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Dozens Killed in Turkey Wedding Explosion; Lochte Fabricated Rio Robbery Story; Race for the White House; Forces Retake Kunduz from Taliban; Philippine President Wages Controversial War on Drugs; Brownlee Brothers Push Each Other to Victory. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired August 21, 2016 - 04:00   ET

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


[04:00:00]

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GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A deadly explosion rips through a wedding celebration in Southern Turkey. The very latest ahead.

Plus: Ryan Lochte, apologizing to the people of Brazil, blaming himself for confusion and outrage after an altercation at a Rio gas station.

Also ahead, in Brazil, they are celebrating after their country's win and its first football gold.

And U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump seems to be struggling with a demographic that Republicans usually win.

Live, from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

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HOWELL: An explosion at a wedding celebration killed at least 30 people Saturday night, all of this happening in Southern Turkey. That celebration taking place in a street that's commonly -- not uncommon to see during the summer months there. Nearly 100 people are wounded.

The nation's president says that ISIS is likely behind that attack though no one has officially claimed responsibility. Let's get the very latest now from journalist Andrew Finkel, on the phone with us and joining us live from Istanbul, Turkey.

Andrew, good to have you with us. We're seeing these images of what happened there in Gaziantep and we understand that the president is pointing to ISIS, though no official confirmation.

Can you give us some context as to why the president believes that ISIS is behind this?

ANDREW FINKEL, JOURNALIST: Well, it is unusual for the authorities to come out quite so quickly and point the finger of blame. There are various reasons why ISIS may be behind this attack.

One, as you say, this is in the south of Turkey; it's very near the Syrian border. Gaziantep is a teeming city, a city that's swollen now with refugees from the Syrian conflict. It's a city very vulnerable and listening very closely to events on the other side of the border.

So this attack seems to have targeted a Kurdish family, a Kurdish family wedding, sort of a street party in a suburb of the city. It appears to have been an attempt to inflame ethnic conflict within Gaziantep.

Now ISIS would have another motive for attacking a Kurdish neighborhood on the Syrian side of the border. ISIS is fighting, some might say, a losing battle with Kurdish nationalist forces, which are trying to seal the border with Turkey. That border is very necessary for ISIS.

So in many ways this may be a revenge attack, an attempt to take advantage of the tensions within Turkey -- George.

HOWELL: The backdrop of all of this, of course, you look back to the failed coup attempt there in Turkey. You also look back to all of the different terrorist attacks throughout that nation.

So when you talk about this particular attack, at a wedding celebration, stoking sectarian violence, how does that impact a nation like Turkey at this point in its history?

FINKEL: Well, Turkey, of course, is very tense for the reasons you've just stated. Just about a month ago, there was an attempted coup here. The government is still grappling with what it says are the people responsible for that coup.

There's actually a state of emergency now in Turkey in which, I don't know, journalists are being detained, universities being shut down, academic staff being dismissed, a real purge of the army and the civil service.

So some might say, well, who is watching the store?

You know, why wasn't Turkey better alerted to this potential attack?

And, of course, the answer may be that its attention is elsewhere at the moment. So this will add to those tensions -- George.

HOWELL: And this particular attack, a wedding celebration and the families, some connection to Kurdish political groups, yes?

FINKEL: Well, that seems to be right. Now there has been a great show of national unity following the failed coup attempt. But the people who were sort of almost deliberately excluded from that show of unity was a Kurdish nationalist-leaning party, the People's Democratic Party.

And so they've been excluded from this basically general sense of show of unity within Turkey. And, of course, it apparently was one of their members who was the family that was the victim in this attack.

And, of course, the party leaders are rushing to the scene for some sort of investigation. So they, too, have appealed for calm. There's obviously an attempt to drive a wedge between the Kurdish population in Turkey and the rest of the country.

HOWELL: To recap the news for our viewers --

[04:05:00]

HOWELL: -- here in the U.S. and around the world, this explosion that happened, again, at a wedding celebration in Turkey in Gaziantep, killing at least 30 people; at least 100 people wounded.

