Hi, welcome to CNN Students News. You just heard President Obama speaking inJohannesburg yesterday. The event honoring former South Africa President NelsonMandela. Three things should know about Mandela's memorial service. One, it washuge. It was held on a soccer stadium and attended by tens of thousands ofpeople, street sweepers, actors, religious leaders, Mandela family members whospoke in between the cheers. Two, it was symbolic. This is the same stadiumwhere Mandela himself spoke 23 years ago after he was released from prison.He's been serving a life-sentence for fighting South Africa's a apartheidgovernment. Mandela later became a symbol and advocate of human rights. AndTuesday's event coincided with UN human rights Day. 

 

Three, it was historic. 91 heads of State were there, a crowd of world leaders,echoing attendants of Winston Churchill's funeral in 1965, or Pop John Paul II

 

in 2005. President Obama, former president George W. Bush and former secretorystate Hillary Clinton all traveled to South Africa on the same plane. 

Air Force one is a very intimate setting, so that's the place where you canhave a quiet conversation. Once you get to one of these the massive events,it's very hard to have real conversations. 

 

These long flights, believe it or not, can forge friendships. In 1981,President Ronald Reagan could not attend the funeral of Egypt's Anwar Sadat. Sohe enlisted Richard Nixon, Jerold Ford and Jimmy Carter to attend instead. Theflight was set to be initially awkward and very long. But one notablefriendship emerged, evident in the fourth funeral more than 25 years later,when Jimmy Cart eulogized his longtime friend. For myself and for our nation, Iwant to thank my predecessor. 

 

Back forward to 1992, Bill Clinton and President George Eighth W. Bush werefighting a better presidential contest, but seven years later, when theytraveled together to attend the funeral of  Jordan‘s King Hussein in1999, that ice began to thaw. And now their partners in philanthropy are allover the world. Such gathering of most or all living presidencies typicallyreserved only for monumental usually for sad events. The journey itself holds apotential for conflict and resolution on the first class scale.

 

It's gonna make a big difference and atmospherics on Air Force One with GeorgeW. Bush there with his successor. That President Bush has been so reserved inmaking any negative comments. He's not sarcasm his successor. I think theObama people really appreciate that. 

 

This gang has seen more of each other than usual. In April, the group stood upto attend the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential library in Texas.Then in August, Clinton, Obama and Carter joined forces to honor the 50thanniversary of the march on Washington. 

 

No former president likes to be marginalize. They've always been the center ofattention. And here we are going to have three formers in the current presidentforce energy for attention. That's a lot to juggle. 

 

You're now looking at the pictures of Mary Barra. She will make history nextyear. On January 15th, she'll take over as the CEO of General Motors.Barra will be the first woman ever to lead an American car maker. It's anindustry dominated by man, women make up 21 percent of its total work force.There's been part of it as she's been 18 years old working her way out overthe past 3 decades. She was paid almost 5 million dollar last year as anexecutive focused on design engineering quality. A car researcher official sayschoosing a female CEO is a smart idea because most car buying decision in theUS are made by woman. GM's been profitable for several years, but hasaggressive competition in the US and challenges selling cars in Europe.