Today’s headlines at a glanceBy Hello and welcome to our national news coverage today. It’s Monday July 20, I’m Jessica McSweeney and I’ll be bringing you all the latest headlines as news breaks today.First, let’s take a look at what made headlines overnight:The housing industry is demanding a review of the government’s changes to borrowing through self-managed super funds, warning thousands of planned new homes will be abandoned while state budgets will suffer a $450 million hit to their bottom line.Pauline Hanson’s Spotlight special aired last night, including her call for mass deportations and a claim that convicted criminal and far-right activist Tommy Robinson would be welcome in Australia if she was prime minister. You can read the full recap here. An investigation by this masthead and 60 Minutes has found common medical devices are causing serious harm to Australians.The Coalition and Labor have each recorded their lowest support in NSW in recent memory: almost half of the state’s voters have told pollsters they will abandon the major parties at next year’s election.Latest Posts6.00pm on Jul 20, 2026Today’s news wrap-up By Benjamin PreissThanks for joining us on the blog. We’ll be back again tomorrow morning, bringing you the latest headlines from overnight and breaking news throughout the day. We will also run a dedicated rolling coverage of the Queensland parliament budget estimates.Before I sign off, here are some of the main headlines from the day:Colleagues, family and friends farewelled legendary broadcaster Derryn Hinch at his state funeral. Journalists Ray Martin and Tony Tardio and ex-wife Jacki Weaver were among the mourners paying tribute to the Human Headline.Former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said Australia should consider banning protests outside synagogues by introducing laws similar to those protecting abortion clinics. Speaking at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, Dreyfus said he was not suggesting a ban on political protests, but rather a protective measure for Jewish Australians.In the latest instalment of our investigation into medical devices, Age health reporter Henrietta Cook has written a first-person piece about her experience with a plastic humidifier that left her with a painful burn.In federal politics, Barnaby Joyce has denied One Nation supports the White Australia policy. But he backed party leader Pauline Hanson’s call for mass deportations and suggesting illegal immigrants could be targeted when they seek medical treatment.4.24pm on Jul 20, 2026Congo says confirmed Ebola cases now exceed 2300By Democratic Republic of Congo says the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the country has risen to 2344, including 930 deaths, as of July 18.Health workers tend to an Ebola patient in Ituri, Congo. APThe Bundibugyo virus responsible for this outbreak is less common than others that cause Ebola, and there is no approved vaccine or treatment.Ebola spreads in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and with contaminated surfaces and materials.Reuters3.57pm on Jul 20, 2026Putin and North Korean foreign minister meet in MoscowBy Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korea’s foreign minister and thanked Pyongyang for supporting his war against Ukraine, in the latest high-level diplomacy between the countries, Russian state media reported.The visit by North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui comes without an obvious occasion, such as a multilateral diplomatic event or state anniversary, and has raised speculation she may be co-ordinating a possible visit to Russia by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.North Korean state media said Choe left for Russia on Saturday at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, but it has yet to comment on the purpose of her visit.Vladimir Putin during an interview in Moscow last month. APYoon Min-ho, spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles affairs related to North Korea, said today that Seoul was closely monitoring the meetings but declined to assess whether Moscow and Pyongyang were discussing another summit between their leaders.3.17pm on Jul 20, 2026Record number of antisemitic incidents last year By Michael BachelardThe number of antisemitic incidents – from abuse to threats and violence – continued increasing last year and set another record, according to a witness before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.The witness, who was granted anonymity to protect his identity, told the commission there had been 1576 antisemitic incidents reported to the Jewish Community Security Group in 2025, the highest ever and a 22 per cent increase over the previous year. Photo: Dominic LorrimerThe incidents ranged from violence and assault to threats, damage and desecration of property, and abusive behaviour and literature.The Community Security Group, set up by the Jewish community to protect its members, collects information and produces annual reports on antisemitic incidents around Australia.The witness, given the pseudonym ACP, told the commission there had been 569 incidents in Victoria and 543 in NSW – a proportion that “broadly mirrors the demographic spread of the Jewish community across the country”.Almost 250 incidents had occurred on the Jewish Sabbath, and 141 at Jewish festival days. He said the attacks on synagogues seemed more targeted in 2025 compared to the previous year.Several hundred incidents had been reported by Jewish schoolchildren travelling to and from school, especially on public transport.Police were notified of 346 antisemitic incidents in 2025, ACP said, with 67 people being charged.2.59pm on Jul 