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GOP Debate Contenders Trying to Grab Trump's Spotlight; Deaths in Monsoon Floods Affect Millions, Train Derailment in India; Wing Flap to Be Tested in France; Captured U.S.-Trained Syrian Rebels a Blow to War on ISIS; Florida Home of Hunter/Dentist Vandalized; California Battles Raging Wildfires, Residents Evacuate; Hungary Popular Among Syrian Refugees Fleeing to Europe; Amnesty International Slams Police Killings in Rio de Janeiro. Aired 2:30-3a ET

Aired August 04, 2015 - 02:30   ET

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

[02:00:00] ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Monsoon floods in India and across Southeast Asia have killed hundreds, and now we're hearing they may have led to a disastrous train derailment.

Also coming up, investigators in France will begin looking at that piece of plane wreckage today to determine if it is the first piece found from MH370.

Plus, a CNN exclusive, we take you deep into the woods in Hungary where people are escaping the Syrian civil war and camp out to hide from police.

Hello, everyone. I'm Errol Barnett, with you for the next two hours on CNN. Welcome to our viewers in the U.S. and around the world. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

The U.S. presidential race is about to enter a new phase with the first debate of the primary season just a day away. And take a look at national polling results. They were used to decide the top-10 contenders who will appear in the primetime event. The other seven candidates will face each other in a separate earlier forum.

Our Dana Bash reports that all the contenders will try to carve out the issues and grab the spotlight from the front runner, Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(APPLAUSE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In New Hampshire, this sneak preview of what the Republican debate stage will look like with one glaring exception, Donald Trump, who is now leading the GOP pack in multiple polls by double digits.

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP GROUP (voice- over): I have had great success. And they, you know, just -- and people see that. And I would put all of that energy and whatever that brain power is, whatever that type of -- into making our country --

(CROSSTALK) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, Donald --

BASH: Tonight, the key question ahead of the first presidential debate is how everyone else will navigate the Trump dynamic.

Sources close to Scott Walker say he plans to plan to pivot to his own report of fighting for conservative principles.

SCOTT WALKER, (R), WISCONSIN GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What will make the difference is that people will realize they don't just want a fighter, they want someone who can fight and win.

BASH: Jeb Bush was asked if he ever imagined being in a debate with a reality TV star.

JEB BUSH, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: When I was growing up, we didn't have reality TV.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

BASH: And then there is Ohio Governor John Kasich's unorthodox approach.

JOHN KASICH, (R), OHIO GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Maybe I'll give him a hug. I don't know.

BASH: Kasich may have only gotten into the race two weeks ago, but it was announced tonight he will edge out the candidate who has been itching to go head to head with Trump, former Texas Governor Rick Perry.

RICK PERRY, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR: Donald Trump's candidacy is a cancer on conservatism.

BASH: Though there are 17 GOP candidates, debate rules say only the 10 with the highest national poll numbers will be on the stage together. It puts Trump on the main stage with former Governor Jeb Bush, Governor Scott Walker, former Governor Mike Huckabee, Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, along with Senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, and Governors Chris Christie and John Kasich.

That leaves seven other candidates hunting for attention in other ways.

Lindsey Graham found creative ways to destroy his cell phone after Trump gave out his number on live TV.

TRUMP: I don't know if it's the right number. Let's try it. 202 --

BASH: On that note, Trump got a taste of his own medicine. The website Gawker published one of his personal numbers. And Trump quickly changed the voice mail.

TRUMP: Hi, this is Donald Trump, and I'm running for the presidency of the United States of America.

BASH: And even those in the top-10 are looking for buzz. Ted Cruz cooked bacon by heating up his weapon.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R), TEXAS & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Machine gun bacon.

(LAUGHER)

BASH (on camera): A top aid to one of the 10 candidates on the main debate stage said something wise to me, and that is, historically, you don't win one of these early debates but you sure can lose. And that's the driving force behind a lot of these candidates' debate-prep sessions, due no harm

Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Joining me now is CNN's political commentator, Ana Navarro, who we should mention is a friend and supporter of Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush.

Ana, thank you for your time.

