{"id":52239,"date":"2025-08-23T06:38:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T10:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-hotspots-and-corporate-moves-gaza-crisis-deepens-japan-south-korea-strengthen-ties-coca-cola-considers-costa-coffee-sale\/52239\/"},"modified":"2025-08-23T06:38:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T10:38:59","slug":"global-hotspots-and-corporate-moves-gaza-crisis-deepens-japan-south-korea-strengthen-ties-coca-cola-considers-costa-coffee-sale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-hotspots-and-corporate-moves-gaza-crisis-deepens-japan-south-korea-strengthen-ties-coca-cola-considers-costa-coffee-sale\/52239\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Hotspots and Corporate Moves: Gaza Crisis Deepens, Japan-South Korea Strengthen Ties, Coca-Cola Considers Costa Coffee Sale"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-hotspots-and-corporate-moves-gaza-crisis-deepens-japan-south-korea-strengthen-ties-coca-cola-considers-costa-coffee-sale\/52239\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-hotspots-and-corporate-moves-gaza-crisis-deepens-japan-south-korea-strengthen-ties-coca-cola-considers-costa-coffee-sale\/52239\/#Gaza_Faces_Dire_Humanitarian_Crisis_Amid_Escalating_Malnutrition\" >Gaza Faces Dire Humanitarian Crisis Amid Escalating Malnutrition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-hotspots-and-corporate-moves-gaza-crisis-deepens-japan-south-korea-strengthen-ties-coca-cola-considers-costa-coffee-sale\/52239\/#Japan_and_South_Korea_Bolster_Bilateral_Ties_and_Discuss_Denuclearization\" >Japan and South Korea Bolster Bilateral Ties and Discuss Denuclearization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-hotspots-and-corporate-moves-gaza-crisis-deepens-japan-south-korea-strengthen-ties-coca-cola-considers-costa-coffee-sale\/52239\/#Corporate_Developments_Coca-Cola_Considers_Costa_Coffee_Sale_Mercedes-Benz_Recalls_Vehicles\" >Corporate Developments: Coca-Cola Considers Costa Coffee Sale, Mercedes-Benz Recalls Vehicles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-hotspots-and-corporate-moves-gaza-crisis-deepens-japan-south-korea-strengthen-ties-coca-cola-considers-costa-coffee-sale\/52239\/#Bitcoin_Ownership_Landscape_in_2025_and_Global_Economic_Insights\" >Bitcoin Ownership Landscape in 2025 and Global Economic Insights<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-hotspots-and-corporate-moves-gaza-crisis-deepens-japan-south-korea-strengthen-ties-coca-cola-considers-costa-coffee-sale\/52239\/#International_Diplomacy_and_Conflicts\" >International Diplomacy and Conflicts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-hotspots-and-corporate-moves-gaza-crisis-deepens-japan-south-korea-strengthen-ties-coca-cola-considers-costa-coffee-sale\/52239\/#Japans_New_Visa_Program_and_Other_Global_Updates\" >Japan&#39;s New Visa Program and Other Global Updates<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Gaza&#39;s humanitarian crisis is escalating severely<\/strong>, with the director of Nasser Medical Complex reporting 120 malnutrition cases and a need for ten more hospitals to cope, while the Gaza Ministry of Health states 281 starvation deaths, including 114 children.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba and South Korea&#39;s Lee are committed to strengthening bilateral relations<\/strong>, agreeing on a framework for joint issues and future strategic talks, including denuclearizing North Korea.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Coca-Cola (<a href=\"\/stock\/KO\">KO<\/a>) is reportedly exploring a potential sale of its Costa Coffee chain<\/strong>, working with Lazard to review options, six years after its $5 billion acquisition.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bitcoin (BTC) ownership in 2025 is dominated by retail investors (71.8%)<\/strong>, with significant holdings also by ETFs (7.1%), Satoshi (5.2%), and public companies (4.5%).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi criticized the EU&#39;s geopolitical standing<\/strong>, stating that the illusion of its economic size translating to global power has &quot;evaporated&quot; in 2025, with the EU acting as a &quot;spectator&quot; in conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gaza_Faces_Dire_Humanitarian_Crisis_Amid_Escalating_Malnutrition\"><\/span>Gaza Faces Dire Humanitarian Crisis Amid Escalating Malnutrition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached a critical point, with <strong>malnutrition cases surging and a severe shortage of medical facilities<\/strong>. The director of the children&#39;s hospital at Nasser Medical Complex reported 120 cases of malnutrition within the hospital and stated that at least ten more hospitals are urgently needed to treat the growing number of cases. Medical sources in Gaza recorded eight new deaths, including two children, due to malnutrition in the past 24 hours alone.<\/p>\n<p>The Gaza Ministry of Health announced that the total number of starvation martyrs in the sector has risen to <strong>281, including 114 children<\/strong>. The director of the children&#39;s hospital at Nasser Medical Complex warned that Gaza&#39;s children will suffer lifelong consequences of malnutrition. Amidst these dire reports, a senior Israeli official, quoted by Channel 12, emphasized the urgent need to return the abductees from the Gaza Strip immediately. A Maariv poll indicated that <strong>72% of Israelis support reaching a deal to return the abductees<\/strong>, with a majority also supporting an end to the war. The Norwegian Foreign Minister expressed concern over &quot;intensive attacks on what remains of Gaza City,&quot; where many Palestinians have sought refuge.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Japan_and_South_Korea_Bolster_Bilateral_Ties_and_Discuss_Denuclearization\"><\/span>Japan and South Korea Bolster Bilateral Ties and Discuss Denuclearization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Japanese Prime Minister <strong>Ishiba<\/strong> and South Korea&#39;s Lee have held significant discussions, signaling a strengthening of bilateral relations. Following their meeting, Ishiba stated that he and Lee agreed to steadily develop their bilateral relations, acknowledging their increasing importance.