L’AQUILA, Italy — It’s a dirty little secret among the journalists here: What would we do without Silvio? His perpetual personal scandals are the only spark of this summit.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd talks to German Chancellor Angela Merkel behind U.S. President Barack Obama at the G-20 summit.

Please forgive the “watching paint dry” cliché, but that’s exactly what most of these summits are like.

The G-20 a few months ago in London was refreshingly different. But after a couple days at this Italian G-8, the cliche is back to haunt us all.

In terms of relevancy, the G-20 set a new standard in not just consensus, but practical policy. The sheer scale and scope of the crisis cut through the usual grinding negotiations and there was real action on stimulus, financial oversight, trade and more money for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

But this summit has gone back to the same old slog, a fog of declarations and details that amount to sound and fury signifying something that won’t happen for months, even years.

The issue of climate change is a perfect example of what is sure to make this summit forgettable.

Going into the summit, environmental groups and eager policy hawks were optimistic, hoping this meeting could break new ground on climate change.

But within hours it was clear that any concrete progress would have to wait until yet another meeting at the end of the year in Copenhagen.

Greenpeace was especially critical saying it had hoped for more leadership at this summit, especially from U.S. President Barack Obama.

“I don’t think President Obama has gone much further than Clinton. It’s easy to compare him to Bush, who denied the science. The big problem now is President Obama actually accepts the science. He accepts this is a big problem and still he’s doing very little to nothing to lead on the issue. I don’t know what’s worse: Not believing in it and not doing anything, or knowing how bad the problem is and not doing anything,” said Phil Radford of Greenpeace USA.

After seeing an advance copy of the declaration, it was clear it would be even more diluted than first thought.

There are no set goals for decreasing emissions, just a promise to decide on one by the end of the year.

As with so many issues on the table at this summit, and there is quite a laundry list, there is very little substantive policy development taking place and very little detail I is on offer.

Just a few years ago that might have been acceptable. Not today.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is hosting this week’s G8 summit.

The pressing issues of the economy and climate change are a big talking point not just at summits but at dinner tables around the world.

Many here were hoping for more than the usual declarations and photo-ops that litter these summits.

LONDON, England – The biggest gathering in central London during the Michael Jackson memorial service was not to pay tribute to the King of Pop — but another icon of popular culture.

The biggest gathering in London during the Michael Jackson memorial service was to celebrate another pop culture icon — Harry Potter.

Fans of all ages massed in celebration of “Harry Potter” at the premiere of the sixth movie in the series “The Half-Blood Prince.”

Some of the most fervent camped out all night, then braved showers and hail to snare the perfect position next to their idols on the red carpet at Leicester Square, home to London movie premieres.

There was little evidence of Michael Jackson’s memorial service, which was going on almost simultaneously in LA — and several Potter fans said it was not a hard choice to make.

“No contest, it’s Harry Potter,” Megan Southey, 38, from Bournemouth, southern England told CNN. “You know, his funeral will carry on. I can watch it on TV later.”

Although most people said they were fans of Jackson’s music, the overarching feeling among the crowd was that events in Jackson’s later life had overshadowed his talents.

“I liked him when he was younger, probably,” said Vicky McKinley, 52, from Chicago. “Then later on, I didn’t like some of the stuff he was doing. All the plastic surgery and that kind of stuff.”

Catherine, 18, from Bromley near London echoed her sentiments saying, “I think he was a bit before my time, and all we’ve known him for are controversial issues.”

“He wasn’t so much famous for his music, he was famous for other things like holding the baby out of the window and stuff,” added her friend Emily, 18.

“I’ve got mixed feelings. He was very strange in later life,” said Amelia Robinson, 15 from New Hampshire in the U.S.

Of course, for younger fans like 19-year-old Faith Bradley from Cambridge, Harry Potter inhabits a place in pop culture that Michael Jackson holds for people who grew up in the 1980s.

“We’ve grown up with Harry Potter,” Bradley added.

NEW DELHI, India – His music and dance moves have woven their way into many cultures around the world — and India is no exception. Every now and then you can hear the unmistakable Michael Jackson track or beat seamlessly blend into India’s Hindi pop music. Or catch a glimpse of some of Jackson crisp choreography in a Bollywood dance scene.

There was something universal about Michael Jackson, and that is being reflected in the way people around the world are mourning him. From Los Angeles to New Delhi, his fans seem to veer away from sadness and enjoy the invincible part of Michael Jackson — his music.

In a bar in New Delhi the Jackson memorial gathering was small — only a dozen or so people in a city of roughly 14 million. But it conveyed how the influence of one man had reached around the world.

On the wall of the Delhi bar that usually only plays hard rock, the King of Pop’s music was blasting away, candles were lit underneath two framed pictures of Jackson and customers had written sweet messages saying goodbye.

Across the room, where framed pictures of rock legends hung on the wall an empty space was created. That space was set-aside as a permanent place for Michael Jackson’s pictures.

In a county where more than half the population is 35 or younger, the bar manager put it this way: “We all grew up with Michael Jackson. Other generations had The Beatles, or Elvis Presley. Michael is our generation.”

