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Donald Trump Announces U.S. Deals With Japan And Philippines; Tel Aviv Protesters Demand End To "Policy Of Starvation"; U.S. Citizen Executed During Deadly Sectarian Violence; Ozzy Osbourne, Rock's "Prince Of Darkness," Dies At 76; Israel Ramps Up Gaza Offensive, Starvation Crisis Spirals; Israel Ramps Up Gaza Offensive, Starvation Crisis Spirals; United Nations Says More Than 1,000 Palestinians Killed Seeking Aid; Huge Bloom of Algae Off Australia Devastates Marine Life and Tourism. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired July 23, 2025 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[02:00:29]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world, and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max, I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, U.S. President Donald Trump announces a flurry of new trade deals and teases more to come ahead of next week's tower of deadline.

Starvation is spreading in Gaza as the Israeli military ramps up its offensive in the shattered enclave.

And remembering the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, the godfather of heavy metal, who transcended music and culture on the stage and on T.V.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Appreciate you joining us. Donald Trump is touting new U.S. trade agreements with Japan and the Philippines just days before steep tariffs are set to take effect. The U.S. president called the deal with the Japanese massive, saying Japan will pay reciprocal tariffs of 15 percent. He claims it will also invest $550 billion into the U.S., creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, though he did not specify how those investments would work.

No official terms have been released under the new deal with the Philippines, its exports to the U.S. will now face a 19 percent tariff. The announcement came after President Trump met with the Philippine president at the White House on Tuesday. This marks the fifth trade agreement announced over the past three months as the Trump administration moves ahead with its global trade war.

And here's a look at U.S. Futures at the moment, and you can see all in positive territory, pretty flat there, though, for the NASDAQ, but up about 0.3 percent there for the Dow Futures.

And markets across Asia as investors digest the new trade deals. You can see there, Japan's Nikkei is receiving it very well, 3.78 percent and the Hang Seng adding nearly 1.5 percent there.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout is covering this live from Hong Kong. She joins us now. Good to see you, Kristie.

So, what has been the overall response to this U.S. deal with Japan and the Philippines?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we saw just there in the screen that you shared with your audience, Rosemary, gains in the markets in Japan, the yen, the currency of Japan making gains as well. One analyst calling it a surprise, a positive surprise. U.S. President Donald Trump, he made this announcement of this long awaited trade deal with Japan just hours after reaching a trade deal with the Philippines.

And according to President Trump, he says that this will involve a 15 percent reciprocal tariff, and that on top of $550 billion investment that Japan will make into the United States.

Now, both countries have also agreed to lower the auto tariff rate to 15 percent, that's according to the state broadcaster NHK in Japan. And on Truth Social, Donald Trump said that Japan will open trade to rice, cars, trucks and other products from the United States.

Now, after the announcement was made, we did hear from Japan's beleaguered prime minister, some are saying that this deal could give him a lifeline. And he said that he was open to talking with President Trump if needed. And he also said this, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIGERU ISHIBA, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We were able to keep Japan's tariff rate to 15 percent when it was intended to be raised to 25 percent, that is the lowest figure to date for a country that has a trade surplus with the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: This is a significant deal. Japan is America's fifth largest source of imports. It also holds some leverage. Japan is America's largest foreign creditor. In fact, it holds some $1.1 trillion in U.S. Treasuries.

Now, earlier in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that trade deal with the Philippines. According to Trump, that deal with the Philippines, it involves 19 percent tariffs on all goods from the Philippines, zero tariffs on goods from the United States. And this is on par with the earlier deal that was brokered between Donald Trump and Indonesia. It's also slightly lower than the 20 percent tariff rate that Vietnam had brokered with the U.S. president.

Now, it was after this Oval Office meeting when we heard the details there about this trade deal and Donald Trump on Truth Social he called the visit with the Philippines President a, "Beautiful visit." And we also heard from the Philippines president himself who hailed the relationship. Listen to this.

[02:05:09]

FERDINAND MARCOS JR., PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: Our strongest, closest, most reliable ally has always been the United States. That is something that we value, that we are grateful for, and that we will continue to foster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Now during the Oval Office event, Trump noted how the Philippines has, in his words, tilted away from China. And Trump also mentions that he plans to visit, plans to make a landmark trip to China, in fact, in the near future. Back to you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Kristie Lu Stout bringing us that live update from Hong Kong. Appreciate it.

Israel is ramping up its offensive in Gaza as the Enclave faces a growing hunger crisis. Health officials in Gaza City report at least 10 people have been killed in the latest Israeli air strike, a warning some viewers may find the video of the attack disturbing.

The Al-Shifa Hospital director says three children, 2, 6 and 10 years old are among the victims. Israel says it hit an Islamic Jihad militant, and the incident is under review.