<\/p>\n<p>The leaders have agreed on a framework to discuss joint issues, with Ishiba aiming to hold strategic talks in the near future. A key outcome of their discussions is the commitment for Japan and South Korea to <strong>collaborate on denuclearizing North Korea<\/strong>. This diplomatic push is further underscored by the scheduled visit of Japan&#39;s Defense Minister to South Korea in early September.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Corporate_Developments_Coca-Cola_Considers_Costa_Coffee_Sale_Mercedes-Benz_Recalls_Vehicles\"><\/span>Corporate Developments: Coca-Cola Considers Costa Coffee Sale, Mercedes-Benz Recalls Vehicles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>The Coca-Cola Company (<a href=\"\/stock\/KO\">KO<\/a>) is reportedly exploring a potential sale of its Costa Coffee chain<\/strong>, according to Sky News. The beverage giant is working with investment bank Lazard to review options for the British coffee chain, which it acquired in 2018 for over $5 billion. This move comes as Coca-Cola assesses its portfolio six years after the significant acquisition.<\/p>\n<p>In the automotive sector, <strong>Mercedes-Benz USA LLC (<a href=\"\/stock\/MBGYY\">MBGYY<\/a>) has filed a recall for 3,749 vehicles in the U.S.<\/strong>, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall highlights ongoing safety and quality control measures within the automotive industry.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bitcoin_Ownership_Landscape_in_2025_and_Global_Economic_Insights\"><\/span>Bitcoin Ownership Landscape in 2025 and Global Economic Insights<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Bitcoin (BTC) market in 2025<\/strong> shows a diverse ownership landscape. <strong>Retail investors hold the largest share at 71.8% ($1.76 trillion)<\/strong>, followed by ETFs at 7.1% ($173 billion). Satoshi Nakamoto&#39;s holdings account for 5.2% ($128 billion), with an equal percentage yet to be mined. Public companies hold 4.5% ($109 billion), governments 2.5% ($60 billion), and private companies 2.0% ($50 billion). DeFi platforms hold 1.3% ($31 billion), and miners possess 0.5% ($13 billion) of the total Bitcoin supply of 21 million, with 19.9 million currently in circulation.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, former Italian Prime Minister <strong>Mario Draghi<\/strong> offered a stark assessment of the European Union&#39;s global standing. He stated that the EU&#39;s long-held belief that its economic size, with 450 million consumers, translated into geopolitical power has proven to be an &quot;illusion&quot; that &quot;evaporated&quot; in 2025. Draghi noted that the EU was pushed into higher military spending and accepted U.S. tariffs, while remaining a &quot;spectator&quot; rather than a player in the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"International_Diplomacy_and_Conflicts\"><\/span>International Diplomacy and Conflicts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Egyptian Foreign Ministry<\/strong> affirmed Cairo&#39;s support for UN efforts to restore security and stability in Libya, emphasizing the importance of preserving the unity and sovereignty of the Libyan state. Cairo also stressed adherence to the UN plan&#39;s timeline to ensure the credibility of the political process and achieve the Libyan people&#39;s aspirations for stability and development. The Ministry welcomed the UN roadmap for resolving the Libyan crisis within a timeframe of 12 to 18 months.<\/p>\n<p>In other international news, <strong>China is reportedly willing to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping mission<\/strong>. This development could significantly impact the ongoing conflict. NATO Military Committee Chief Giusseppe Cavo Dragone revealed that allies provided Ukraine with $50 billion in weapons in 2024 and aim for a similar level in 2025. Reports also indicate North Korean troops are using mortars, rockets, drones, and MLRS in combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Russia&#39;s Kursk region.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Japans_New_Visa_Program_and_Other_Global_Updates\"><\/span>Japan&#39;s New Visa Program and Other Global Updates<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Japanese government, at TICAD 9, announced the creation of official &quot;hometowns&quot; and a special visa program for citizens of Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, and Mozambique<\/strong>. This scheme aims to strengthen cultural ties and address labor shortages in Japan.<\/p>\n<p>In other news, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 81 kilometers southwest of Acajutla, El Salvador, according to the USGS. The Russian Defence Ministry, as reported by RIA, stated that Russian forces have captured the settlements of Kleban-Byk and Sredne in eastern Ukraine. Additionally, top Israeli cyber official Tom Artiom Alexandrovich was arrested in Nevada for soliciting sex from a minor but was released on $10,000 bail and immediately flew back to Israel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Gaza&#39;s humanitarian crisis is escalating severely, with the director of Nasser Medical Complex reporting 120 malnutrition cases and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"rank_math_schema_Article":[],"rank_math_focus_keyword":[],"rank_math_description":[],"financial_data_references":[],"stock_symbols_mentioned":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5012],"tags":[5136,9241,3734,5148,9242,4555,5199,9243,4824,5464,9244,5566,5015,6123,5018,6409,5039,8399,5042,9238,5045,9239,5127,9240],"class_list":["post-52239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","tag-south-korea","tag-recall","tag-btc","tag-bitcoin-btc","tag-mercedes-benz-mbgyy","tag-cryptocurrency","tag-automotive","tag-peacekeeping","tag-geopolitics","tag-corporate-news","tag-ticad","tag-nhtsa","tag-gaza","tag-egypt","tag-humanitarian-crisis","tag-malnutrition","tag-eu","tag-libya","tag-ukraine","tag-denuclearization","tag-diplomacy","tag-coca-cola-ko","tag-japan","tag-costa-coffee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}