First up, how do you feel about your favorites preparing to share the stage with Donald Trump? What are we in for?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Frankly, I am surprised. I think it's almost surreal what we are seeing on the Republican side. If you told me six months ago that Donald Trump would be not only running but leading in the center stage I would be incredibly surprised and I still am surprised but it is what it is. I think that Donald Trump sucks up a lot of the oxygen in the room. He is entertaining. Everybody else will have to be themselves and going to have to be strong on policy, stick to the rules. They can't out-Trump Trump. He is the entertainer. He is the reality show star. The other guys are there to be the serious substantive candidates.

[02:05:03] BARNETT: You don't expect Rubio and Bush to go after Trump but allow him enough rope to hang himself?

NAVARRO: Well, you know, under the campaign -- under the debate rules if you attack somebody, that person on the stage gets 30 seconds rebuttal. If you go after somebody the only thing you're doing is giving your opponent that much more time. I think that they've got to be themselves. I think they've got to stick to their own agendas, answer the questions that are posed to them. I hope they are concise. It's one of the most challenge parts of being in a debate. Answering the questions in a tight manner in the time frame. I hope they show humor and have wit and are quick but it's they have to be themselves. They can't be there, being, you know, an alternative to Trump or having Trump dominate what's in their head. They got to be themselves.

BARNETT: They will be grilled by the moderators. Let's talk about the bigger general issues, specifically the Latino vote. Is it crucial for a Republican presidential win but its Latinos have a deep dislike of Donald Trump and a preference for Democratic candidates over Republicans? How will that be dealt with, do you think?

NAVARRO: Well, if you ask Donald Trump at the Latino vote, he since he lives in a parallel universe will tell you that Latinos love him. 75 percent of us don't love him and I think that is a low number. I think that if you ask people like Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz there will be two Hispanics on that stage and one man, Jeb Bush who is married to a Mexican woman and is the father of Mexican-American children, children who are half Mexican, half American. So you know, I think that, the answer depends on who the person answering is going to be.

BARNETT: Many issues will be discussed. But surely there will be fireworks as well.

CNN's political commentator, Ana Navarro, thank you for your insight today, joining us from Miami.

NAVARRO: Thank you, Errol.

BARNETT: Now we want to get you to India where days of pouring rain and heavy floods are affecting millions of people. Authorities say at least 178 people have been killed. In west Bengal, hundreds of thousands of people have fled to relief camps and officials are struggling to keep the situation under control.

In central India, 25 people are dead after two trains were derailed and swept off a flooded bridge. A rescue operation is underway at this hour there.

CNN's Ravi Argrawal is following these stories and joins us from New Delhi with the latest.

Ravi, what do we know about the jewel train derailment and I guess because it's potentially caused by the flooding the risk for similar accidents?

RAVI ARGRAWAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The risk is there and this is partly an infrastructural issue across India. The railway ministry admits it is not equipped to deal with things like this when the rain and the floods overwhelm the tracks. What happened in this case early this morning is that flood waters completely overwhelmed the tracks. There was mud and the trains slipped and derailed. So two express trains derailed. Hundreds of people have been injured the death toll may rise. It is currently 27. But we are expecting it to rise. And there may be more such incidents on India's east coast, which is being lashed by a cyclone.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARGRAWAL (voice-over): Days of torrential rain continue to wreak havoc across India with west Bengal among the hardest hit areas.

(SHOUTING) ARGRAWAL: Flash floods have claimed dozens of lives. Rivers have overrun their banks. Roads and bridges have been washed out. Dams are overflowing. Many villages remain under water.

The incessant rain has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their home for higher ground. Many are seeking shelter in makeshift government relief camps where they can get food, clean water, and first aid.

(SHOUTING)

ARGRAWAL: But some local residents are angry, say they have received little help from the government and have been left to fend for themselves.

MAMTA PRADHAN, FLOOD VICTIM (through translation): We have been living in a tent for days. Last night we got rice but no water. They say only residents will get relief aid. They are also poor people. Why do they not get aid?

[02:10:06] ARGRAWAL: Devastation like this is not unusual during monsoon season. The country receives nearly 80 percent of annual rainfall from June to September. Rain that is crucial to India's farmer and crops but also a curse when it brings flooding like the country is seeing today.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ARGRAWAL: So, Errol, it can be a pleasure and a curse across India every year. The monsoon rains condensed in a short period. They are also the cause of a number of deaths. According to India's Disaster Relief Authority, every year some 1600 Indians lose their lives in accidents caused by flooding across the country. So what we're seeing right now, while it is very tragic, it is not entirely unusual.