Meanwhile, the U.N. reports more than 1000 people trying to get food aid in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli military since late May. The European Union's top diplomat calls that indefensible. Israel admits firing warning shots toward crowds in some cases, but denies responsibility for other incidents.

And the U.N. Secretary General calls the situation a horror show, with famine knocking on every door in Gaza, doctors report at least 15 people died in a recent 24 hour period.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GHADA AL-FAYOUMI, PALESTINIAN MOTHER OF SEVEN (through translator): Don't get any more so food, it is nonexistent. Here, from the morning, they keep drinking water. We spend our days, our time just drinking water.

YASSER SAADA, PALESTINIAN (through translator): Started losing the ability to walk, losing the ability to move.

IBRAHIM AL-NAJJAR, DISPLACED PALESTINIAN FROM JABALAYA (through translator): I swear it has been four days since I have eaten, and I can't stand. Look at my hand shaking. He can't stand. And my son is crying, telling me, I want to eat, dad, I want to eat. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Protesters in Tel Aviv are demanding an end to what they call the Israeli government's policy of starvation, they marched through the city carrying bags of flour and pictures of malnourished children in Gaza.

More now from CNN's Paula Hancocks reporting from Abu Dhabi.

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PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As we hear reports of more deaths due to starvation in Gaza, we're also understanding that the Israeli military is ramping up its operations in central Gaza. Now this is significant. It's an area called Deir al Balah, and it's an area that the IDF has not operated in for 21 months in a ground operation.

Now the IDF is not commenting on this operation at this point, but Israel army radio says that they believe there is one battalion that is operating there, and the operation could last several weeks. Now there is concern for those on the ground. We know there have been evacuation orders for those in the area.

Since Sunday, we have seen hundreds of people trying to leave the area, carrying what they can. We've heard as well from the U.N. Human Rights Chief, and he has said the operation will invariably lead to further civilian deaths. Also saying that just when you thought the nightmare couldn't get worse, it does. So, there are concerns for those still on the ground in Deir al Balah.

Now, Israeli media had been reporting that they believed the reason the IDF hadn't gone into this area before is because they suspected some hostages were being held there. So, we've heard from the forum that represents those families of the hostages, and they say that they are increasingly alarmed that this operation could harm their loved ones that are still being held by Hamas and other militant groups.

We also heard from World Health Organization. They say that in Deir al Balah their main warehouse and their staff residence were hit by the Israeli military. They say that the warehouse was looted by desperate crowds shortly afterwards, so they have lost their supplies.

And they also say that the women and children were forced to evacuate the staff residents, and that the men were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot. Now there is increasing criticism across the board of the humanitarian situation. Israel has been saying, through COGAT, its aid group, or its agency that helps the distribution of aid that the IDF is trying to facilitate the release of aid.

But we're hearing from the Ministry of Health that 15 people, including four children, have died in just the past 24 hours. We're hearing from hospital officials this one, the Director of the main Al- Shifa Hospital, saying that they are constantly having people coming in with malnutrition and with starvation symptoms.

[02:10:19]

And he said, we are, "Heading towards terrifying death tolls." Now, Israel has pushed back against the criticism, but we are hearing increasing voices that say there needs to be a ceasefire and there needs to be more aid allowed in.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Southern Syria saw days of deadly sectarian violence after clashes broke out earlier this month. A Syrian human rights group says hundreds of people were killed in the fighting between Druze armed groups and Bedouin tribes. CNN cannot independently verify these figures. A U.S. brokered cease fire went into effect on Sunday, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of Bedouin civilians from the majority drew city of Sweida.

An American citizen of Druze descent was among those killed during the violence. Hosam Saraya was identified as one of eight men whose killing was captured on video.

CNN's Ben Wedeman has the details. A warning, though, the images you're about to see are disturbing.

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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shouting Allahu Akbar, God is great. The unidentified gunman appeared triumphant, marching through the streets of the Southern

Syrian City of Suwayda with prisoners, men from the Druze minority, all members of the same family. We wanted to offer you safety, but you refuse to leave, someone shouts out of view.

Relatives of the captives told CNN they had fought back against the gunman when their home was surrounded, but surrendered after one of them was wounded. The person who shot the phone video passes by a bullet pocked car. A dead man lies across the front seats.

Another clip shows the captives on their knees. Dogs, someone shouts. And then a hail of machine gun fire for 15 seconds, all eight captives were killed. Among the dead Hosam Saraya a 35-year-old U.S. citizen who had studied in Oklahoma before returning to Syria.

The U.S. State Department confirmed Monday, an American citizen had died in Suwayda, providing no further details, but added it was greatly concerned when any U.S. citizen is harmed overseas, wherever they are and called for accountability in all cases where U.S. citizens are harmed abroad.