Andrew Finkel on the phone with us, thank you so much for your reporting, Andrew, and we'll stay in touch with you.

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HOWELL: One last day of competition to go before the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro draw to a close. But Saturday, we saw more top athletes get the gold in track events, a sweeping performance for the U.S. in the relays.

Both the men's and women's team took the gold in the 4x400 meter races. That is a brutal race.

And Brazil knocked off Germany, winning the men's soccer football final at Maracana Stadium. Believe it or not, this makes for the first Olympic gold for the powerhouse, Brazil, in that sport. The entire country is celebrating that title in grand style. And our Don Riddell heard directly from those excited, excited fans.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These Brazilian football fans are absolutely ecstatic. You can only imagine what it means to them to be Olympic champions. It's an historic achievement in itself. But to beat Germany in the final on penalties, well, that's special. That's redemption.

Two years ago in the semifinals of the World Cup, Germany thrashed Brazil by seven goals to one. It was humiliating, embarrassing, devastating. But now we'll take a look.

How does it feel to see Brazil be Olympic champions?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel great. First time Brazil is the Olympic champion. So it's great. It's -- I have no word to talk about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're so amazing. As they were screaming, the champion is back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The only one title we don't have is the gold medal. Already win the silver medal. But the gold, never. In American and our country, against Germany, it's perfect.

RIDDELL: How will the people of Rio celebrate tonight?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of parties, of course. You're invited.

RIDDELL: I'd love to come.

Not everybody in Rio wanted the Olympic Games but this perhaps might go some way to making up for it. The five-time world champions are finally Olympic champions, too, and they did it at home in their iconic Maracana Stadium. The Games are now drawing to a close and the biggest cheer has been reserved for the home team -- Don Riddell, CNN, Rio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Don, thank you.

For more on the games, let's go straight to our Amanda Davies, live from Rio de Janeiro, and we can also look ahead at what's coming up.

Amanda, let's talk about Brazil first, beating Germany on penalty kicks, certainly revenge from the World Cup, I think Don just described it very well in his piece. He said, back then, it was "humiliating, devastating and embarrassing" but now, seems Brazil got the upper hand.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: George, I was lucky enough to be here two years ago in Bela Horizonte, one of the most stunning, incredible nights of football I've ever been part of.

And then I was lucky enough to be there again last night at the Maracana; I have seen firsthand how both of these games have affected the people here in Brazil.

And despite the fact the Brazil coach, Rogerio Micale, in the run-up to this, had been trying to play down the talk of revenge, there is no doubt that, for all those 80,000 fans packed into the Maracana last night, the people of Brazil, this is very much how they saw it.

The atmosphere was absolutely incredible. You could not have packed another single person into that stadium. I have never seen a media box as packed as that was. The cheers from the crowd, the absolute nervous silence during those penalty kicks, the nail-biting gasps, the roars when Nils Petersen (ph) stepped up and saw his penalty saved for Germany, you had to feel for him.

There was only a handful of German fans inside that stadium. But the script couldn't have been written any better, could it, for 24-year- old Neymar, the Barcelona superstar, who would so cruelly miss out on that semifinal through injury two years ago.

He was able to step up, as captain of Brazil, convert the penalty and cue incredible, incredible scenes of celebration. As Don said, this of everything that Brazil has achieved at this Olympic Games, this is the medal that they wanted. This is a religion, isn't it, football here in Brazil. It's their sixth gold medal of the games.

But you suspect a whole lot more special than the rest. And it's not just revenge but --

[04:10:00]

DAVIES: -- for many people, this is something positive out of Brazil, hosting an Olympics that perhaps many didn't want to see here -- George.

HOWELL: What a wonderful thing for the nation hosting the Olympics to have this moment, especially in football.

Amanda, let's also look ahead to this final day of competition.

What are some of the big events that we should look forward to?

DAVIES: I can't believe it's nearly over, George. We're here; day 16 has come 'round, seeming it's so quickly, so much has happened. But we are now on the final day of competition; as is traditional, we've got the men's marathon, always one of the final events of the Olympic Games.

