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Airplane Debris Found In Western Indian Ocean; Ray Tensing Charged In Driver's Death; Europe's Dangerous Migrant Surge; Backlash From Cecil's Death; Jon Stewart's Not-So-Secret White House Meetings. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired July 29, 2015 - 03:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Our breaking news this hour, airline debris is discovered in the Indian Ocean. Why experts believe it could help unlock the mystery of Flight MH370.

BARNETT: Plus, new protests inside the United States after a white police officer is indicted in the shooting death of a black suspect.

ASHER: And Donald Trump gets in another public spat this time over a breast pump.

BARNETT: Hello. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and those tuned in from around the word. I'm Errol Barnett.

ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Glad to be with you for the next hour and this is CNN NEWSROOM.

BARNETT: We begin this hour with breaking news out of Reunion Island in the far western Indian Ocean. That is where investigators are headed to get a closer look at this piece of airplane debris that could be a part of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

A source tells CNN it appears to be part of a Boeing 777, that's the same model as MH370. Australia's deputy prime minister spoke with reporters moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN TRUSS, AUSTRALIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Yes, this is obviously a very significant development. It is the first real evidence there is a possibility that a part of the aircraft may have been found. It's too early to make the judgment.

We are treating this as a major lead and seeking to get assurance about what has been found and whether it is indeed linked to the disappearance of MH370.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Now just to put this in context for you. Reunion Island is near Madagascar. That is a very long way from the area where search crews were looking for the missing jetliner, some 2,500 miles. In fact, it vanished March of last year on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with about 239 people on board.

BARNETT: Now CNN's Robyn Kriel has just arrived at Reunion Island and she can join us now on the phone. Robyn, I understand that you literally just got there. Bring us up to speed. What's the latest from the ground and how exactly did this piece of debris turn up?

ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, the piece of debris was picked up by initially, by the -- sighted by locals then the police were brought in and they were seen dragging it on to the beach. What we can tell you is that the French Air Force has now, is now investigating into those to see if there is any more debris.

Of course, the Australian Transportation Safety Board will become involved as well as Malaysian Airline has indeed confirmed to be part of MH370, which it has not been, rather, as of yet.

A key part to this story is the serial number or whatever that number is etched in on the wing fragment. It is BB706. Now this could be anything. It could be what experts tell us, it could be a serial number, aircraft log from maintenance or it could indeed belong to a Boeing 777, which is consistent with the missing airliner MH370.

As of yet though, no information is indeed the 777 and indeed, if it does turn out to be a 777. We don't know if there has been another 777 aircraft crashed in this area. It does not appear to be. So it is unlikely that it would belong to another aircraft other than MH370.

BARNETT: Right. Deputy prime minister saying that that number possibly could be some kind of maintenance number which they can cross reference and check. That will take some time. But that also speaks to why this moment is so difficult.

The Australian deputy prime minister calling this a credible and significant lead, but until all of these different agencies can get this information confirmed, we won't be able to help alleviate those concerns of relatives of victims on this aircraft that this is in fact a piece of MH370. What have you heard from some of the relatives of victims on this development?

KRIEL: Well, a lot of people said that they're cautiously optimistic. They had so many false hopes raised from false information. But one family member did say this was a thread of hope. Fining a piece of debris like this would, if it does indeed turn out to be part of MH370 would make this disaster tangible.

[03:05:07] It's been a roller coaster. A number of family members have a very hard time believing that the aircraft could have traveled as far away as the Reunion Island. It is very, very far away from where the plane was originally meant to be on course.

As you say, the Australian deputy prime minister saying this is, this is, could be rather a major development or lead, but they're very cautious as well. Just to give you a breakdown, Errol, of the nationalities on board, MH370, 239 passengers in total, 152 of those were Chinese, six Australians, three Americans, and 50 Malaysians. Fifteen different nationalities represented in total on board. So a number of family members obviously anxiously waiting to find out what this wing fragment could be and if it is indeed consistent with MH370.

BARNETT: So there you have it. Officials are cross referencing all the information they have and even going as far to look at the barnacles on this piece of debris. Robyn Kriel with what I believe is CNN's first live report from Reunion Island.

She is just one of a number of teams we have who arrived there as we try to gather more information on what the deputy prime minister of Australia calls a "credible and significant lead" in finding this piece of debris -- Zain.