The execution in Suwayda is just a small snapshot of the madness that is since the 13th of July engulfed this part of Southern Syria where various Druze militia, which seek limited autonomy from Damascus, have battled Bedouin tribesmen, loosely aligned with the central government.

The fighting has left hundreds dead civilians as well as fighters, and has forced more than 90,000 people to flee their homes. Tuesday, Human Rights Watch issued a report claiming all sides, Bedouin and Druze fighters as well as government forces, have committed abuses.

A Ministry of Interior spokesman tell CNN, such acts are absolutely unacceptable to us, and those who committed them will face justice. U.S., Turkish and Arab diplomats pushed through a shaky ceasefire, but not before Israel entered the fray bombing targets in Suwayda and Damascus in defense it claimed of the Druze.

While the fighting raged, hundreds of Druzes from the Israeli occupied Golan Heights and Israel proper crossed into Syria in support of the community in Suwayda. Last week, Interim Syrian President Ahmed Al Sharaa said in a televised address, we are all partners in this land, and we will not allow any group to distort this beautiful image that expresses Syria and its diversity. A diversity now more precarious than ever before.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: On Tuesday, a U.S. State Department spokesperson offered condolences to Saraya's family and said the department was providing them consular assistance, but declined to give further details.

Tributes are pouring in for Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal singer and reality T.V. family man died just weeks after his final performance. We will look back at the life of rock's Prince of Darkness.

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CHURCH: The music world is paying tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary Black Sabbath front man who died on Tuesday at 76, just weeks after his final show. Former bandmate Tony Iommi, called Osbourne's death heartbreaking, writing, there won't ever be another like him.

Elton John says Osbourne was a dear friend and a huge trailblazer who secured his place in the pantheon of rock gods, a true legend.

CNN's Stephanie Elam has more now on the heavy metal icon.

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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): He was called the Prince of Darkness. And for a half century, British musician Ozzy Osbourne rocked heavy metal fans worldwide until his death at age 76 just weeks after taking what was called his final bow.

[02:20:04] OZZY OSBOURNE, MUSICIAN: I've been laid up for like six years. And it's so -- you have no idea how I feel.

ELAM (voice over): The Black Sabbath front man reunited with his bandmates for a show called Back to the Beginning in his hometown of Birmingham, England.

OSBOURNE: Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

ELAM (voice over): Performing with bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi for the first time in two decades, alongside other music legends Metallica and Guns and Roses.

His family issuing a statement, saying, during his final moments, he was with his family and surrounded by love.

Osbourne's charisma and wildness, on and off the stage.

OSBOURNE: I don't know he was a real battle, I would never have bitten into it.

ELAM (voice over): Transcended music and made him a cultural phenomenon.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Ozzy Osbourne.

(CROWD CHEERING)

ELAM (voice-over): Born in Birmingham, England in 1948, John "Ozzy" Osbourne left school at 15 and found inspiration after hearing "The Beatles" on the radio.

OSBOURNE: Well, I can remember, the first time I heard "She Loves You". That changed my life because I thought that's what I want to do.

ELAM (voice-over): Osbourne became lead vocalists of the band that would become "Black Sabbath" in 1968 and pioneered a daring genre- defining new sound. The heavy guitar and riff based albums, Black Sabbath and Paranoid captivated audiences in 1970. As Black Sabbath's fame exploded, so did Osbourne's hell-raising behavior. He was fired from "Black Sabbath" for drug and alcohol abuse in 1979. Those same issues broke up Osbourne's first marriage and followed him for decades.

LARRY KING, FORMER CNN ANCHOR AND HOST: Have you been tempted to go back to the drug usage?

OSBOURNE: All the time. I mean when you are a drug addict, you don't stop being a drug addict because you stop taking them.

ELAM (voice-over): But Sharon Arden, the daughter of Black Sabbath's manager, helped get him back on his feet and encouraged him to go solo. Osbourne's debut single "Crazy Train," got the singer back on the rails. Ozzy and Sharon married in 1982, and Sharon managed his career for the rest of his life. Their love was on full display to an entirely new audience. In the 2002 MTV reality series, "The Osbournes." Ozzy's dry, at times, unintelligible humor and relatable parenting challenges endeared him to millions and the fly on the wall look at the Osbourne's expletive-laden daily life shot the family to fame.

After years of speculation about his health, Osbourne revealed his Parkinson's disease diagnosis in an interview with "Good Morning America" in 2020. But Osbourne was committed to making more music. And three years later, he won two Grammys for his album "Patient Number 9," bringing his Grammy total to five. Three as a solo artist and two with Black Sabbath.

In all, Osbourne made over 20 albums and is among the elite group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. From Prince of Darkness to reality T.V. show dad, Ozzy Osbourne was a man, a myth and a legend.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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CHURCH: The Gaza health ministry says 15 people have died of starvation in the past 24 hours alone. A warning, the images you're about to see are disturbing.