Brazil are hoping for another gold medal, their men's volleyball pair are taking on an Italian side, a repeat of the beach volleyball final actually, which Brazil, of course, won gold in. And they will be hoping to repeat their success there.

But perhaps the event with the biggest names of today is the men's basketball final, Team USA looking to extend that unbeaten run. They haven't been as dominant as we've seen some U.S. basketball teams at the Olympic Games in the past. It's not going to be easy for them, up against the Serbia side, who ran them all the way when the two sides met in the group stages.

But certainly, certainly high hopes for Team USA in repeating that success.

And then, of course, we have the closing ceremony, the climax of what has been an incredible three weeks here, George, always so many secrets around the closing ceremony, aren't there?

We know that it's going to be a celebration of what's best in Brazil. That's how it's being sold. We know there's going to be a lot of samba dancing and a journey through generations, apparently. There's lots of volunteers, there's lots of dancers.

But we again are having that question that we started the Olympics with: will Pele be involved?

We didn't see him at the opening ceremony. There was a suggestion we might see him here but, again, we just don't know.

HOWELL: Really has just been great, getting the coverage from you, from Coy, from Christina Macfarlane. You get the -- you feel the energy and excitement from you guys, getting to witness history firsthand. Amanda Davies, thank you so much for being with us. And we'll stay in touch, again, on this final day of competition.

Moving on now to the controversy, though, involving a U.S. swimmer, Ryan Lochte.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN LOCHTE, U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMER: I am sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: He apologized on Brazilian TV to the people of Brazil. He says that he acted immaturely after an altercation at a Rio gas station, that brought international reaction and outrage. Brazilian authorities say that Lochte vandalized a gas station and made up the story about being robbed at gunpoint.

In a separate interview, the Olympian told NBC's Matt Lauer, the American network, NBC, that the whole ordeal was his fault. Lochte admits, in his own words, he "overexaggerated" his story.

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MATT LAUER, NBC HOST: You told me on the phone, Ryan, you said, "We are victims here. We are victims. And we're happy that we're safe."

In the police press conference, they said, "Not victims, they're vandals."

How do you feel about that?

RYAN LOCHTE, U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMER: It's how you want to make it look like, whether you call it a robbery, whether you call it extortion or us paying just for the damages, like we don't know. All we know is that, there was a gun pointed in our direction and we were demanded to give money.

LAUER: And that's really interesting point. I want to take a little time on this.

If I were to ask you the same question again right now and say, "Were you robbed on Sunday morning in Rio?" how would you answer?

LOCHTE: I can't answer that because I don't know if -- because I was intoxicated, so I don't know. All I know is there was a gun pointed at us and we had -- we were demanded to give money.

Whether it was to pay for the damages of the poster, whether it was extortion or whether it was a robbery, like I can't -- I'm not -- equipped to like...

LAUER: Except I want to point out that Gunnar, in his statement, the police said, at some point, someone who spoke English walked over and offered to help translate this altercation.

And he made it clear that the security guard was telling the four of you, you need to pay for that stuff, that damage before you can leave here or I'm going to call the police.

You understood that at that time, didn't you?

LOCHTE: Yes. Yes. So then, we had to give the money.

LAUER: Right. So -- but at that point it's not a robbery. At that point, you're striking a deal. You're striking a deal to pay for what damage you've cause so that he doesn't call the police and this doesn't become a bigger incident. Isn't that fair?

LOCHTE: We just wanted to get of there. There are held -- I mean, there was a gun pointed in our direction. We are all frightened. And we wanted to get out of there as quick as possible. And the only way we knew is, this guy saying you have to give him money. So we gave him money and we got out.

LAUER: That doesn't sound like a robbery. A robbery is when some guy targets you, whether he's armed or not, to take your money and you belongings and valuables. This guy was negotiating a deal because of what happened in the walk way and you guys were on the other end of the negotiation.

LOCHTE: And that's why it could be -- people can see it in many different directions. All we know is that there was a gun pointed to us and we were demanded to give him money. End of story.

LAUER: I guess, what I'm trying to get at is, the first version of the story you told, Ryan, was much more about the mean streets of Rio.