ASHER: Errol, I want to go now to our Asia-Pacific editor, Andrew Stevens. Andrew has been covering the story from the very beginning since the plane vanished March of last year. He is joining us live on the phone from Kuala Lumpur.

So Andrew, as we heard Robyn Kriel mentioned there are a lot of people around the world especially Malaysia and China anxiously waiting for what the flaperon could be, is it part of MH370?

I've want to ask you, can we really learn anything new from this particular piece of debris do you think?

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR (via telephone): Well, at this stage it is certainly the strongest lead that the investigators have had in the last 16 months looking for this plane. No doubt about that. The Australian deputy prime minister actually said in the press conference with the photos, mostly the photos.

The photo at the top, which are being dragged out of the sea, they're not inconsistent with a 777. If you talk to and listen to the experts here so far on those photos, they are all saying the same thing. Excuse me.

This could actually in form part of the flaperon, which is the second part of the wing that keeps the plane stable in flight. It could actually be a flaperon of a 777. Robyn was saying, there is only one 777 which is unaccounted for at the moment.

There is a very, very strong lead at the moment. That's all it is. They're still a long way to go to actually get this confirmed properly. Errol mentioned barnacles. Australians are analyzing the barnacles to see how old they are, essentially, had they been in the water 16 months.

That would be a clue. We don't know how long it is going to take to get a positive id with that maintenance number. The Australian prime minister said it could take some time. We can't be any more specific than that at this time.

ASHER: It could take some time. You know, it's important to be, I guess, cautiously optimistic. Want to talk about Malaysia's role in the investigation. The piece was found in a French territory in Reunion. It's an American plane. It was made by Boeing. The Australians have said that they will be in charge of the black boxes. What will Malaysia's role specifically be in piecing together this mystery do you think?

STEVENS: OK, they will be across all four process of the investigation and at this point, it is complex with a number of countries that are now involved with this, the French, and the Malaysian have sent a team away, dispatched a team to Reunion Island to work with the air investigators, French air investigators on that debris.

So they are across all aspects of this has been involve in the search, which has been led by Australia because the plane was believed to have gone down in waters, which is closest to Australia.

So the lead investigator not yet clear where parts of the plane will be taken for to try to reconstruct what happened to find out exactly the last few minutes of flight and why it did what it did.

So, Malaysians saying (inaudible) particularly in the (inaudible) family, this is obviously a very sensitive time for the family at the moment. They have been hearing the same things we have been hearing. They're living in hope.

They're also torn saying that one way they want closure. They need closure to what happened to their family members.

[03:10:04] The other one is facing up to what is going to be possibly a very, very grim truth. It's going to be very difficult so they are absolutely torn at the moment.

ASHER: Absolutely. Yes, they want closure, but the reality of what could have happened to this plane, certainly very difficult to swallow. OK, Andrew Stevens live for us there on the phone from Kuala Lumpur. Thank you so much, Andrew -- Errol.

BARNETT: Well, Zain, we want to figure out what we are dealing with here. So we are bringing in Geoffrey Thomas. He is the editor-in- chief and managing director of airlineratings.com joins us via webcam from Perth, Australia. Thanks for your time, Jeffrey.

We are trying to be careful because of relatives of victims not to confirm this, but it appears this debris is a flaperon of a Boeing 777 in a location consistent with Indian Ocean currents and Australia's deputy pm moments ago saying this is the first credible lead in the search for MH370. Do you think this is MH370?

GEOFFREY THOMAS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AIRLINERATINGS.COM: Look, all of the evidence is certainly pointing that way and while officials are not saying so, within the industry there is a lot of dialogue in the last 12 hours discussing the various technical aspects of the piece found.

It does point very strongly to it being from a 777 although we must be cautious here because a Yemeni airbus I310 crashed in that vicinity in 2009. There is a possibility that it could be from that. All technical evidence, discussions from engineers today around the globe is focusing on the fact that it is from 777.

BARNETT: Talk to us more about the technical discussions I guess happening behind the scenes among those who are really experts in all of this. The item, the debris we are all looking at now appears to be a flaperon. It appears to have some damage around some of the edges. Just explain to us what it is and based on how it looks now, what happened to it?

THOMAS: A flaperon, there is two of them, one on each side, that midway, midway along the wing, trailing edge of the wing. They're used to roll the airplane from the left to the right. There are sections of those, of the flaperon that you can see in the imagery which are consistent with a Boeing 777 flaperon. That's what everybody is focused on. That's what leads them to believe it is from a 777.

