
The 'lucky country' is facing a crucial test. The result will affect us all
CNN
Saturday's Australian election is a pivotal one -- it will either provide a mandate for more of the same, or set the country on a different path.
The first time, in 2007, he was trapped in a pool with a towel over his head as wildfires ripped through Australia's Hunter Valley, a wine-growing region about three hours' drive north of Sydney.
"The roar is unbelievable. You can feel the oxygen getting taken out of the air," recalled the 57-year-old paramedic, who was on the job treating volunteer firefighters for burns and broken bones at the time.

The two men killed as they floated holding onto their capsized boat in a secondary strike against a suspected drug vessel in early September did not appear to have radio or other communications devices, the top military official overseeing the strike told lawmakers on Thursday, according to two sources with direct knowledge of his congressional briefings.












