Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reversed his termination of a key defense pact with the United States that allows large-scale combat exercises between U.S. and Philippine forces. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced Duterte’s decision at a joint meeting with reporters Friday with his visiting U.S. counterpart, Lloyd Austin, in Manila. Another Philippine official earlier told The Associated Press that Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. would hand over a document to Austin about Duterte’s decision to keep the Visiting Forces Agreement in a separate meeting later Friday.

With everyone assuming Brent is going home, the other players turn their focus to this week's HOH competition and the next round of potential targets on 'Big Brother'

National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB) on Friday said it will buy back A$2.50 billion ($1.85 billion) in shares from August, returning part of the cash raised from investors at the pandemic's height just over a year ago. Australia's third-largest bank by market value is the second of the "big four" lenders to return some of its record cash balance, even while Australia faces near-term uncertainty as the pandemic rages in Sydney. They are expected to return a large portion of that in coming years, with JPMorgan forecasting Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the country's largest, to launch a A$5 billion off-market buyback in August and A$4 billion on-market buyback in the following 12 months.

North Korea said Friday that leader Kim Jong Un called for stronger capability to cope with any foreign provocation as he met with military officers ahead of annual drills next month between South Korea and the United States that Pyongyang views as an invasion rehearsal. Earlier this week, Kim reopened suspended communication channels with rival South Korea, raising hopes of reduced animosities on the Korean Peninsula. The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim held the workshop of military commanders and political officers from July 24-27 to discuss ways to enhance the North’s military strength.