BARNETT: Now you did mention a Yemen airbus crash in 2009 in the vicinity of where this piece of debris was found, any possibility that those types of models would have this similar piece?

THOMAS: They have a similar piece, however, and this is the big however, the Yemeni Airbus A310, its flaperon is made of aluminum, this piece is made by composite material, which what the Boeing 777 flaperon is made from.

There is a big difference between the two particularly with respect to damage. They both -- they exhibit very different sort of profiles when damaged and this one is consistent with a composite structure.

BARNETT: OK, so even with that possibility the big money I guess is on this being part of a Boeing 777. Geoffrey Thomas, editor-in-chief at airlineratings.com. Thank you for joining us from Perth -- Zain.

ASHER: We previously thought that it would be the serial number on this piece of flaperon. Investigators are saying that it's possibly a maintenance number. So hopefully we'll be able to confirm sometimes soon.

Many of you, wondering if it is possible for debris from MH370 to drift thousands of kilometers across the Indian Ocean. Our meteorologist, Ivan Cabrera, is joining us now.

Ivan, we have been speaking before about the Indian Ocean, gyres, currents that move counterclockwise. That may possibly explain how this piece of debris could have drifted that far?

IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it certainly consistent with the currents in the Indian Ocean. No question about it. Break that down for you. Show you what we're talking about. The search area by the way continues to beep just west of Australia.

We are talking about a distance now, 2,600 miles or 4,000 kilometers here. You are wondering how debris made it all the way to this island which is 2600 miles away here. Well, that could be explained by ocean currents. Likely the debris also hit some storms along the way. This is a very slow process. Debris getting lofted back towards the east, the north, but generally the current is toward the west. And that is because the debris would have been under the influence, what we call the Indian Ocean gyre here.

[03:15:00] We essentially have five major gyres across the planet because of global circulation. The wind moving the ocean basically what we are talking about here in the first 100 meters here.

You recall in 2011, we had the Japan tsunami. The north pacific gyre got debris from the tsunami. It moved it from Japan all the way across the north pacific. And it ended up on some of the shores across northern America here.

So certainly possible especially if the debris has enough area to it, if it is light enough, can be carried by the ocean current. So we'll focus in on the Indian Ocean gyre because in the southern hemisphere it moves counter clockwise here.

So again consistent on the northern side of that to have any debris that is buoyant enough to be pushed towards the west so you think, well, we could just follow the debris from the island, further to the east. Not that easy. It doesn't move in a direct line here.

In fact, I will be able to show you the ocean currents. They undulate and they are very complicated here, so yes, the movement is generally from Australia heading towards Reunion Island here. But if you are trying how to get debris and trying to trace it back, a very complicated process.

They're going to be using very complicated drift modeling to see -- if they can trace the debris back, but it is going to be very difficult because again. It has gone through a lot from what we think is the original crash site here.

So one clue at least at this point here and that is better than what we have had in a very, very long time. But as you saw there are upwards of 16 months at this point. The thing has been out in the Indian Ocean making it ashore to Reunion Island quite a long ways away.

BARNETT: When you break it down like that, it's incredible that we even have this one piece of debris if in fact it is MH370 considering it had to get through all of that.

ASHER: Right. Some people were cleaning up the piece of coastline on Reunion Island and happened to discover it. But it's one clue, but doesn't necessarily piece together what went down. We will have much more on Flight MH370 ahead this hour, but first --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been doing this over 30 years. This is the most asinine act I have ever seen a police officer make.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Strong words there in a community rallies and an officer faces a murder charge in the shooting death of an unarmed black man.

BARNETT: Still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, a lawyer says Donald Trump lashed out at her during a deposition. He says she was being unprofessional.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She wanted to breast pump in front of me and I may have said that's disgusting. I may have said something else. I thought it was terrible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:21:35]

ASHER: I want to update you on our breaking news. A team of investigators is heading to Reunion Island in the Western Indian Ocean. A piece of airplane debris found there could possibly be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Australia's deputy prime minister calls it a very significant development, but says that there is more analysis that is needed.

BARNETT: Now let's get you to the U.S., rallies were held in Ohio because a white police officer was indicted on a murder charge in the shooting death of an unarmed black man.

ASHER: Take a look at this -- hundreds of people in Cincinnati attended a peaceful "Black Lives Matter" demonstration on Wednesday. The rally followed a grand jury's decision to indict Officer Ray Tensing for shooting and killing Samuel Dubose during a traffic stop.