LOCHTE: Yes.

LAUER: And the version we're hearing now is much more about a negotiated settlement to cover up some dumb behavior.

LOCHTE: And that's why I'm taking full responsibility for it, is because I --

[04:15:00]

LOCHTE: -- over-exaggerated that story and if I never done that we wouldn't be in this mess. Those guys would never be in Rio or we're in Rio, none of this would happened and it was my immature behavior.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: The evolving story there, Ryan Lochte speaking to NBC's Matt Lauer.

Both the International Olympic Committee and the USA swimming team will review the incident for possible disciplinary actions. For the very latest on this story and all things Olympic on this final day of competition, be sure to go to our website, cnn.com/olympics, and you can find it all there.

(MUSIC PLAYING) HOWELL (voice-over): Angling to reach out to minority groups, Donald Trump met with some of his Hispanic supporters over the weekend. More on the poll numbers, though, that show how most of those communities feel about this particular presidential candidate.

Trump also met with the FBI for government intelligence briefing.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the one hand you have a candidate who seems to say what he thinks without a filter. And on the other hand, you have somebody that the FBI director has called out publicly for being careless with classified information. We've never had a situation like this before.

HOWELL (voice-over): But hear why Donald Trump says he doesn't trust U.S. intelligence so much.

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HOWELL: Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee met with the National Hispanic Advisory Council on Saturday. The Republican presidential candidate is struggling to win over minority voters, including Hispanics.

Trump has alienated many with his comments about Mexican people and about undocumented immigrants.

A recent FOX News Latino poll shows Trump trailing Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by 46 points among Latino voters. He's also pushing harder for African American voters, saying the Republican Party, quote, "must do better" in its outreach to that community. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Finally today I would like to address an issue of great and very deep personal importance to me. In recent days, across this country, I've asked the African-American community to honor me with their vote.

I fully recognize the outreach to the African-American community is in an area where the Republican Party must do better and it will do better. The GOP is the party of Abraham Lincoln and I want our party to be the home of the African-American voter once again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: While Trump is trying to appeal to African American voters and other minority groups, he is actually struggling with the demographic that Republicans traditionally win: it's white, college- educated voters. Our John King has more on that.

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JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Make some magic.

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JOHN KING (voice-over): This is 2012: 4-point win nationally in the popular vote for President Obama but a thumping over Mitt Romney in the electoral college.

So if you're Donald Trump, you not only need to change some of these blue states red, you need to change some dynamics of the election. One thing you cannot do, must not do, is underperform Mitt Romney with key constituencies.

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JOHN KING (voice-over): One of the big changes in this campaign, one of the reasons we know Donald Trump is in a ditch, is because if you look at this constituency here, this is back to Election Day 2012. White college grads, Mitt Romney with a 14-point lead over Barack Obama.

Now, Republicans always win the white vote. But Mitt Romney had a huge lead over Barack Obama among white college grads, a critical constituency. You find a lot of them in the key suburbs that tend to decide key swing states.

Big edge for Mitt Romney, one of the things that makes this campaign interesting and it makes Donald Trump's challenge even greater in the final weeks, Hillary Clinton leads.

This is our national CNN/ORC poll, Hillary Clinton with an 11-point lead among white college grads. This is one of the reasons Hillary Clinton is winning in many of the big swing states, because of that same dynamic.

Again, let's go back. The state of North Carolina, Mitt Romney won North Carolina in 2012. It was a big deal when Obama won it in 2008. It's one of the states Mitt Romney actually got back in 2012 and he won it by winning nearly 60-40, a 19-point lead among white college grads.

They're big in the Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle, they're big in the Charlotte suburbs. Very important to win in a competitive state like North Carolina and Clinton with a lead right now, a 7-point lead.

Mitt Romney won by 60-40. The Democrat has a lead now among this constituency.

Again, you cannot win North Carolina if you're getting crushed in this electorate. That was North Carolina, a state he must win. It's very similar in a state like Virginia, a state that Donald Trump might have to win. Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's running mate, is from there. She has had

a consistent lead in Virginia. She has a lead now in North Carolina. She has a similar, pretty comfortable lead in Colorado.

