most likely owned by the company which operates a landfill site to the east of the land, the land is unused for any industrial purposes and unmanaged by any parks or environmental services, and the precise identity of its owners could not be verified. The land is often frequented by dog walkers, joggers, and amateur quadbike and moped drivers, who are easily able to access the ostensibly private land through large gaps in long-neglected fences.
Imperial Navy expands as new flagship christened
On 20th March, the Imperial Navy doubled in size to 26 personnel and saw the acquisition of a new boat to serve as the navy’s flagship. The HIMS Emmanuel, based in New Richmond, is now the flagship of the Imperial Navy. It replaces the two kayaks which were lost upon the ceding of Shineshore to Canada last year. Several new recruits have also joined the Imperial Navy, increasing its numbers from 13 to 26. Furthermore, Lord Admiral Kennedy – the Prime Minister and Chief of Naval Operations – has confirmed plans to establish a course in naval science by the end of the year for the commissioning and training of officers.
Racist Representative removed
Jovanovo was yesterday transitioned from a Town into a Crown Dependency in order to remove its now former Representative, Daniel Dankovsky, from Parliament. Concerns over the behaviour of Dankovsky had been consistently raised both by members of Cabinet and by foreign leaders since he led Jovanovo – an enclave of Montenegro with a population of twelve – into Austenasia in August last year. Introducing the legislation to downgrade Jovanovo, Emperor Jonathan I summarised what the other members of Parliament already knew; that “for the past seven months the Representative of Jovanovo has made frequent attempts to advocate fascist ideals within Austenasian government. He has consistently displayed a lack of respect towards Austenasia’s government, both in terms of the constitutional system and its members, and he has often publicly expressed views which are repugnant to the majority of decent people to the embarrasment of our nation.” As early as October last year, Prime Minister Lord Admiral Kennedy found himself in the situation of having to release a statement clarifying that Dankovsky in no way represented Austenasia in a diplomatic context, after a series of controversial messages posted by the latter online. On Sunday evening, the final line was crossed when Dankovsky posted in a Skype chatroom of diplomats and politicians that “Lower races should truly know their place.” With unanimous agreement in Cabinet that the imperial government must distance itself from Dankovsky, the legislation to downgrade Jovanovo was entered into force under four hours after being introduced in Parliament, the fastest passage of an Act since records with timestamps began to be kept in late 2016. The Emperor has also revealed to the Austenasian Times that Dankovsky had approached him in private requesting that the constitution be overthrown in favour of absolutist rule, and had recently suggested that the guarantee of basic human rights be legally denied to “Blacks, Muslims or Jews”. The passage by Parliament yesterday of the Jovanovo Act 2018 has removed all Austenasian titles, offices and honours from Dankovsky. It also contains a paragraph condemning racism and racialism. Speaking to Parliament, Prime Minister Kennedy stated that “Fascism and racism have no place in our Empire.” Now removed from all positions of authority on a national level, Dankovsky has been made de jure Governing Commissioner of Jovanovo in order to nominally keep it under Austenasian rule, although in reality it is likely that he will soon seek to make it become independent. UPDATE 23 APRIL 10:30 – Dankovsky has since accepted Jovanovo’s new status as a crown dependency, and openly declared it to follow a right-wing ideology called “Legionarism”. Despite Jovanovo nominally remaining part of the Empire, Dankovsky will from henceforth be unable to participate in or influence politics on a national level.
Honorary Mascot appointed
Cleo, pet dog of the family of Princess Hannah, has been appointed the Order of the Bullmastiff’s first Honorary Mascot. The announcement was made by Emperor Jonathan I earlier today. Cleo has mixed Border Collie/Alsatian ancestry, and lives with the family of Princess Hannah, the Emperor’s fiancée. Since 2009, the Order of the Bullmastiff – an Austenasian order of chivalry named after the Empire’s national animal – has had a bullmastiff as its Mascot. However, after the death of Lily last month, the position fell vacant. With no bullmastiff having been found for the position with suitable ties to the Imperial Family or to the Empire as a whole, the decision was made by the Emperor to appoint an Honorary Mascot, a dog which does not need to be a bullmastiff. The position of Mascot is entirely ceremonial, and the reason for Cleo’s title including the word “Honorary” is simply to reflect the fact that she is not of the dog breed that the Order is named after. Even if a bullmastiff should go on to be appointed as Mascot proper during Cleo’s lifetime, she will retain the title of Honorary Mascot.