BARNETT: Now that traffic stop and shooting were captured on Tensing's body camera.

ASHER: Now it was very difficult to watch. We want to warn our viewers that this video may be disturbing. Here's our Miguel Marquez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The conversation captured on body camera between University of Cincinnati Police Officer Raymond Tensing and motorist, Samuel Dubose starts normally enough, but quickly turns into a deadly confrontation.

Frame by frame you see the police officer reach for Dubose's door. He asked Dubose who is driving on a suspended license to remove his seatbelt. Dubose starts the car. It begins to move. The officer's gun comes out, he shouts, stop, stop, then the gunshot. The car speeds up, the officers is on the ground and the gun in front of the camera. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If my son is righteous and he got killed, somebody had to be (inaudible) here. I thought the person should have been locked up on day one.

MARQUEZ: In the video, it is hard to hear the gunshots. This is the video slowed about 20 percent. You can hear the car engine. The officer shout twice, and then that single fatal shot.

Samuel Dubose was struck in the head and died almost instantaneously. He slumped forward hitting the gas as he died. The car came to a stop after jumping the sidewalk at the end of the block. Officer Raymond Tensing has now been charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter.

JOE DETERS, HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO PROSECUTOR: This is the most asinine act I have ever seen a police officer make, totally unwarranted. It's incredible and so senseless. And again I feel so sorry for his family and I feel sorry for the community. This should not happen ever.

MARQUEZ: In the police report filed the day after the incident. Officer Tensing told the investigator he was almost run over by the driver of the Honda Accord and was forced to shoot the driver, a statement hard to reconcile with the video.

MARK O'HARA, DUBOSE FAMILY LAWYER: You can't look at that video and say that that police report follows the video. It doesn't. It contradicts it. If there wasn't a video available, I do not believe he would have had an indictment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[03:25:04] MARQUEZ: Now the prosecutor in Cincinnati also looking at the possibility other charges based on this the police officer's own word. This is the police report filled out the day after the incident.

Officer Tensing saying that he felt that he had to shoot because he was going to be dragged and possibly killed by the driver. Other officers on the scene seemed to be taking his side and backing up what he is saying. The prosecutor now is looking to see whether those officers falsified a report. Miguel Marquez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Let's take you to U.S. politics now. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has kept himself in the headlines with his unflinching comments about immigration and about his fellow Republican candidates.

Now he's slamming a lawyer who says he stormed out -- out of a deposition over a breast pump. This is how she described what happened on CNN's "NEW DAY."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had an absolute meltdown when I said that I needed the break and it was for breast pumping purposes. He got up, his face got red, he shook his finger at me, and he screamed "you're disgusting. You're disgusting." And he ran out of there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Now, in an interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Trump denied Elizabeth's version of events and gave his side of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: She wanted to pump in front of me during a deposition.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The way she described it was that she wanted to take a break so she could take the pump out.

TRUMP: In fact if you ask my lawyer who was there, he said I've never seen anything like it. She wanted to breast pump in front of me. I may have said that's disgusting. I may have said something else. I thought it was terrible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Now today Donald Trump is expected in Scotland for a visit to his golf course. CNN's Max Foster is following the trip. He joins me live from Turnbury. Max, this is clearly quite a colorful character. How much is the women's British Open being overshadowed by Mr. Trump's arrival?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: It is. Whenever he is out and about, whenever he is expected to speak and we are going to speak to him a bit later on today, there is all this commotion around him. He does grab all of the headlines here.

Certainly come to blows with the Scottish government in the past about a separate golf scheme he has got in a different part of the country in Aberdeenshire. In this part of the world he is quite popular. I have spoken to people who live here or come out to watch the golf.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Is he a popular figure, locally?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very much so. He drives by. See the changes every day. It's incredible, just the investment you can do in one hotel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brought money in which is good and given them jobs and prospects for the future so that aspect.

FOSTER: He's got that profile whatever the profile is he is bringing to this particular tournament.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are curious, whatever you might think of him, politically or otherwise, you know, he's -- he's putting his money where his mouth is. He is developing golf courses. He is, you know creating more jobs. So, you know, certain for people in the area that's a good thing. FOSTER: He is not running to be president here. Is he?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is a character. Let's face it characters -- we need characters in all sorts of strings of life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: He certainly is a character. We will wait to see what he says later on. He does seem at the moment whenever he says anything it ends up making headlines.