BARNETT: All right, Ravi Argrawal, live for us in New Delhi with the latest. We'll see you next hour.

We want to bring in Meteorologist Ivan Cabrera.

Because it's not just impacting parts of India. This is really a weather system that is impacting the entire region.

IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes. We had two areas. The monsoon has been ongoing with incredible rains. That is typical for this time of year. But we have this cyclone in the Bay of Bengal that concentrated the rain there. This is a seven-day map. You'll be able to see the estimated rainfall. Remember this is not just impacting India. This is Bangladesh and Myanmar, which has been hit incredibly with pockets of a meter of rainfall. And we were raining before that. We had the tropical cyclone that began as a low along the monsoonal trough and when it hit the bay, it essentially blew up here and stuck in place for just a week. It spun there with incredible amounts of rain and that's why we had the flooding issues there. If you look at the map we are above normal. This is separate stuff right here. 108 above normal and in west Bengal. 55 percent above normal from the tropical cyclone. But parts of India are still in a deficit where we can use the rainfall here. The remnant low here which is at this point done, this is what is left of the tropical cyclone. Dropped 150 millimeters of rainfall. We are done at this point with this enhanced low with that tropical cyclone. What we are dealing with now are the typical rains that happen in the afternoons in Bangladesh and Myanmar. 100 millimeters not out of the question and not unusual for this time of the year.

I want to update you on the typhoon here, weakening a bit but it's I think this is a temporary weakening. Yesterday, we were at 285 kilometer per hour winds and now we're at 215. We are now, though, going to get hung up on the winds here. As it slams into Taiwan in about 48 hours the main threat as it is usually with Taiwan, will be this incredible amount of rain. 500 millimeters to a meter of rainfall because in Taiwan, Errol, as you know, we have the coastal range on the side of the island. As that storm piles in we get the enhanced lift from the mountains. On the Western side where we have Taipei, that's you get incredible rains coming down the mountain and you get the flash floods. That's the main concern is the rainfall.

BARNETT: We'll watch that closely.

Ivan, see you again soon.

We want to update you on another big story we're following today. Within hours from now, aviation experts in France will begin analyzing a wing flap which washed up on a remote island last week. They will determine if it is in fact part of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370. Investigators have confirmed the wreckage is from a Boeing 777 and MH370 is the only missing 777 on this side of the world. It is possible the debris from the search area could have drifted to the island.

Anna Coren joins us live from Hong Kong with more on all of this.

And, Anna, we should note this is an important day for relatives of victims from MH370. We could get confirmation but just update us on how many nations will be represented in I guess what we can call the flaperon investigation room and why each nation is there.

[02:14:48] ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In that lab in France, which is where these officials will gather local time this afternoon, they will be analyzing that wing part known as a flaperon. This is the start of this investigation. This analysis is to determine whether or not it is part of MH370. Many people believing that is it but until we have those definitive answers, still is a piece of wreckage but it's what we do know is that it is part of a Boeing 777 that was found on Reunion Island 3,700 kilometers from that search area that is being carried out in the Indian ocean off the coast of western Australia. That search is still continuing. It's the French leading this investigation. This analysis, they're joined by the Malaysians and they have invited an Australian expert. It's the Australians that have been leading the search in the Indian Ocean now for almost 17 months. So really it's their expertise and experience on this particular tragedy, really, the MH370, this investigation, that they've called on the Australians to get involved as well. So, really, we won't know until they begin analysis. And we heard from the Australian deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss saying that we might get some definitive answers later this week. But I think it's very important to note that the Malaysians and French certainly haven't said anything of the sort at this stage.

BARNETT: It's an important piece of debris should it be confirmed from MH370 it can answer questions like if the plane disintegrated in the sky. We just don't know. There were a number of other items of debris that have been picked up in and around Reunion Island. The Australian government making a statement about the other debris that has been collected so far. What do we know?

COREN: They are saying it is unlikely it is part of MH370. You have to remember that this debris has been in the water for some 17 months if it is part of MH370. So really, I mean, obviously, this flaperon, this wing part, that -- it is consistent with the sort of debris that would wash up on land. But as for other debris that has been found, it has been quickly dismissed. We should also note there is a part of a suitcase that has been taken to France for analysis looked at in a separate lab outside of Paris. But the debris they are focusing on is this wing part. They have confirmed is it part of a Boeing 777. And what they are look for are serial numbers or stamps, something to tie it to MH370 and give the families of the 239 people of the people on board the answers they want -- Errol?

