90,000 Palestinians attend the first Friday prayers of Ramadan in Jerusalem

Research by the charity English Heritage suggests it may have found a portrait of England's shortest-reigning queen Lady Jane Grey. It said Friday that there is “compelling” evidence that a portrait loaned from a private collection could well one of Jane. If true, it would be the only portrait of Jane painted during her lifetime. Jane governed for nine days in July 1553. She was deposed nine days later after her support melted away in the wake of her older sister Mary’s uprising. Jane was subsequently convicted of treason and sentenced to death. She is undoubtedly one of the most tragic figures in English regal history.

Friday marks three weeks since Pope Francis was hospitalized for bronchitis, which then led to double pneumonia. He was also treated for a complex lung infection and has since suffered several respiratory crises requiring further treatment, including machines to help him breathe. Doctors not involved in the pope’s care say the road ahead could be tricky, even if His Holiness fully recovers. They say a recovery could take months and that there could be long-term consequences, like muscle weakness and memory problems.

Protest marches in Serbia’s capital Belgrade and a northern city have seen tens of thousands of people respond to a call from university and high school students to strike as part of a monthslong struggle against corruption in the Balkan country. The massive marches Friday are part of a nationwide anti-graft movement that started after a concrete canopy crashed in November at a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad, killing 15 people and triggering protests against the populist government of President Aleksandar Vucic. Many in Serbia believe that the huge concrete construction fell down because of poor renovation work fueled by government corruption in infrastructure deals with Chinese state companies.

A Japanese high court has ruled that Japan’s refusal to legally recognize same-sex marriages is unconstitutional, a latest victory for the same sex couples and supporters seeking equal rights. Friday’s decision by the Nagoya High Court in central Japan marks the ninth victory out of 10 rulings since the first group of plaintiffs filed lawsuits in 2019. The decision was also the fourth high court ruling in a row that found the current government policy unconstitutional after similar decisions in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Sapporo. After another high court ruling in Osaka, the Supreme Court is expected to make a decision.

South Africa says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit in April for talks on finding “a path to peace” with Russia. A spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says Zelenskyy's visit on April 10 was a continuation of Ramaphosa’s ongoing engagements with both Ukraine and Russia for “an inclusive peace process." South Africa has adopted a neutral position in the war and has attempted to act as a mediator between the sides, although with limited success. South Africa says Ukraine must be included in any peace talks, echoing a call by European leaders after senior U.S. diplomats held bilateral talks with Russia last month.

Switzerland has not shown it is meeting the requirements of a landmark climate change decision from Europe’s highest human rights court. The European Court of Human Rights sided with a group of older Swiss women against their government and ruled in April 2024 that countries must better protect their people from the consequences of climate change. The court  found that Switzerland “had failed to comply with its duties” to combat climate change and meet emissions targets.

Some 90,000 Palestinians prayed at the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City under tight security by Israeli forces in the first Friday prayers of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Thousands made their way from the West Bank into Jerusalem for the prayers after Israel allowed men over 55 and women over 50 to enter from the occupied territory for the prayers. Tensions have risen in the West Bank the past weeks amid Israeli raids on militants. But there was no immediate sign of frictions on Friday. This Ramadan takes place as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is in place in Gaza since mid-January – though its future is uncertain.

Panama’s Security Minister Frank Ábrego says Panama will begin the process of issuing humanitarian passes to 112 migrants deported from the United States who have been held in a remote camp in the Darien region since last month. The passes would allow the migrants from a number of mostly Asian nations to move freely about Panama while they determine their next moves. Ábrego said on Friday that the migrants would find their own places to stay while they decide where they are going next. Rights groups have pressured Panama for holding the migrants without their passports or cell phones in harsh conditions. Lawyers had petitioned the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on their behalf.