(CNN) – He has all the hallmarks of the real Michael: The slim frame, well-powdered face hidden under a cocked hat, dark glasses, and the delicate swagger. He’s a little shy too. 

WJ performs his MJ routine to members of the public.

“I’m grateful that my parents gave me this face,” he says quietly.

29-year-old Wang Jie is China’s most famous Michael Jackson impersonator. He told us to just call him “WJ.”

WJ says he discovered MJ when he was a teenager and fell in love with his dance moves.

“I realized I looked like my idol by accident,” says Wang. “So step by step, with a lot of hard work and study, I made it on stage. Now he’s a part of my life.”

Wang had no idea he would someday make a living from his looks. He has since appeared on Chinese TV shows and won contests.

I first saw Wang as he sauntered in with his “agent” to meet our crew. WJ quickly drew perplexed but fascinated Chinese crowds. If the real Michael Jackson hadn’t just passed away, they might have thought it was really him.

It’s when he started dancing that I really had to do a double take. Wang strutted and snapped his hips as if he’d learned from Jackson himself.

The real Michael Jackson never performed in China, but he’s loved here nonetheless. Members of the official Michael Jackson Fan Club (yes, there is one in China) even rented a hotel room so they can watch his funeral broadcast live on CNN.

“I miss Michael Jackson even more. I adore him even more,” said one die-hard fan.

“There are impersonators of Michael Jackson everywhere but I think they can only try to imitate him, never overtake him.”

Jackson’s music was some of the first Western music widely available in China. His rise to stardom coincided with China’s opening up to the world. So, to the Chinese, he symbolized what was out there.

To this day, he still has a huge Chinese following. Clearly, through WJ and MJ fans throughout China, Jackson’s music lives on.

MOSCOW, Russia – U.S. President Barack Obama is heading for Moscow for this week’s summit with Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev. Discussions on arms talks, Iran, the Mideast and North Korea will all be on the agenda. Summit watchers also believe there could be the emergence of new issues including climate change and energy efficiency.

A wooden doll depicts the leaders of Russia and the United States ahead of this week’s summit.

What’s more, the Obama administration says it has bigger plans for the relationship with Russia: it wants to go beyond government-to-government ties.

Touching on one of the president’s bedrock themes, Obama administration officials say they want to establish a multi-faceted relationship with different parts of Russian society, Running concurrently with the summit will be what they are calling a “parallel business summit” and a “parallel civil society summit.”

Some Russia experts think the Kremlin is not happy about this — but it hasn’t tried to limit those meetings. Some U.S. officials aren’t completely ruling out the possibility that Medvedev might show up at the sessions along with Obama.

Obama will also give an interview to the opposition newspaper “Novaya Gazeta,” the publication for which murdered Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya worked. And he will meet with opposition politicians, including Gary Kasparov and Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov.

But don’t look for Obama to take a page from Bush and rake Russia over the coals for its human rights record. Obama, aides say, is intent on explaining what American’s interests are, not in preaching to Russia about what it should do. Experts say he’s more likely to talk about human rights issues both countries face, like illegal migration and civil rights in the context of terrorism.

U.S.-Russian relations slid toward the abyss during President George W. Bush’s second term over issues such as Iran, independence for Kosovo, the Russian assault on the former Soviet republic of Georgia and the missile defense system.

Critics complained there was no longer a structure to manage the relationship, similar to the Clinton-era Gore-Chernomyrdin commission. Now, Russia and the U.S. are expected to announce what’s being called a “joint intergovernmental commission,” headed by Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia expert Robert Legvold says, to be effective, this commission must be led by people “with a direct ear to the presidents” and with the “authority to crack heads.”

 Former Russian President Vladimir Putin is now Prime Minister and protocol does not require a meeting with him — but Tuesday morning Obama and his wife Michelle will drive out to Putin’s residence for breakfast. Most Russian and U.S. experts believe it is Putin still who calls the shots in Russia’s domestic and foreign policy. Russians call it “tandem” leadership.

Just before the summit Obama took a swipe at Putin, telling the Associated Press the Prime Minister has “one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new.” Putin, well-known for his expert moves in political judo, replied: “We don’t know how to stand so awkwardly with our legs apart… We stand solidly on our own two feet and always look into the future.”

In the media, we often like to evaluate summit success on “who out-manoeuvred whom” or who was tougher, who didn’t “cave.” But the biggest threat to success at this summit is not likely to be the political arm-wrestling between the two leaders. That’s all part of the game.

The real threat could be the forces behind the scenes, some in the United States, many more in Moscow, who feel threatened by improving relations, who are more comfortable with confrontation, who see any “win” by the other side as a defeat for their own – what politicians call the “zero-sum” mentality.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Blowing a vuvuzela takes a bit of instruction –- you have to purse your lips together and blow a raspberry into the plastic trumpet.

Robyn Curnow tries out a vuvuzela at Brazil vs. Italy.