ASHER: He has poured a lot of money into golf. I had no idea that Donald Trump was popular in Scotland. Who knew? Max Foster live for us there. Thank you so much, Max. We appreciate that.

BARNETT: We will have much more on our breaking news ahead, another report from our team on Reunion Island where authorities have discovered airline debris after this short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:32:27]

ASHER: Welcome back, everyone. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Zain Asher.

BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett. Our breaking news this hour, airplane debris found in the Western Indian Ocean could be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished almost 17 months ago. A source tells CNN the debris appears to be part of the wing from a Boeing 777, the same type of plane as MH370. Australia's deputy prime minister calls it, "a very significant development."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUSS: I'm informed it is a realistic possibility that wreckage from MH370, if it entered the Indian Ocean in the place where our current search operations are being undertaken, could have reached the Reunion Islands in the 16 months since the incident.

Indeed areas around Madagascar, not very far from the Reunion Island, were identified as a likely landfall if indeed there were parts of the aircraft left floating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: A team of Malaysian investigators are on their way to Reunion Island for a closer look. They want to inspect that piece of debris. Reunion Island is close to Madagascar, it's about 3,700 kilometers or 2,300 miles from where crews had been searching for the plane.

BARNETT: Yes, it's just so far out there. We do have a number of CNN teams that have arrived on Reunion Island a short time ago. CNN's Robyn Kriel is one of them and she joins us now on the phone to update us on the latest information. Robyn, tell us what have you learned since you arrived? KRIEL (via telephone): Malaysian Airlines, Errol, saying it is too early to speculate. I mean, you can imagine that since March of last year that there have been several false alarms of people, things similar to this, nothing quite as obvious as this.

But they have been -- there have been several false alarms. Families had their hopes up many, many times. The head of the Australian Transportation Safety Board, however telling CNN, they're really tasked with leading the search.

The piece is not inconsistent with the drift modeling, the gyres and currents, not inconsistent with the search area as well that they're covering. It is possible that a piece could have reached the Reunion Island where we are right now.

It's not an exact science, however. The head of the ATSB saying there is a lot to take into consideration, weather, surface currents, wind direction, and how high an object was floating will all play a role in where the object would end up.

[03:35:09] However, we need to say once more, it is not inconsistent with the drift modeling, studies that they have been doing and the search area that they have been covering.

BARNETT: OK, and considering that there was a maintenance number. A potential maintenance number the Australian deputy prime minister read out loud, not a serial number, but there are details and information in this piece of debris that officials now work with.

Malaysian officials are not there yet, but just tell us if -- how organized, I guess, the current teams are there on Reunion Island as they look for more debris. Have the major teams even showed up yet?

KRIEL: Not yet. This Reunion Island there is a French Air Force base here. And a police force. So they're all obviously part of the search. But it might, the search might not end here. It might be a span a very, very large area.

The Australians saying it is unlikely that by finding the flaperon, they will be able to pinpoint the exact area of the crash, that they will be able to pinpoint the exact search area.

So by finding something like this if it does indeed turn out to be a part of the MH370, which disappeared in 2014. That it would -- that it would be an exact find for the rest of the aircraft would be. However, no one confirming yet that is indeed MH370.

And that maintenance number if that it is indeed what it is, it's not in fact the serial number. They're not sure if it belongs to the aircraft and they're obviously looking quickly as possible to see what exactly that is.

What I can tell you is, what experts who looked at -- what looks to be a flaperon or a piece attached to the wing that would be wind resistance. What they told us is, it does, looks to be -- could have been in the water for about a year. It doesn't look like it has been in the water for ten years. It's got barnacles, shells. It's, it's also saying, Errol, that this flaperon might indeed lead to some idea. If it does end up being part of MH370, it might give investigators some idea of the last few moments of MH370.

It might -- if it shows charring, mixed, some kind of explosion. It wouldn't be sort of, revealing with a black box. It would give indication of what happened to callers, MH370 to crash if it turns out to be a piece of that missing aircraft.

BARNETT: Yes, it is all encouraging information. Just didn't have confirmation yet. Robyn Kriel there on Reunion Island, the first of our CNN teams to report and give us the latest information. She and other correspondents will be gathering information throughout the day as really we all wait for confirmation that the piece of debris is from MH370. We do continue to wait -- Zain.

