this is. the united states and its allies bid farewell to the forty first president. the state funeral of former president george h.w. bush has taken place in washington's national cathedral the president along with several former u.s. presidents are in attendance and dignitaries from around the world also coming up a continental. european police raid dozens of suspected mafia across four

countries including germany. good to have you with us we begin with a farewell for a former u.s. president of war hero and the man who led the u.s. as the soviet union collapsed and the cold war came to win. the state funeral of george h.w. bush was a rare gathering of all living u.s. presidents in an era when political differences cut deep family friends and foreign dignitaries also packed the washington national cathedral for the service it was

a public farewell filled with many light hearted and moving through sports his eldest son former president george w. bush was among those who delivered eulogies in on are of america's forty first president. in his inaugural address the forty first president of the united states said this we cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger car a bigger bank account. we must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal friend a loving parent a citizen who leaves his home his neighborhood and town better than he found it. what we want the men and women who work with us to say when we are no longer there . that we are more driven to succeed than anyone around us or that we stop to ask if a set child had gotten better and stayed a moment there to trade a word of friendship. one day and we're going to remember you for exactly that and

much more and we're going to miss you your decency sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever. so through our tears let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you a great and noble man. the bass father of her daughter. and in her grief but a smile knowing that there's hugging robin. and holding mom's hand again. thank. you. former president bush there we want to take this now to the washington national cathedral our very own maya sweaters standing by there she's covering this state funeral for us good evening to you miles george bush's call for in that joint

base andrews in maryland now what's the next step. president bush is going to be flown home from joint base andrews to houston and after and another funeral ceremony tomorrow involving friends and families at invesco at this couple church there he will be laid to rest and his final resting place at his presidential library in houston texas there was a really somber mood on the street today very moving tribute inside the church to a man that a lot of people had mired before during and after his presidency harkening back in many ways to an era president who could reach across the aisle in a way that we haven't seen in the modern era yeah we're watching white pictures right now by of what we were watching those live pictures of the forty third u.s. president of president bush and his wife they are making their way to texans talk

to me a little bit about the the ceremony today inside the national cathedral what stood out to you. well one of the things that stood out to me the most was the the presence of all of the five living presidents in the front row there and some of the rather appointed statements that were made in the eulogy in the first one by john meacham a presidential historian he talked about george bush leading people to believe in hope and not fear something that a lot of commentators have said the current president trump deals and a lot a lot of commentary about uniting people uniting the parties uniting the country under bush is somewhat of a pointed statement towards the broad partisan divides that we see in the congress a lot today of what stands out to me a lot is the emotions that we saw especially from his son george w. bush the forty third president not a man known to be very emotional but really paid a heartfelt tribute to the humor the service and the life of his father and you

know speaking of former presidents we saw all. living u.s. presidents for him former sitting next to each other the trumps the obama's the clintons. what picture did that pay to. put definitely painted a picture of the reverence for the office of the president the fact that you have these five people and their wives many of whom are could not be more different in their in their political visions for the country but still sitting there paying tribute to this their predecessor the man who really was the lady the last political generation interrupt you there because we're just going to listen in now as we have been there is the gun salute that's being watched for the former u.s. president let's just listen to.

well you can see that you've been talking to people today in washington i mean how do they see the legacy of george h.w. bush. was a legacy that's become shall we say a little bit softer in hindsight especially given the very divided era that the u.s. finds itself in now but talking to people on the streets especially the people who were waiting in line for hours to see his casket at the capitol in the past couple of days people really remember him as seeming like a really genuinely good guy someone who really cared about his family someone who cared about the people around him the families of the people around him as someone who really attempted to reach out and one thing one point that's been repeated over

and over again in the past few days especially in regards to germany was that it was his personal relationships his time that he spent as a diplomat before he became president that helped unite germany again the fact that he believes in that project and knew all the people involved so well people really point to that one person told me he believes that he is the last decent international foreign relations president that the u.s. has had so that's sort of a picture of how bush is viewed in the american public someone who just really seemed like a decent guy who wanted to do well for his country he is certainly the last of president what did he have experience with foreign policy that is short or minus were on the story for us tonight in washington money and thank you. police have arrested more than eighty people in raids across europe and south america and a crackdown on one of italy's main organized crime syndicates police say they've

detained some senior bosses on suspicion of cocaine trafficking money laundering bribery and violence the target is the syndicate known as drawn getopt which dominates europe's illegal drugs trade. it's being called a decisive strike against one of the most powerful italian criminal networks in the world a vast investigation starting in two thousand and sixteen culminating on wednesday in italy seen here as well as in germany the netherlands belgium and south america the european judicial agency euro just called the operation unprecedented and extraordinary result that we have reached today we did joint judicial action that's been carried out in different member states to fly. organizations. toward. the drain get outcomes from the village and family clans of

culebra southern italy it's considered at least most powerful mafia organization in recent years it's managed to surpass other mafia families by dominating drug trafficking trades into europe according to prosecutors it's the only italian organized crime syndicate operating on all continents in germany alone there are thought to be about three hundred known drawing get to members the head of germany's federal police said the arrests should take a considerable toll on their operations. to the international cooperation we managed to hit that. very purposefully and despite the adverse circumstances and conspiratorial forces working against us we have landed them a sensitive blow at least for the time being. according to officials the operations these groups were running are now closed how long they will stay that way however is anyone's guess. in the talk about this i'm

joined at the big table now by julian or bear who was working with the german anti-mafia movement mafia nine dunker mafia no think. it's active in the fight against organized crime right here in germany so it's good to have you want to show the german federal criminal police they say that the raids have dealt the. a considerable blow that they wounded the mafia do you agree. i would partially agree i mean these operation was probably the biggest international operation coordinated against young drunk i in europe and a both. suffer sure it was very significant especially on the on the symbolic point of view and to to not say give us a sign against these organized crime groups that they cannot continue doing unobserved their activity illegal activities in europe but i wouldn't say that

disease going to change the way they are going to do their business is that i mean how powerful or are we talking about the mafia be. considered to be one of the most powerful mafia in the word and it supposedly together with the mafia cartels from south america the richest in the world and the raids that we saw today by the police would you say that that's the best way to combat the mafia this is surely a very effective way but that's not enough politics to do something and improve their legislation to contrast the mafia's in europe and in germany and for example with european until much a prosecutor office or improving calls. to use. and does to deceive society might have. how do you explain how does the mafia maintain

its strings is it because one force mint has become weaker or what changes to a well the mafia to be strong. actually the mafia is very good to adopt to new environments so they are very able to recognize the new business opportunities and to move where they might have more space to me and give me an example like in germany where has the mafia moved in for example from italy to germany. following both migration but especially the opportunities economic opportunities and considering the fact that until now europe has been very united and very free from the economic point of view so it was very easy for them to move because it was not. until now in the week we have seen the police operation and using the national oriented and that is of course very had for them because having different

jurisdictions that are not always have combined to. have some lot of them continuing their activities do you do you see the italy having a special responsibility here we were always talking about the mafia coming from italy is that an accurate depiction i wouldn't say sell first of all because some of this people actually were already born in germany so we are talking about second or third generation german some would say and and also because. germany has said the responsibility in the sense to improve. with the german anti-mafia group nine dog show you your time tonight thank you thanks. well here's a reminder the top story that we're following for you the united states has said. to former president george h.w. bush state funeral in washington's national cathedral presidents and several former

u.s. presidents go along with dignity from around the world. news followed by the. it's all happening with. your link to news from africa to the world link to exceptional stories and discussions in one word comes african program tonight from for me the money was easy to out with say deputed comes africa join us on facebook w africa.