BARNETT: That's right. And meantime, literally, the entire world watches and waits. We'll, of course, update viewers on what happens in that investigation room.

Anna Coren live for us in Hong Kong.

Five Syrian rebels trained and backed by the U.S. have been captured by fighters linked to al Qaeda. Coming up next, we'll show you what it means to U.S. policy in Syria.

We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:22:24] BARNETT: The Pentagon says at least five Syrian rebels trained by the U.S. have been captured by an al Qaeda-affiliated al Nusra Front. This is a major blow to the U.S. military's program to field local forces to take on ISIS inside Syria.

Barbara Starr explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In northern Syria, at least five of the initial 54 U.S.-trained Syrian rebels now captured by an al Qaeda affiliate known as al Nusra. It's near disaster for the U.S. plan to train a rebel force that is supposed to be the boots on the ground in the fight against ISIS.

MARK TONER, DEPUTY U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: That's the main focus of our efforts. But you know, we also want to protect them from other possible attacks.

STARR: The rebels captured after fleeing their compound in the wake of being attacked by al Nusra. The Pentagon now scrambling to figure out what to do next.

DOUGLAS OLLIVANT, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: There is no military logic to put that small a force in the field. One, they are incredibly vulnerable and, two, they certainly are not going to attack anyone with 40 or 50 people out there.

STARR: Senior officials finally admit that the decision to put the small group of rebels in this area of Syria was a major intelligence failure. The U.S. did not think that al Qaeda would attack. They only thought ISIS would.

Just a few weeks ago, Defense Secretary Ash Carter did not seem to think this would happen. Is that a fair estimate?

SEN. JACK REED, (D), RHODE ISLAND: My presumption would be we would assist them from defending themselves from attack.

ASHTON CARTER, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think we have an obligation to do so. You're right. I don't expect that occasion to arise any time soon.

STARR: In Iraq, slow going, more Iraqi troops undergoing training --

(GUNFIRE)

STARR: -- but little sign they are ready to begin the all-important battle to retake Ramadi from ISIS. It is a must-win.

OLLIVANT: If we don't have an Iraqi success in the next couple months then we have to start questioning the strategy.

STARR (on camera): The Pentagon now looking at what options, what obligations it has to try and help move the remaining rebels to safety inside Syria.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: An al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, has released two new chilling messages on social media. The first is a video of a top leader praising last week's attack on military recruiting offices in Tennessee. He goes on to call for more lone-wolf style attacks.

Meanwhile, the group's top bomb maker, Ibrahim al Asiri, posted an article calling for more attacks on Americans. Intelligence officials say it's significant because al Asiri doesn't usually make public statements. One analyst says he could be stepping into the spotlight to help rally anti-Western sentiment.

[02:25:15] Forces loyal to Yemen's embattled president have seized a key base from Houthi rebels. Officials tell CNN at least 40 people were killed in the operation to retain the Al Anad Air Base (ph). That is the country's largest. It was once the center of U.S. intelligence operations in the region.

U.S. President Barack Obama will defend the Iran nuclear deal hours from now during a speech in Washington. It's no coincidence he will be speaking at American University. It's the same place where John F. Kennedy gave a speech to curb nuclear arms more than 50 years ago. U.S. lawmakers have a key vote coming up next month on the current deal and some may be swayed by Israel's prime minister, who continues to campaign against it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The nuclear deal with Iran doesn't block Iran's path to the bomb, it actually paves Iran's path to the bomb. Worse, it gives Iran two paths to the bomb. Iran can get to the bomb by keeping the deal or Iran could get to the bomb by violating the deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Take a look at this recent CNN/ORC poll. It found that 52 percent of Americans want Congress to reject the nuclear agreement with Iran.

Still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, migrants hide out in the dark to avoid being captured by authorities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): It was a trip of torture. I don't know if Europe is worth this torture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: We'll take you to Hungary after the break where refugees face a growing anti-immigration sentiment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:25] ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers in the U.S. and those tuned in from around the world. I appreciate your company. I'm Errol Barnett. Here are our top stories right now.

Indian authorities are struggling to deal with deadly flooding across the country that's affecting millions of people. The rising waters killed at least 178. And in the worst-hit state, West Bengal, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced into relief camps.

