Axios

In several emerging markets, entrepreneurs are using the Amazon playbook to bring e-commerce to their own countries, but they're finding that demand for online shopping is expanding faster than the infrastructure needed to support it.

The big picture: Serving populations that tend to rely on cash and live in harder-to-reach areas, the online retailers of the developing world are searching for creative ways to grow — and keep the international giants at bay.

In the absence of a foreign policy victory in Venezuela, President Trump's economic embargo on the country shows his sights resettling on the prospect of regime change.

The big picture: Despite Washington's anointment of Juan Guaidó as the country's democratically elected leader and its tightening asset freeze on government property, regime change remains a high hurdle. Behind the administration's recent move is the untested wager that the renewed threat of extraterritorial sanctions against Venezuela's trade partners China and Russia could erode their support for President Nicolás Maduro.

Led by Russia and China, the world is accelerating its move away from the U.S. dollar. But rather than increasing buys of other currencies, more of the world's financial authorities are buying gold.

Driving the news: Central banks purchased a record 374.1 tons — worth $15.7 billion — of gold in the first half of the year, the largest first-half increase in the 19-year history of the World Gold Council's (WGC) data.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Wednesday the country's latest launch of tactical guided missiles was designed to "send an adequate warning" to the U.S. and South Korea over this week's joint military drills, state media reports.

Why it matters: The launch of the newly developed, short-range ballistic missiles on Tuesday was the 4th such exercise in less than 2 weeks. It comes as denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea stall, Reuters notes.