But what do these states, critical in the presidential map, have in common?

A very important constituency is college-educated whites. It's part of the growing population in the suburbs, the research areas, the high-tech areas of all three of these key swing states.

It was a Republican constituency in 2012. It has been a Republican constituency traditionally. It's leaning Clinton's way right now. If Donald Trump can't change that, Hillary Clinton will win the election.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: John King at the magic wall, John, thank you.

Donald Trump is not only behind Clinton in the polls but also in the search for money to run his campaign.

This weekend, Hillary Clinton is in Massachusetts, attending private fund-raisers there. Her campaign reported Saturday she has about $58 million in cash on hand to Donald Trump's $38 million.

In addition, a top political action committee -- or called super PAC here in the states -- backing Clinton says it has nearly $40 million to spend. Together, the Clinton and Trump campaigns --

[04:25:00]

HOWELL: -- have spent a total of $300 million so far with 2.5 months to go until Election Day.

Each election cycle, U.S. presidential candidates are given government intelligence briefings. It's a practice that goes back decades. But this week, Donald Trump was the first candidate in this cycle to be briefed.

So what kind of intelligence exactly is shared with these candidates?

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr looks into that for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the Trump Tower version of a potential White House cabinet meeting.

The key optic, Donald Trump in the same position as a president, surrounded by national security heavyweights, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and next to Trump, retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, a key adviser.

One attendee, Congressman Peter King, answering the criticism that Trump has no foreign policy experience. REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: He has as much as Barack Obama had in 2008.

STARR: Soon after, another chance to appear presidential. Trump headed to the FBI's New York office for his long-planned classified intelligence briefing from the Obama administration.

Flynn, a decades-long intelligence officer now adamantly anti-Obama, was also there.

Even before hearing the classified information, Trump was asked if he trusts U.S. intelligence.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Not so much from the people that have been doing it for our country. I mean, look what's happened over the last ten years. Look what's happened over the years. It's been catastrophic.

STARR: The plan to brief presidential candidates isn't new, but this year, it is different says former CIA officer and briefer David Priess.

DAVID PRIESS, FORMER CIA OFFICER: On the one hand, you have a candidate who seems to say what he thinks without a filter and the FBI director has called out publicly for being careless with classified information. We've never had a situation like this before.

STARR: The briefings include classified information on threats like ISIS, but don't include covert action details, the so-called crown jewels of intelligence.

PRIESS: Donald Trump will present a challenge to a briefer, but a challenge that most briefers that I worked with back in the day that have relished. Here's a chance to get a message through to somebody who appears to take information differently than many other people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: That was Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, reporting for us.

There's no word yet on when Hillary Clinton will receive her first briefing.

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HOWELL (voice-over): Pushing a zero tolerance policy for drugs in the Philippines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The authorities call these operations "knock and plead." They go door to door, inviting suspected drug users and dealers to voluntarily surrender themselves to the authorities. And, so far, we haven't seen anybody turn down the invitation. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Ivan Watson all over this story. Why critics say the police have become judge, jury and executioner.

We are live from Atlanta, broadcasting across the United States and around the world this hour. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

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HOWELL (voice-over): Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. It is good to have you with us. I'm George Howell with the headlines we're following for you this hour.

(HEADLINES)

HOWELL: We have a sad story now to update you on that has drawn enormous attention from around the world.

Many people have seen the image of this little boy, Omran Daqneesh, a 5-year-old Syrian child, who was pulled from the rubble of an airstrike in Aleppo. We now know that his older brother has died. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has more on the family's heartbreaking story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: According to a local official from Aleppo, Ali Daqneesh, the 10-year-old brother of Omran, died at 9:00 am local time on Saturday in Aleppo. He says that Ali died of his wounds that were sustained as a result of that airstrike on Wednesday.

And for the past three days he's been in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries. Now the mother of the boys remains in critical condition. The family, according to this official, remained in Aleppo where that humanitarian situation, that humanitarian disaster, continues to unfold with the escalating violence we've been seeing.

