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

IRELAND

David Hasselhoff takes a selfie with fans at the Gumball Challenge 2016 Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

•  Laois soldier Joshua Molloy has spoken out about why he chose to go to Syria to fight Isis.  
• Siptu has strongly denied reports that Luas drivers are asking Transdev to re-table the deal agreed upon at the Workplace Relations Commission last month.
• Health Minister Leo Varadkar hit back at criticism from Independent and Fianna Fáil TDs after they accused him of not wanting to be in government.
• A charity has called for the incoming government to address the HIV ‘crisis’, as figures for the first four months of 2016 showed that the number of reports of the illness had risen by 40%.
• The LÉ Róisin departed for the Mediterranean today as part of Ireland’s continued efforts to help the refugee crisis.
• Police appealed for witnesses after a man in Belfast was attacked with a hammer as he left a graveyard on Thursday.

INTERNATIONAL

Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr climb onto the blast walls outside Baghdad's Green Zone. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

#IRAQ: Thousands of protesters occupied Baghdad’s Green Zone after breaking into the fortified area and storming parliament.

#OBAMA OUT: President Barack Obama cracked jokes and poked fun at rivals in his last appearance as US leader at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

#SUFFOLK: Two teenagers were arrested after a 14-year-old boy died in a suspected firearms incident.

#POISONED: 33 people including five children have died in central Pakistan after eating sweets accidentally tainted with insecticide.

#POWER DOWN: Venezuela has moved its clocks forward in a bid to save power as the country’s economy has been crippled by falling oil prices.

INNOVATION

• We separated the facts from the fiction in terms of how you can save the battery life on your phone. 
• Worried about space on your phone filling up too quickly? Here’s how you can take back control.

PARTING SHOT

It’s the bank holiday weekend – which means everybody’s sleep cycle will be out of whack come Tuesday. The Guardian have some top tips for keeping your sleeping clock on schedule.