Summer 2013 starts in Austenasia

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has announced today to be the first day of the summer of 2013 in the Austenasian calendar. Greater Wrythe has seen sunny weather recently, in contrast to a cold and rainy spring. Temperatures are predicted by the UK Met Office to reach 22°C later this afternoon, which could make today the hottest day of the year so far (the same temperature also having been recorded in late April) after the coldest spring in 50 years. The Emperor has also confirmed that the spring of 2013 in the Austenasian calendar started on 13 March, an announcement which was not widely publicised outside of the immediate Imperial Family.

Winter starts in Austenasia as new laws are passed

His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has announced the start of winter in the Austenasian calendar, and given Imperial Consent to two new Acts of Parliament. Austenasia has been battered by heavy winds and large amounts of rain over the past week, although thankfully there have been no floods as in the surrounding United Kingdom. This morning finally saw an end to the rain, although the temperature was several degrees colder than yesterday. This change in weather conditions has been used to mark the turning point from autumn to winter this year. The Emperor has also given Imperial Consent to two Acts of Parliament, passing them into law. The first has revised the law on homicide, defining the required acts and intentions for murder and manslaughter in greater detail and creating a separate offence of second-degree murder for killings in which, while harm was intended, it was not realised death was a possibility. The second act has codified Austenasian law on the subject of how international treaties are to be ratified.