20, 2026Tanker appears to halt in Hormuz after Iran targets vesselsBy An oil tanker appears to have halted in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Oman after the Iranian Navy again targeted vessels in the waterway, raising concerns about deepening disruptions as Middle East hostilities escalate.The Kavomaleas, an oil products tanker, started signalling early on Monday near the tip of the Musandam Peninsula, indicating that it was anchored and empty. The previous broadcast from the vessel was in the Gulf of Oman early on Sunday, which suggested the ship had initially had been transiting through the strait into the Persian Gulf with its transponder turned off – a tactic to avoid detection.A few hours before the reappearance of the Kavomaleas, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement that said four vessels had attempted to transit the narrow waterway via an “unsafe route” after disregarding warnings. The ships had switched off their transponders, and two were “met with accidents and were stopped in their tracks”, Iranian media reported, citing the corps.Children playing in the Strait of Hormuz last month. APThe UK Maritime Trade Operations said it had received information from military authorities that a vessel was on fire north-west of Kumzar, Oman. It said the cause of the blaze had not been verified. The group didn’t name the ship, but the location mentioned in its alert was close to the Kavomaleas’ location.2.20pm on Jul 20, 2026Trump says gifted Air Force One will get ‘maxed out’ upgradesBy Joint Base Andrews, Maryland: US President Donald Trump says the Qatari-donated jet that serves as an Air Force One plane will soon be sent away for upgrades, following questions about the plane’s security features.Trump started flying aboard the jumbo jet on July 1 after accepting the plane as a gift last year, when an accelerated effort to renovate the Boeing 747 for presidential use began.US President Donald Trump exits Air Force One on the weekend.Jacquelyn MartinBut Trump unexpectedly ditched the plane on a flight from Turkey to the United Kingdom amid rising hostility with Iran on July 8. He flew aboard an older Air Force One to London in what he described as a move “for old time’s sake”, but later boarded the new plane to return to the US.Trump was asked whether the newly renovated plane lacked missile-defence capabilities as he returned home from a trip to the FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday (Washington time).1.56pm on Jul 20, 2026British military says ship ablaze in the Strait of HormuzBy Dubai: A ship caught fire early on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz near the Oman coast, the British military said.The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre issued a warning about the fire, saying it was unclear what sparked the blaze.The US military has been encouraging ships to use a route near Oman to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded with attacks targeting those vessels, and insists it must have control over the crucial waterway. Before the war began in February, about one-fifth of all oil and natural gas traded passed the strait.Earlier on Monday, the US began a new round of airstrikes targeting Iran after announcing the death of another American service member, and Iran fired missiles toward Jordan that risked widening the conflict into neighbouring Israel.1.53pm on Jul 20, 2026Missile sirens sound in BahrainBy Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens on Monday morning (local time), warning of an Iranian retaliatory attack after US airstrikes targeted the Islamic Republic.The small island kingdom in the Persian Gulf, home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, has been repeatedly attacked by Iran as an interim deal to end the war has collapsed.AP1.31pm on Jul 20, 2026Joyce says illegal immigrants could be detected when visiting the doctorBy Brittany BuschBack to Pauline Hanson’s controversial Europe trip, which has dominated political coverage today.During her trip, Hanson met with Rupert Lowe, the leader of far-right party Restore Britain, and discussed his plan to remove up to 2 million people from the UK. Asked during her Spotlight interview what she thought of mass deportations in Australia, Hanson said: “I love it.”Pauline Hanson at the CPAC conference in London last week.Luca MarinoHanson’s colleague, Barnaby Joyce, backed the call on Monday, and said “illegal immigrants” would be targeted. Asked how mass deportations would be undertaken, Joyce said the system was imperfect, but immigrants came into contact with the system from “time to time” such as when they went to the doctor.“As it becomes apparent that they’re not supposed to be here ... they’ll be put on a plane and sent back to where they’re supposed to be,” he said.You can read full coverage from Brittany Busch here.12.57pm on Jul 20, 2026Tributes flow at ‘human headline’ Derryn Hinch’s state funeralBy Karl Quinn and Kerrie O'BrienThe state funeral for Derryn Hinch is under way in Melbourne, with media, entertainment and political figures sharing tributes to the “human headline”.Darren James, MC for the service, introduced today’s service. “To Australians [Hinch] was a leader, he asked the difficult questions. He was a relentless fighter,” he said.Broadcaster Darren James is acting as MC at Derryn Hinch’s funeral.Eddie JimJames said he loved Hinch’s anecdotes, and dubbed them Hinch’s laws. “An example: ‘When you’re right, they never remember, when you’re wrong, they never forget.’”Another example of “Hinch’s law” was Number 13. “Anyone who says they won’t resign, does”. That included the man himself, of course, who was sacked 13 times.1 of 3