According to activists in Aleppo, too, Ali was not the only child who died on Saturday. According to activists, there was another airstrike in the Western Aleppo countryside. And they say that four children were also killed in this airstrike.

It's another tragic reminder of what we've heard from so many Syrians, from activists in the past couple of days, saying that there are thousands of others like Omran, so many tragic stories but we don't get to see them all.

Aid workers and activists, they were hoping that this tragic story, that the image of Omran would really refocus the world's attention on the brutal conflict and especially that situation in the besieged areas of Aleppo, where for weeks now, aid has not reached --

[04:35:00]

KARADSHEH: -- these areas.

As you mentioned, we've heard that from the United Nations and they have been asking and calling for a cease-fire so they can be able to bring in this much-needed aid into these areas.

We've heard world powers condemning the violence; we've also heard the Russians saying that they're willing to have a 48-hour cease-fire and call for, you know, an end to the violence.

But publicly and officially, we haven't really seen any movement yet to implement such a cease-fire.

Now this is something that will happen, essentially, something that will have to be brokered by the United States and Russia, as we have seen in the past. Until that happens, this unimaginable suffering continues in Aleppo.

Just a few days ago, we heard from the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, describing the situation in Aleppo, this battle for control of Aleppo, as one of the most devastating conflicts of modern time and really with no end in sight at this point.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: No end in sight, our Jomana Karadsheh reporting.

Syrians fleeing the war are faced with other dangers as well and other tragedies. The bodies of two young girls and three adults, who drowned in the Mediterranean, arrived in Sicily aboard a boat carrying hundreds of migrants.

One of the girls, just 8 months old; the other, 5 years old, a 5-year- old. A boy who was 5 also drowned. That body has not been discovered.

Now to Yemen's civil war. Tens of thousands of people came out Saturday to support the Houthi-led council that retains control of that capital city. That council vowing to form a new government.

Houthi rebels allied to the former president have been fighting the internationally recognized government for control. And the group Medecins sans Frontieres -- or Doctors without Borders -- says it is withdrawing from six hospitals in Northern Yemen. The U.N. says attacks on civilians are on the rise.

In the United States, California's Blue Cut wildfire -- look at this -- it has destroyed more than 100 homes so far. Let's get an update on this fire and what's happening there in California. Our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, is here to tell us more.

Derek, look at this. You see people going through these old neighborhoods, what used to be their homes, and there's nothing left.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely devastating. But fortunately there's actually some good news. The firefighters are starting to get a handle on this. In fact it's about 73 percent contained which is a massive improvement from what it was 24 or even 48 hours ago.

You can see some of the images there, putting them up on your TV screen. Some of the remnants of the structures that have been burnt.

The reason, George, that we are seeing such success is because they've basically put their full arsenal of firefighting personnel at this particular fire. We're talking about 1,500 individuals, at least firefighters. They had over 250 fire engines battling this blaze and 14 Chinook helicopters as well.

And they've done an incredible job just battling this massive, massive blaze, which has burned over 37,000 acres so far.

Again, this is good news because we're at 73 percent containment. And improving from here. But at one point this particular Blue Cut fire was explosive. That's a term we will use to discuss a very rapidly expanding wildfire.

At one point it burning the equivalent of 500 football fields per hour. A significant growth in this fire. That's because there are just tinder box conditions across this part of Southern California.

I want to show you something, though, comparing last year to this year, over from the beginning of the year, to the current date, we are seeing a significant reduction in forest fires over the West. But we are right in the middle of that season that we do anticipate, obviously, forest fires to continue over the western U.S.

Quick update on Louisiana flooding. Good news is only very isolated showers and storms today so maybe getting an opportunity for that floodwater to recede.

Look what's just to the west. We have flash flood warnings for San Antonio and just south of the Austin region, George. You know this area very well. And flooding is a major concern for Texas, to say the least. Stalled-out frontal boundary will bring more rain to that region as well.

HOWELL: Wow, and then Louisiana already doing its best. People there trying to recover from all the rain they got.