Aviation experts in France will begin examining this possible piece of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 in the coming hours. This wing part called a flaperon comes from a Boeing 777 and MH370 is the only known 777 that's gone missing.

Locusts are eating up the farmlands of southern Russia. The swarms have destroyed at least 10 percent of the region's crops. The ministry of agriculture has declared a state of emergency and it hasn't been this bad in three decades.

The Florida home of the American dentist accused of killing Cecil the lion has been vandalized. Pig's feet were thrown on the driveway and animal crackers were thrown on the lawn.

Meanwhile, the guide hired for the hunt is expected in court in Zimbabwe today. Theo Bronkhorst faces poaching charges over the lion's killing but says he is innocent. Zimbabwe officials say he and another man were paid $50,000 by Palmer for the hunt.

For the latest on this, let's get to CNN's David McKenzie. He joins us live from Zimbabwe.

David, the dentist claims his guides assured him all necessary permits had been organized, everything was in order. What defense do we expect these men to make today?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The lawyer for the men says they also had the necessary permits, Errol. And it's an extraordinary scene here. The intense media coverage of this tiny courthouse here in Hwang in Zimbabwe near to the national park where Walt Palmer, this dentist, lured Cecil outside of the park and stalked him and killed him after many hours. So we do expect the landowner to be here this morning. They could face poaching charges which could get them 10 years in jail.

But I have to say, since coming to Zimbabwe, the story is more complex than potentially people were talking about in the first place. Though they banned hunting on the margins of the park, at least one official of the Zimbabwe Parks Authority doesn't know how they are going to raise money for park conservation now because of those moves to stop trophy hunting -- Errol?

BARNETT: That is fascinating. When you look at the bigger picture of this, Cecil's death has caused this backlash against trophy hunting. American and Delta Airlines will no longer transport the big game trophies. But what is the local action there in Zimbabwe. Many see this type of business as key to survival.

MCKENZIE: It's a good point. There is some interest here in Zimbabwe because of the intense global interest. But there is a bit of a shrug going on in terms of this situation because people are struggling with their own problems that have been seen to be caused by the political issues here in recent decades. People are just going about their daily lives.

But the issue of hunting itself, it is a debate. If they ban hunting, where will the money come from? Very little money has come from the central government to help the parks run. And so they've even gone to putting bank details on the website asking for donations.

In the issue of Dr. Walt Palmer, it has had an immediate global reaction. The airlines that fly into the region have banned, many of them, trophies that would be animal heads and skins being sent in the cargo hold of that plane. The airline with the most potential effect is Delta. There is a frequent flight from South Africa into Atlanta, Georgia. I've been on that flight.

And there is also a bit of a backlash from the hunting community itself saying not all of us are doing hunts that are questionable ethically. And the Dallas Safari Club itself, quite a controversial organization, has hit back at these airport -- airline bans, saying they are ill informed, and just effectively an immediate reaction based on the public specter of this issue.

But here in this court, we expect Theo Bronkhorst and the landowner to appear in court. They do face serious charges.

And the overall issue of hunting and poaching in Africa is a serious one and is one worth focusing a spotlight on, even if the issue of this one particular lion is not having the same global focus in Zimbabwe as it is globally -- Errol?

[02:35:53] BARNETT: David McKenzie live for us in Zimbabwe this morning. Just past 8:30 there. We'll check in with you, David, in the next hour.

In California, nearly 10,000 firefighters arebattling two dozen raging wildfires in the state. The Rocky Fire is the largest and has burned 67,000 acres, more than 27,000 hectares. And at last report, it was just 20 percent contained. As the flames spread, thousands are evacuating their homes.

CNN's Paul Vercammen is there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At the Rocky Fire, a test of wills. A stubborn fire, pushed by the erratic winds, versus self- reliant rural people who live here because there are fewer folks around to tell them what to do. Wills were tested when word came for about 13,000 of them to evacuate as the Rocky Fire exploded.

JOE WELZ, ROCKY FIRE EVACUEE: When you start seeing smoke plumes come up that are severe black you know they're in the brush and they're not that far away, this is a problem. You look at it, it's time to go. And when you see flames, when you see flames, it's really time to leave.