ASHER: Errol, we are waiting especially the families they want to know whether this piece of debris is indeed from MH370. And there have been no answers, since the plane disappeared last year. I cannot imagine what they're going through.

A group of Chinese families have just released a statement urging authorities to continue their search for the plane and their loved ones. Reading for you, we do not want to hear guarantees of 99 percent likelihood from certain authorities.

We need confirmation of 100 percent certainty. No matter where the debris is found we care more about the whereabouts of our family members. Earlier, a woman whose partner was on the flight spoke to CNN. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH BAJC, PARTNER WAS ON MH370: If ultimately this is a piece of the wing then that little thread of hope that I've been holding on to will -- will have to break and reality will have to take over. Up until now, I and most of his family members have continued to believe until we have a body, we can't give up hoping that they will still come back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Your heart really goes out to Sarah. Malaysia's defense minister was acting transport minister at the time of the disappearance. He is tweeting abut news of the debris found on Reunion Island asking his followers to, quote, "pray for MH370."

BARNETT: Now, of course, we are going to continue to follow this breaking story throughout the day here on CNN. And a quick reminder, you can always track the latest developments away from your television, heading to our website, CNN.com.

ASHER: We are going to take a quick break on CNN NEWSROOM. When we come back, thousands of migrants trying to escape war and poverty make a desperate and sometimes deadly journey. Now the pressure is mounting on both Britain and France to do something about it. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:43:09]

BARNETT: Breaking news out of Reunion Island in the far western Indian Ocean. That's where investigators are headed to get a closer look at this piece of airplane debris, which could be part of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. That plane vanished in March of last year with 239 people on board. Australia's deputy prime minister says authorities are treating this as a major lead.

ASHER: I want to update you on some other stories we are following. This time want to get to Europe where Eurotunnel authorities say this week 3,500 migrants have tried to cross the tunnel between France and the United Kingdom.

BARNETT: Now CNN's Fred Pleitgen spoke with some of them who traveled great distances just for the chance of a better life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): French police have increased their presence around the Eurotunnel entrance, but sometimes the waves of migrants are overwhelming.

Europe's refugee crisis has escalated here in recent days. Ali Talmini from Syria attempted to reach the fences and get on a truck Tuesday night, but then he says he saw another man get killed.

We tried to go through the tunnel with a group of Sudanese men he says, but some of them jumped on the track and were hit. One man died. Ali Talmini is with a group of men from Eastern Syria. He says he was forced to flee when ISIS took control of the town.

They stay here an illegal refugee camp called the jungle, a couple miles from the tunnel. He shows me the tents they stay in. Seven sleep in this one. No electricity and very little food.

We want to go to the U.K. to get some relief he says, we have struggled so much on our journey. We have tried to push through the tunnel and some had their hands and feet broken. It's so bad.

[03:45:00] Thousands squat in this area from Sudan, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Pakistan and many other regions in crisis waiting for their chance to make it to the United Kingdom. A surge in attempts has disrupted traffic through the tunnel this past week.

(on camera): Most of these people have made treacherous journeys just to get here to the north of France. They escaped conflict and famine in their home countries. And now the last thing that separates them from the United Kingdom is the Eurotunnel. So many of them will try and get through the fence and then jump on a train or a truck to get there.

Some have been here in the jungle for more than a year, but when the evening comes, many of the migrants are back on the road leading to the Eurotunnel, waiting and hoping for an open hatch on a truck or chance to jump a train to take them to the U.K. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Cale, France.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: To some other stories we are following for you. India has executed a man for plotting the 1993 bombings in Mumbai that killed 257 people. Yakub Meman was hanged inside a jail in Western India earlier today.

ASHER: Meman was considered a key conspirator behind 12 bomb blasts that ripped through hotels, markets and buildings in Mumbai on March 12, 1993. It was the deadliest terror attack in the country's history.

BARNETT: Now his death had long been rumored, but now the Afghan government says the reclusive founder of the Taliban is dead. A spokesman for the country's intelligence service says Mullah Omar died in a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan two years ago from an unknown illness.

ASHER: Here's what's interesting. Just two weeks ago, the Taliban released a statement attributed to Omar. The terror group also claimed he was still their leader earlier this year so a lot of questions there.

BARNETT: Now two Zimbabwe men accused of helping an American hunter kill a famous lion, have now appeared in court. We'll bring you the latest on the case and the worldwide outrage its triggered when CNN NEWSROOM returns.

