NEED TO CATCH up? The Journal brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

An Uachtaráin Catherine Connolly at today's annual National Day of Commemoration in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. The ceremony is held to honour all Irishmen and Irishwomen who died in past wars or on military service with the United Nations and other international organisations in the service of peace. GIS GIS

• A proposal on giving greater access to prenatal testing has gone to the Department of Health for consideration. 
• A heartbroken mother has paid an emotional tribute to her teenage son who drowned while swimming in County Westmeath.
• Gardaí have seized “11 military grade” guns in a series of raids targeting an organised crime group in Laois and Kildare.
• The Irish Coast Guard deployed a helicopter as it searches the Liffey in Dublin city centre.
• A 20-year-old motorcyclist has died after a crash last weekend.
• A man has seriously assaulted in Ballyclare, Co Antrim in the early hours of this morning, police have said.
• RTÉ presenter Áine Lawlor has signed off from the national broadcaster after over 40 years.
• The Mayor of Limerick has written to the Taoiseach to suggest the creation of forum to discuss ongoing concerns about Limerick refinery Aughinish Alumina.
• More than 300 emergency calls were made to firefighters as Eleventh Night bonfires were lit across the North.

INTERNATIONAL

Israeli warplanes strike a maintenance workshop on Al-Sinaa Street in western Gaza City on Sunday evening with three missiles following an evacuation warning. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#BRITAIN British police said they do not believe the murder of former MP and MEP Ann Widdecombe was politically motivated, nor an act of terrorism.

#AMERICA US Senator Lindsey Graham has died after a “brief and sudden illness” at the age of 71.

#MIDDLE EAST Iran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz today and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours, in retaliation for new US strikes following an attack by Iranian forces on a merchant vessel that was abandoned in flames by its crew.

PARTING SHOT

Tomorrow will be a bank holiday in the North to mark 12 July.

The celebrations are for the 336th anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne, where Protestant King William of Orange triumphed over Catholic King James.

 Bonfires are typically lit the night before, on Eleventh Night, with parades across the six counties happening on 12 July.

This year, the parades will take place on Monday 13 to account for 12 July falling on a Sunday.

Writing in The Journal today, Darach Ó Séaghdha argues that the day should also be a bank holiday across the Republic, not least because 12 July also marks the anniversary of the death of the first President of Ireland, Douglas Hyde. 

So, today we asked you: should 12 July also be a bank holiday across the Republic of Ireland?

And the results are in:

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