VAN DAM: This has been a rough 10 days for them.

HOWELL: Derek, thank you so much.

VAN DAM: Thanks, George.

HOWELL: Still ahead, we go next to the Philippines, a look at the crackdown on drugs in that country. We'll show you why critics say the president's policies have gone too far. (MUSIC PLAYING)

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[04:40:00]

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HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM, I'm George Howell.

The controversial new president of the Philippines is following through on a campaign promise, waging a hardline war on drugs. Rodrigo Duterte and his supporters say their tactics are making a difference.

But critics say that difference is resulting in overcrowded prisons and extrajudicial killings. Our Ivan Watson has this special report for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is part of the new war on drugs in the Philippines. Police send a local government official going house to house, calling out residents by name.

The authorities call these operations "knock and plead." They go door to door, inviting suspected drug users and dealers to voluntarily surrender themselves to the authorities. And so far we haven't seen anybody turn down the invitation.

Police lead suspect back to town hall. Here, urine tests, fingerprints and mug shots looking awful lot like procedures for an arrest, until the new arrivals are instructed to take this oath.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voluntarily surrendered to the police and government authorities that I am an illegal drug user.

WATSON: More than half a million Filipinos have turned themselves in this way in just seven weeks, says the country's brand new national police chief. With no evidence, arrest warrant or trial, many of them will just end up on a watch list.

GEN. RONALDO DELA ROSA, PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF: We have zero tolerance for drugs. So as much as possible we want to be -- to have a drugless society.

WATSON: Is that realistic?

DELA ROSA: No, it cannot be achieved.

WATSON: The country's largest government-run drug rehabilitation center is crowded and overwhelmed --

[04:45:00]

WATSON (voice-over): -- says the head doctor. He says he's seen a sudden surge in new patients.

Thirty new patients today.

And are they telling you why they're coming?

BIEN LEABRES, MANILA REHABILITATION CENTER HEAD: Most of them are here because of fear.

WATSON: Fear?

LEABRES: Fear. What's going on outside, the government's actions, especially the PNP.

WATSON: And the police.

LEABRES: The police, the crackdown has made them fear that they might be either incarcerated or worst, even killed.

WATSON: Since the Philippines' president launched his war on drugs on July 1st, police say they've killed at least 659 people across the country.

Are the police being ordered to kill suspected drug dealers?

DELA ROSA: We have to kill them if they endanger our lives.

WATSON: Human rights groups are sounding the alarm about the growing body counts and what that means for the rule of law, while some local government officials are worried about other new logistical problems.

ANTONIO HALILI, TANAUAN CITY MAYOR: I never thought that this would happen. I never thought that this would be overpopulated.

WATSON: Cells in the brand new Tanauan City jail built to hold 30 prisoners, now holding more than 50, many of whom were recently arrested on drug charges.

Is there room in prisons, in the jails, in the court system for these thousands of new suspects?

DELA ROSA: They have to do like that inside the prison cells. Yes, they're stuck inside.

WATSON: In his rush to combat drugs, this country's top cop seems to have little time for the idea that a suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Ivan, thank you.

In Venezuela, the opposition is calling for a nationwide march September 1st and the purpose of that march, to move forward with a referendum to recall President Nicolas Maduro. President Maduro is responding to that move with a stern warning of his own. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (through translator): Did you see what happened in Turkey?

Erdogan is going to look like a young baby in comparison to what this revolution will do if the opposition crosses the border of the coup again.

And I'm not kidding. I am prepared to do so. And I don't care what the OAS or the American imperialists say. I don't care what the imperialists say. I dare you. The working class family and the people are united.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: President Maduro, drawing comparisons to Turkey's president. Maduro's popularity, though, in that nation, has steadily plunged while Venezuela continues to face drastic shortages of basics, like food and medicine.

Low oil prices and economic mismanagement are largely responsible for dragging the country, one of the wealthiest in the Americas, into deep recession.

Stay with us. We want to show you brothers here, these brothers who won gold and silver in the Olympic triathlon.

But how do they fare in table tennis?

