By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - A British court ruled on Thursday that the government needs parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, potentially delaying Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plans. The government said it would appeal against the High Court ruling and Britain's Supreme Court is expected to consider the case early next month.

By Josh Smith KABUL (Reuters) - Kabul's military training academy is churning out classes of enthusiastic women to serve in Afghanistan's army, but the realities of rising violence and a conservative society make the future for the young recruits far from certain.

SEOUL (Reuters) - The commander of U.S. forces in South Korea said on Friday a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system battery would be deployed to South Korea within eight to 10 months, an official from the U.S. forces in South Korea said.

By Ju-min Park and Tony Munroe SEOUL (Reuters) - A tearful and apologetic South Korean President Park Geun-hye said on Friday her "heart was breaking" over a political scandal that has engulfed her administration, adding she will cooperate with prosecutors in their investigation.

KABUL (Reuters) - Eight Afghans detained in Guantanamo Bay have been imprisoned for years on the basis of tenuous evidence, "fantastical allegations" and hearsay, a report issued on Thursday said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Two Malaysians were arrested by Turkish authorities on their way to Syria, where they were planning to join up with the Islamic State militant group, Malaysian police said on Friday.

By Julia Symmes Cobb BOGOTA (Reuters) - A majority of Colombians support peace talks with Marxist rebels but they also doubt that the government will be able to reach a new accord with the country's largest guerrilla group this year, a poll showed on Thursday.

JAKARTA (Reuters) - The death toll from a boat accident off an Indonesian island rose to 36 on the third day of a search for survivors, police said, with hopes fading on Friday for 24 people still missing.

By Gayatri Suroyo and Johan Purnomo JAKARTA (Reuters) - Truckloads of soldiers and police took the streets of Jakarta on Friday, securing shopping malls and business areas, as residents in the Indonesian capital braced for a large-scale protest planned by hardline Muslim groups.

By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors have detained a former aide to President Park Geun-hye, a prosecution official said on Thursday, the second person to be held in an influence peddling scandal that has rocked the country's presidency.