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[03:50:58]

ASHER: An update on our breaking news for you, a team of investigators are heading to Reunion Island in the Western Indian Ocean. A piece of airplane debris found there could possibly, possibly be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Australia's deputy prime minister calls it a "very significant development."

BARNETT: All right, the latest on the death of Cecil, the lion now. Two men accused of helping an American hunter kill Zimbabwe's famous lion were in court on Wednesday. If convicted of poaching they could face ten years in prison. Both men though say they're innocent.

ASHER: The American hunter, dentist, Walter Palmer, who you see here says he didn't know killing the lion was illegal and due to the backlash from the incident, he appears to have gone into hiding. Here is our Ryan Young with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Where is Dr. Walter J. Palmer?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm any just so disgusted with that man and shoot any lion, but lure a lion like that out of the, you know preserve and shoot him, I mean, how could anybody think that's sport, just appalling.

YOUNG: CNN tried to find him at his Minneapolis home, but no one answered the door. In fact he has gone underground after releasing the statement which read in part, quote, "I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Preserves are meant to preserve wildlife not to just lure them off and poach them.

YOUNG: Now Dr. Palmer, a wealthy dentist from Minneapolis find himself under a torrent of criticism after a conservation group alleged that Dr. Palmer and his guide lured Cecil out of the sanctuary and shot him with a bow and arrow.

Then pursuing the animal another 40 hours before killing, skinning and beheading him. All for a trophy kill. Zimbabwe authorities say Palmer paid at least $50,000 for the hunt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We lost one of the icons, the male lion which was popular known as Cecil.

YOUNG: And now the dentist with a practice and a home in this upscale neighborhood finds himself being hunted as questions remain on whether he will face charges in Zimbabwe. Today protesters took to the streets in front of his Minnesota office, which has since been shuttered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He can apologize. For us it's more about we are here for Cecil. We are not here for Dr. Palmer.

YOUNG: But this isn't the first time Dr. Palmer's big game hunting hobby has got him in trouble. Court documents show that an individual, the same age as the dentist, was put on probation years earlier for killing a black bear in Wisconsin and then lying to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services about it.

He pleaded guilty. He got probation and paid a $3,000 fine. And in Zimbabwe, conservation officials say that the hunters tried to destroy the research tracking collar Cecil wore. These two men seen here have since been arrested for the slaying.

A professional hunter and landowner released on $1,000 bail. Both facing upward of ten years in jail, their attorney says they're innocent. Dr. Palmer says he relied on their expertise as guide to, quote, "ensure a legal hunt."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A bad image for Africa. It shouldn't be condoned. I think action should be taken for that. YOUNG: Back state side questions still remain of what is to become of Dr. Palmer. With many on social media mourning the lion's demise steadily coming to a boil of anger and outrage. Even late night show host, Jimmy Kimmel responded at one point, choking up.

JIMMY KIMMEL, LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST: If you want to do something, if you want to make this into a positive. Sorry, I'm OK, I'm good. Make a donation to support them. At the very least, maybe, maybe we can show the world that not all Americans are like this jackhole here.

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ASHER: Jimmy Kimmel very passionate about this. As are a lot of people. A lot of people want Walter Palmer to sort of show up. Nobody knows where he is.

[03:55:01] BARNETT: The hunt for him continues. Let's try to get a chuckle before we head out. "Daily Show" host, Jon Stewart thinks the hype over reported secret meetings with U.S. President Barack Obama is overrated.

This comes after "Politico" reported that Stewart met Mr. Obama at the White House in 2011 and 2014. The comedian responded in typical "Daily Show" fashion poking fun at the media's response, apparently including ours.

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BARNETT: We just don't know what they talked about.

ASHER: If only you could be a fly on the wall during the meetings.

JON STEWART, "DAILY SHOW" HOST: Let me tell you something you do not want to be a fly anywhere near President Obama.

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ASHER: A little nervous being on "The Daily Show."

BARNETT: I didn't see that until now. At least they watch.

ASHER: At least he wasn't mean. The meetings were openly listed and the comedian said he went through the main entrance like everybody else. We still don't know what Stewart and the president talked about. I would look to be a fly on the wall. I still do.

BARNETT: Stewart says they hang out and ate nachos. There you go. You're watching CNN newsroom. I'm Errol Barnett.

ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. We'll have much more on the breaking news of the airplane debris discovered in the Indian Ocean coming up next on "EARLY START."

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