HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 20:30, Feb 17

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HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 20:30, Feb 17

BRISBANE - Governor-General Peter Hollingworth was tonight under intense pressure toexplain a new wave of allegations that he covered up sexual abuse while he was Archbishopof Brisbane. (Hollingworth Nightlead. Seeking more)

CANBERRA - The war on terrorism in Afghanistan has claimed its first Australian lifewith a soldier from the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) killed by an anti-tank landmine.

(Afghan Aust Death)

CANBERRA - Australian troops in Afghanistan were always going to face their gravestrisk from landmines, the lurking killers which litter the countryside in vast numbers.

(Afghan Aust Death Backgrounder)

SALT LAKE CITY - The fickle gods of short-track speedskating smiled on Steven Bradburytonight as he starred in Australia's very own Miracle on Ice. (Oly Aust Short Nightlead)

CANBERRA - Photographs of a sinking asylum seekers' boat, released by Labor, have raisednew questions about the federal government's handling of the children overboard affair.

(Boat)

CANBERRA - Prime Minister John Howard has defended former defence minister Peter Reithagainst media claims he may have used his influence to win an important defence contractwith Indonesia. (Howard Reith )

SYDNEY - An Australian citizen working as an informant for the Australian Federal Police(AFP) in Indonesia was suspected of running his own people smuggling racket, officialsin Indonesia alleged. (Boat Enniss Nightlead )

SYDNEY - UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson wants her envoy to have full, unsupervisedaccess to detained asylum seekers on his visit to Australia. (Woomera Robinson)

MELBOURNE - Australians will be encouraged to stay at work beyond retirement age aspart of the federal government's revised plan for dealing with the greying of the nation.

(Ageing Work )

SYDNEY - The significant increase in reported levels of unsafe sex in Australia wasa cause for concern, the head of the national council on AIDS said today. (AIDS Council)

SYDNEY - Fifty people were hurt, 11 seriously, when a bus and a car collided in Sydney'swest today. (Crash Nightlead)

SALT LAKE CITY - It can be said of very few Australians that they were born to speedskate.

(Oly Aust Short Backgrounder)

CANBERRA - On what would have been her brother Luke's 25th birthday, Loretta Harropknew at the start she would win today's Canberra triathlon. (Triathlon Aust Nightlead)

SYDNEY - Wallaby coach Eddie Jones said today he found it hard to understand New Zealand'sdecision to knock back an extra Australian Super 12 team. (Rugby SANZAR Reaction)

CANBERRA - Sydney Swans star Tony Lockett found trouble in the first minute of hiscomeback today, laying a crude tackle that left Collingwood's Shane Wakelin with a backinjury and Magpies coach Mick Malthouse fuming. (AFL Cup Swans Nightlead)

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KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL UPDATE