The PR Blog

On a busy December morning in 2014, the heart of Sydney's bustling financial district became the stage for an unthinkable tragedy. What began as an ordinary day turned into a 16-hour nightmare when an armed gunman stormed the Lindt Café, taking 18 people hostage.

As the world watched in shock, the siege unfolded with chilling tension, testing the resilience of a nation and leaving a terrible scar on Australia’s collective memory.

At 9.41am on Monday 15 December 2014, Man Monis directed Tori Johnson (the manager of the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place, Sydney) to call 000 and say that all those in the cafe had been taken hostage by an Islamic State operative armed with a gun and explosives.

Eighteen hostages were held in the cafe for 16.5 hours. Over that period, 12 of the 18 hostages were able to escape in four separate episodes.

At around 2.13am on Tuesday 16th December, the cafe manager Tori Johnson was executed by Man Moris.

Education, often celebrated as a beacon of enlightenment and progress, can also become a potent weapon in the hands of those seeking to shape minds for dark purposes.

History has shown how classrooms, designed to nurture curiosity and critical thinking, can be transformed into echo chambers of radical ideology, where young, impressionable minds are molded to serve political agendas.

From carefully curated textbooks to charismatic educators, the machinery of indoctrination works not by coercion but by planting seeds of loyalty and conviction, ensuring that the next generation becomes willing participants...or even zealots...in a cause they are taught to revere without question.

Nestled in the quaint seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England, Augusta Victoria College (AVC) operated from 1932 to 1939 as a unique finishing school for young women aged 16 to 21. However, unlike other institutions of its kind, AVC has drawn attention for its disturbing ties to Nazi Germany.

I read a story about a woman who is hoping to break the world record for something that I find beyond belief: 

British adult entertainment star Lily Phillips aims to set a new record by having sex with 1,000 men in 24 hours. The 23-year-old has reportedly commenced training in preparation for this endeavour.

People from all over the world are being recruited to participate in this event through email, and out of all the applications received, 1,000 people will be selected. This event has been named ‘Record-Breaking Event of the Year’, and it will be organised in January 2025.

In this one extraordinary post, it sums up the level of the moral void we find ourselves in today. No wonder our countries and world are in such a sense of decay. Even the use of the words " entertainment "  and " star " are somehow cheapened ... not to mention the word "adult."

There is nothing entertaining or adult about this. And it seems to me that the light has gone out of the sky if this behaviour is rated as star-like quality. 

When I was a young girl, I wanted to be beautiful. Clever. Successful. Happy. 

Back in December 2019, White Island erupted. My heart reached out to those who were caught up in that very frightening and dangerous situation.  

A place that used to be known for tourists taking selfies and the harvesting of sulfur suddenly gained worldwide attention as a scene of horror and terrible suffering. 

A few days ago we had an article about that terrible day.  But for now, I would like to share my memories of the time my parents, Redhead and my late Dad, went fishing. Off White Island. 

It might be a family failing that we always try and see the good in bad situations but that is the way we are.

For me, just because a place is now remembered as the home of tragedy, I cannot help but remember when it was a place where my Dad could have ruined a perfectly good fishing trip. And didn't have a book to read. 

They say the pen is mightier than the sword, and nowhere is that truer than in the world of political cartoons.

With a few strokes of ink, cartoonists have toppled reputations, challenged authority, and sparked revolutions...all while eliciting a chuckle,  a gasp or a laugh or two.

These satirical sketches called cartoons turn complex issues into powerful, often humourous images, proving that sometimes a well-drawn caricature can wound more deeply than any blade.

No wonder they are seen as enemies of the establishment these days.  But then again,  they always have.  

In a world where the news often feels stranger than fiction, we need the sharp, exaggerated truths of political cartoons. As Mark Twain apparently said, “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.”

On December 9, 2019, New Zealand's White Island erupted in a sudden and devastating display of nature's fury, claiming 22 lives and leaving survivors with life-altering injuries.

What began as a routine tourist adventure to the country's most active volcano quickly turned into a harrowing race for survival, as visitors and guides were engulfed by searing ash and toxic gases.

The disaster shocked the world, prompting urgent questions about the balance between natural wonders and human safety.

Tragedy struck New Zealand as White Island, an active stratovolcano located in the Bay of Plenty, erupted. 

White Island, also known as Whakaari in Maori, is an active volcano situated about 48 kilometres off the eastern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It is a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors with its otherworldly landscapes and unique geological features.