VERCAMMEN: So just where did Joe Welz, resident of this back country for 27 years, go? The Moose Lodge. That's right. Often a hub for bingo and karaoke, and now a haven to ride out a fire that has burned 65,000 acres. Lodge volunteers said 200 to 300 people sheltered here overnight. Donated food is piled up on tables, free pie and French toast.

RHIANNON GARCIA, VOLUNTEER: It's not part of Red Cross. This is all community here. This is a community at its finest.

VERCAMMEN: Rhiannon Garcia and her displaced visitors hang on weather reports.

GARCIA: You can take a breath. It's still contained and everybody is safe. It's like, finally. We need a break. They need a break and we need a break.

VERCAMMEN: A break because the Rocky Fire is unpredictable. Jumping Highway 20 late Monday and messing up any thoughts of leaving the Moose Lodge for home. More food arrives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I asked for a little help, and look at this room. This community has come together. It's beautiful.

VERCAMMEN: In a wicked fire, a bingo hall can look like the Taj Mahal.

(on camera): The weather took a turn for the better in fire-ravaged California, especially here on the Rocky Fire in Colusa County.

Some other news, also out in Modoc County, that's where David Rule, from the Black Hills National Forest, was scouting a fire last week when he perished. An autopsy has revealed he died of carbon monoxide poisoning and smoke inhalation.

Now, on the Rocky Fire, very little activity for firefighters in terms of an intense firefight. They were basically continuing to watch the perimeter of this blaze.

And perhaps an omen from Mother Nature, you could see some elk grazing, looking for food between the burn areas.

Reporting from Colusa County, I'm Paul Vercammen. Now back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Paul, thanks very much.

Now to the migrant crisis in Europe. Those desperate to reach the U.K. tried to access the Euro Tunnel in France on Tuesday despite a stronger police presence there. One migrant explained the allure of Britain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MIGRANT: The first day you come in England, they put you in hotel. Two, three days, one week, they find you home. After two weeks, now two months, you will know if they accept you or reject you. Here in France, you take more than one year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Very interesting there.

And 300 African migrants arrived in Italy after being rescued at sea near Libya. They had been traveling on two small boats that were sailing towards Europe. The International Organization for Migration, or the IOM, says more than 2,000 migrants have died in the Mediterranean this year. And IOM also say the stretch of sea at the center of the Mediterranean is the most deadly, accounting for all but 79 of the deaths. In terms of migrant arrivals, Italy and Greece have seen the highest numbers. Between them, they've received more than 185,000 migrants so far this year.

Now People fleeing from the civil war in Syria are struggling to get to Europe, all in hopes of finding a better life. Hungary has become a popular destination. But it's not always a welcome place to outsiders.

CNN's Arwa Damon has this exclusive report, the last in her series, "Migrant Journeys."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:40:47] ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): The forest feels haunted by the remnants of cast-off lives. A child's stuffed animal, Turkish residency cards issued to Syrians.

(on camera): Look at all these clothes that have been left. There are a bunch of plates over here.

(voice-over): These woods make up part of the unmarked border between Serbia and Hungary, where migrants hide out under cover of darkness to evade capture. Tied to the trees, shreds of plastic marking the path. We're told these belongings are those of migrants recently captured by Hungarian authorities, something they all fear.

This Syrian and her family were among those caught and released.

(CROSSTALK)

DAMON: Her son, Mohamed, was terrified after hearing stories of thieves along the way. She was in constant agony over the baby. It took them two and a half months to get here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): It was a trip of torture. I don't know if Europe is worth this torture.

DAMON: No one really knows. To get out of Hungarian detention they were fingerprinted, something that Hungary is obliged to do under E.U. law, at times by force.

This Syrian says he was beaten into submission.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I keep tell them, I don't want, I don't want, but they take me to do it.

DAMON: The fingerprinting means, if the migrants are rejected at their final destination, they can be returned here.

Government billboards with messages such as, "If you come to Hungary you must not steal Hungarian jobs," contribute to the rising anti- immigration sentiment in the country.

A government spokesman says the public deserves to be aware of the potential risks posed by migrants and that Hungary, in the crosshairs of the migrant crisis, cannot be expected to handle the burden on its own.

But Mark Kekesi, part of the team of volunteers, says it's deliberate fear mongering.

MARK KEKESI, VOLUNTEER: I think xenophobia is not a new phenomenon in Hungary, but such actions like this can shape or even strengthen the xenophobic attitudes of people here.