We'll have the answer coming up.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:50:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HOWELL: Two brothers have come to dominate the Olympic triathlon. Great Britain's Alistair and Jonny Brownlee have medaled in each of the last two Olympics. Our Amanda Davies found out their sibling rivalry carries into other events as well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You guys have been competing, I presume, your whole life so we thought we'd just give you one extra, a little competition (INAUDIBLE).

How are your table tennis skills?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Better than his.

DAVIES: OK, let's give it a go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is pressure.

(INAUDIBLE) high pressure table tennis game ever played.

DAVIES: Do you remember the first time you actually like competed?

JONNY BROWNLEE, OLYMPIAN: The first time we competed against each other was a (INAUDIBLE) in Leeds. That's when we (INAUDIBLE) in Leeds, when were very young, just 12, 13. But we -- I remember competing with Alistair in everything.

DAVIES: Is there anything, any time in life you're not competitive?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, now really we're only competitive when we have to be. Our life outside that one, we're just playing Monopoly or something, where we're competitive. We use all our competitiveness up on the race course now.

DAVIES: Would you ever have gone into something with a ball?

A ball sport?

(CROSSTALK)

JONNY BROWNLEE: Alistair --

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIES: What was that moment like when you crossed the line?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was fantastic. Obviously you know it's pretty much that you trained for all those hours, all those tough sessions and to pull it off was just, yes, absolutely magical.

DAVIES: Do you always train together?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we do.

DAVIES: Everything you do together?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We put in 1995 (INAUDIBLE) together, every single hard session is together unless one of us is ill or injured, which is a big, big advantage (INAUDIBLE) your rival you don't train with because you're wanting to beat that person, you're from the same country, so, you know, your rival in races, you don't want to show them your training secrets or how well you're going.

DAVIES: You're definitely better at this than he is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIES: But there must be times in life you don't get on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. When one of us is tired or hungry and a long day.

(CROSSTALK)

ALISTAIR BROWNLEE, OLYMPIAN: -- when Jonny is an idiot.

(LAUGHTER)

JONNY BROWNLEE: The little things annoy you, yes. Alistair's done the washing up or --

ALISTAIR BROWNLEE: I always do the washing up.

DAVIES: What is Ali's worst quality?

JONNY BROWNLEE: I think being late.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wind, it's wind that --

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Honestly, it's the wind.

DAVIES: What is Jonny's worst quality?

ALISTAIR BROWNLEE: Being early to make me late.

(LAUGHTER)

JONNY BROWNLEE: I think Alistair's best quality is when he wants to do something, he commits 100 percent to do it, you know, whether it's enormous sports goals, you know, when if he wants to win an Olympic gold medal, he'll train as hard as anyone in every single session.

[04:55:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His persistence is incredibly consistent in everything in life, whether obviously sport. That's why he's being (INAUDIBLE) long time. But also, you know, in life, in general, you know, every day, day in and day out, he's very, very consistent in everything he does.

DAVIES: Can we like, I don't know, best of three?

Can we have some proper points?

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, let's make it competitive.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIES: That doesn't take much, does it?

OK.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

DAVIES: Right. (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). (INAUDIBLE).

DAVIES: Oh, I mean this is something, isn't it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. Thank you.

DAVIES: There we go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

DAVIES: Just what you've always wanted.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Very cool, Amanda Davies there.

The Summer Olympics are inspiring a new sport in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL (voice-over): Some 200 children in this favela, they are learning to play badminton using samba techniques. The goal is to master the game by moving with ease. An Olympic badminton player from Brazil, who's helping with the project, is excited to see the growing enthusiasm there. Listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I feel honored, because if I worked hard and managed to get out of here, learn English, live abroad, train hard to get to where I played in the Olympic Games, then why can't they be in the Olympics and have the opportunity to compete?

And it's not just about creating badminton champions but creating Olympic champions of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: So cool, on the world stage. How several of Brazil's Olympic athletes came from this same favela in Western Rio. Look at them go.

Thank you for being with us for this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'll be back after the break with another hour of news from around the world. You're watching CNN, the world's news leader.

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