Aug 1, 2019 - World

North Korea says it tested new rocket launcher system

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un with his army. Photo: STR/ KCNA VIA KNS/AFP/Getty Images

North Korean state news agency KCNA says leader Kim Jong-un "expressed satisfaction" after overseeing the test-fire of a newly developed large-caliber multiple rocket launcher system.

The big picture: KCNA's report on Thursday morning local time contradicts South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff's assessment that Pyongyang had fired 2 short-range ballistic missiles off its eastern coast in the incident early Wednesday.

Why it matters: This was the second such test in a week. President Trump has repeatedly downplayed North Korea's missile tests since meeting Kim last month. Pyongyang is angry over planned U.S.-South Korean military drills and may be trying to press the United States for negotiation concessions, AP notes.

What they're saying: National Security Adviser John Bolton told Fox Business' " Lou Dobbs Tonight," "The firing of these missiles don’t violate the pledge that Kim Jong-un made to the president about intercontinental-range ballistic missiles."

Go deeper: Ignoring North Korean missile tests could hamper nuclear talks

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BP's in the red, slashing its dividend and vowing a greener future

Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images

BP posted a $6.7 billion second-quarter loss and cut its dividend in half Tuesday while unveiling accelerated steps to transition its portfolio toward low-carbon sources.

Why it matters: The announcement adds new targets and details to its February vow to become a "net-zero" emissions company by mid-century.

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Sara Fischer

1 hour ago - Economy & Business

Women-focused non-profit newsrooms surge forward in 2020

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

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Why it matters: "The news business is already gendered," says Emily Ramshaw, co-founder and CEO of The 19th*, a new nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting at the intersection of women, politics and policy.

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Scott Rosenberg

2 hours ago - Technology

The U.S. is now playing by China's internet rules

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

President Trump's crackdown on TikTok suggests that the U.S. government is starting to see the internet more like China does — as a network that countries can and should control within their borders.

The big picture: Today's global internet has split into three zones, according to many observers: The EU's privacy-focused network; China's government-dominated network; and the U.S.-led network dominated by a handful of American companies. TikTok's fate suggests China's model has U.S. fans as well.