DAMON: Evidence on he wall at the train station, a warning about an upcoming far-right-wing anti-immigration rally at the railway station in Budapest, many will be traveling to.

(SHOUTING)

DAMON: The volunteers were so concerned about the safety of the migrants they cleared the station hours before the demonstration began.

And it's not just Hungary that does not want to deal with migrants. Europe is struggling with the unprecedented numbers making the grueling journey, living in squalor along the way. They are among Europe's most vulnerable of people, but finding Europe's the walls closing in.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Hungary.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: With one year to go to the Summer Olympics, some are questioning whether Rio will be ready.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDUARDO PAES, MAYOR OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: In the case of sewerage treatment, we're doing less than we said. So we've got a challenge there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: Sewage problems, construction delays and other issues that need to be settled quickly. We'll break it down after this break.

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[02:42:34] BARNETT: We are now just a year away from the start of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. And Amnesty International is accusing the city's police of brutality. The human rights organization says Rio police have committed 16 percent of the city's homicides over the past five years.

Shasta Darlington has more.

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SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just a year to go before the 2016 games kick off, Rio de Janeiro focusing on Olympic venues, excitement building.

Rio's Mayor Eduardo Paes looking relaxed. PAES: We still have a long way to go, we have a lot to do. It's a

big event, a big thing. It's transforming completely the city. But I'm pretty optimistic things are going to go fine.

DARLINGTON: But city and state officials are also rushing to stamp out controversies. The latest, a damning report from Amnesty International accusing Rio's police of excessive violence. It says more than 5,000 people have been killed at the hands of the police in the city over almost a decade, the vast majority of them young and black.

The Rio state security chief called the report reckless and unfair, saying homicides have declined since police and soldiers were sent in to some of the most dangerous favelas to take seize from drug gangs.

(on camera): A lot of the favelas down near the beaches have been made safer but others far from the tourist destinations where all the Olympic games are going to be played out are still veritable war zones.

(voice-over): Rio says it will have 85,000 security personnel on hand for the games.

"We'll have the biggest integrated security operation in the history of the country," he says.

Another issue, raw sewage. Olympic sailors and rowers will have to glide through waters clogged with it. But officials insist athletes face no risks to their health.

For the mayor, it's a problem, but not because the Olympics.

PAES: The Olympics, for us, always meant a chance to change our city and make it more integrated and better. In the case of sewage treatment, we are doing less than we said. So we have a challenge there.

DARLINGTON: As for the venues, they're back on track. The Olympic Park, coming together. So is the extreme sport park, which will host BMX, mountain biking and rugby, and for a long time, alarmingly behind schedule.

[02:50:03] And then there is the question of transportation around the clogged streets of this city of 6.5 million people. High-speed bus lines are being built and new metro lines added. They are slated to be operational by August 2016.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Already the city's on fire. And I think it's going to be amazing.

DARLINGTON: "We have this culture of not planning ahead," he says, "but in the end, everything comes together."

For now, it's a game of keeping the balls in the air as the one-year countdown starts.

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Rio de Janeiro.

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BARNETT: We certainly hope it comes together with a year to go.

Now, there was a birthday in the White House on Tuesday. Coming up next, see some of the surprises the U.S. president got as he turned 54.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(APPLAUSE)

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(LAUGHTER)

[02:55:05] BARNETT: That's not awkward to shake people's hands while they sing to you, is it? There he is. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama was treated to a version of "Happy Birthday to You." Now he is a somewhat gray-haired 54 years old. He spent part of the day meeting entrepreneurs invited to the White House. He looked at their products and reminded them that, hey, he might be available for a new job in about 18 months.

Now after four decades together, a famous Hollywood couple of the Muppet variety is splitting up. Everybody is breaking up in Hollywood these days. Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy announced their separation, saying they have chosen to see other people. Many are heartbroken over this news. But if you think back to Kermit's the wedding jitters, it may have foreshadowed their breakup.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUPPET: Do you?

KERMIT THE FROG: I do.

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BARNETT: OK. Let that be a lesson, fellows, never hesitate on the "I do." Hopefully, they can find a way to work together since they will be starring in a reboot of "The Muppet Show" this fall.

You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I hope you're still there. I'm Errol Barnett. Please do stay with me. One more hour to go. I'll be back after this short break.

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