Amid the unrelenting violence, the European Union's top diplomat says Israel must stop killing desperate people seeking aid. The U.N. says more than a thousand Palestinians have been fatally shot since late May as they try to seek assistance.

Ahmed Bayram is a Media Advisor for the Norwegian Refugee Council, and he joins me now from Amman, Jordan, appreciate you talking with us.

AHMED BAYRAM, MEDIA ADVISOR, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: So, Gaza's food crisis is worsening as Israel ramps up its offensive in the Enclave, and that deadly combination of starvation and war is hitting the children of Gaza very hard, isn't it? How is your organization trying to help the people of Gaza in the midst of this horror?

BAYRAM: We're running out of ways to help, really, with this suffocating blockade imposed by Israel. We are providing some clean drinking water, actually, to thousands of people. This is also at risk following Israel's relocation orders in Deir al Balah. Deir al Balah for your viewers, it's the capital of displacement in Gaza. It's become also the capital of aid in Gaza, and now Israel has attacked that part where exactly it has been calling on people to move to.

In terms of the food situation, I hear from my colleagues who are themselves starving that they have -- now they have probably one meal a day, and that should be before bedtime, so that their children don't go to bed with empty stomachs. [02:30:00]

I heard yesterday, also from a colleague, about a pregnant woman who was carrying a flour -- a bag of when she was shot dead. So, these kind of, unfortunately, these kind of incidents, these kind of attacks are being normalized and that's the danger.

CHURCH: Yeah, these are shocking stories. And the U.N. is reporting that more than a thousand people, including children, have been killed by the Israeli military since late May, just trying to get food at these aid distribution sites in the enclave. How are children being killed at these sites and under what circumstances? Do you know?

BAYRAM: In the most desperate of their -- that they ever lived really, they are at their most desperate point now. Children are hungry. Now, you are, you know, if in Gaza, people are risking their lives, putting their lives on the line to get that, you know, bag of lentils and go back home. You see images of children trying to get whatever they can around these distribution sites where the shootings happen. Of course, that's because they have not had anything probably in days or in weeks, probably very little scraps. That's what they are surviving on.

And the same situation, of course, for women, for the elderly, for people trying to find whatever they can. People are scavenging now, at this point, of course, there's not much if you walk for hours in a market in Gaza, you are unlikely to find anything to consume. And if you find something, it's probably going to be in $50 or $100, in terms of the items that are being sold on the market. So, yes, it's very much famine-like conditions that we are seeing in Gaza right now. And the solution is very simple really. It's to open those landing -- those land crossings and allow aid to gush in. There are thousands and thousands of tons of food, probably shorter than a commute to an office, really lying by the border.

CHURCH: This is the frustration, isn't it? Because of course, that aid is not getting in. And we were looking at images there of families, sometimes eight, sometimes 12, sitting around a small bowl of very thin soup, with a spoon each trying to make that last for them, to try and fill the bellies of the children. So, the U.N. Secretary General is calling the situation in Gaza a horror show, with famine knocking on every door. So, what does need to be done to stop these killings at aid sites, and of course, the food crisis that's engulfing the enclave? As you mentioned, of course, they need to see that food get in. But, how do you stop these killings at these distribution sites?

BAYRAM: I mean, that's the problem, right? That's the root of the problem. Trusting a securitized, militarized company, being outsourced here to apparently fend off starvation and prevent a famine. This is a non-starter that we have always said was going to create chaos. So probably, the first thing that has to happen is for this scheme to go. And the second thing, which is a simple thing really, is for Israel to open the gates and allow the professionals, the real humanitarians who have been doing the most difficult job, probably anywhere in the world, in this conflict zone, to do their job again, to resume that job, that job of providing hot meats for people in kitchens.

We have seen it work during the ceasefire. It should happen again. But we know that diplomatically, there's not a decision yet. And that is the most frustrating part. Israel's allies have let this carry on, and that's the danger. These are taxpayer-provided aid parcels that people have sent, so that they can go to those children and to those babies. And Israel is stopping that. And that has to stop through diplomatic pressure.

CHURCH: Ahmed Bayram, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it, and the work you do.

BAYRAM: Thank you.

CHURCH: And we'll be right back.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. A massive algae bloom off South Australia's coast is devastating marine life and tourism in the region. Discovered in March, the bloom spans about 4,500 square kilometers, more than four times the size of Hong Kong, and it's been made worse by rising ocean temperatures. The bloom sucks oxygen out of the water as it decomposes and officials say, it has killed more than 400 types of marine species. In all, nearly 14,000 dead animals have been recorded as a result of this bloom, including sharks and rays.

I want to thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. "World Sport" is coming up next. Then, I will be back at the top of the hour with more "CNN Newsroom." Do stay with us.

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