The noise that comes out can startle you after your first toot, it sounds like an elephant trumpeting or a foghorn. Soon it become addictive, though, and you have to limit your vuvuzela usage if you don’t want to lose friends, family or your hearing.

I first tried to blow a vuvuzela two weeks ago, at the start of the Confederations Cup which has been held in South Africa ahead of next year’s World Cup. I failed miserably. I blew and I blew and nothing happened, just a few insipid little parps. But at the Brazil vs. Italy game, I got the hang of the vuvuzela and quickly joined the crowd in a jaunty one-note tune. Baaaah! Baaah! Baaah!

It is a sound so irritating and so obnoxious that it’s best to stick with the maxim “if you can’t beat ‘em, join em.” Not blowing a vuvuzela at a South African football game not only makes you feel a bit left out but it also makes you resent the noise everyone else it making.

I can understand why some footballers and fans hate the sound. In stadiums and even watching on television, the constant buzz of the vuvuzelas can be distracting. But with the World Cup one year ahead, everyone just better get used to the inevitable din of the vuvuzelas.

Complaining about the noise they make won’t make a difference –- mostly because no one will be able to hear you above the incessant ringing in their ears.

NEW DELHI, India - It was a concert backed to the hilt by Indian politicians otherwise opposed to “Western culture.”

It was Michael Jackson’s first and only show in India in its commercial capital of Mumbai.

Jackson performing in Mumbai.

Amid a row about tax concessions the pop icon landed in the home of Bollywood cinema on October 30, 1996.

It was around 9 a.m. local time and some 10,000 fans had crowded outside the airport, recalled Sabbas Joseph, director of Wizcraft, the company that organized the concert.

Bollywood actor Sonali Bendre, clad in a saree, gave a traditional Indian welcome to him, as a group of artists danced to drumbeats.

The excitement was such that most airport staff abandoned their posts to have a glimpse of the “King of Pop” as he walked out to the cheers of the thousands assembled at the main entrance, Joseph recalled.

He addressed them with the Hindu greeting of “Namaste” from a makeshift podium, before he got into his open-top car and traveled along a route lined with thousands more fans.

Among them were Mumbai’s slum kids and the singer would often jump out to cuddle them, Joseph said.

Jackson spent the evening of his first day in India meeting the who’s who of Mumbai — from Bollywood stars to captains of industry and politicians — at a banquet.

On his second day he met the slum children again.

This time at poolside in his hotel for a photo shoot that Joseph remembers was for a calendar the entertainer was making in honor of the children of the world.

Jackson also sought blessings from Mother Teresa as he spoke with her on phone, his show organizer said.

But all these activities didn’t exhaust him for his big night in Mumbai.

On November 1, 1996, he chose to drive down to the concert venue. No matter, if it meant spending an hour on the congested roads of Mumbai.

Around 20,000 fans packed the stadium as the singer made a spectacular appearance on stage — a touchdown from a specially-designed rocket capsule.

“It was incredible,” recalled Joseph. Thousands chanted his name while some fans even fainted. The two-hour show created history in India’s entertainment world. Revenues for the sold-out concert were staggering — $1 million.

But organizers say the money is still with the court where a petition was filed against the then state government for exempting the show from entertainment tax.

“Michael Jackson had come to India ahead of India’s time,” remarked Joseph. “India was a different country 13 years ago.”

PARIS, France – I met up with affable Airbus flight test engineer Fernando Alonso a few minutes before our scheduled 15-minute interview in the cockpit of the first A380 to fly.

Jim Boulden takes to the flight deck.

Alonso has worked on the development of nearly all the airplanes produced by the 40-year-old aerospace giant.

He proudly recalls that he was the engineer on the first A380 flight back in 2005. He also reminded me not to touch any buttons without asking first.

During our all too brief conversation he explained the benefits of fly-by-wire technology first introduced by Airbus in the 1980s and now used in all new planes.

When the pilot or auto pilot wants the plane to bank or descend or whatever, in the older planes he or she would actually manipulate the wings or tail through levers and pulleys.

Now the computer does all that by interpreting the actions of the pilot or auto pilot.

With the crash of Air France 447 on June 1 (an Airbus A330) still a mystery the possible actions of the pilot in response to any potential systems failures is a hot topic.

Alonso explained to me that fly-by-wire works by interpreting the data the computer receives on speed, weight, fuel consumption etc. So, the computer would then give back certain duties to the pilots if there were computer or systems failures.

I asked him what — as an engineer — his gut instincts are about what brought down the Air France plane.

He said not knowing was the worst part of this tragedy for an engineer as the industry can learn so much about safety and can make changes accordingly.

But he is confident lessons will be learnt from Flight 447.

BLACKBURN, Scotland – Finishing runner-up in the “Britain’s Got Talent” contest almost seems anti-climactic for Susan Boyle.

Hers was a story that one almost expected would have a Hollywood ending. At least that’s how it began. But Saturday night, for reasons we will probably never know, the British public decided that a dance troupe from East London and Essex should perform for the queen, leaving the second place spot for Ms. Boyle.

At the community center in her hometown of Blackburn where some 200 people showed up to watch the finale, you could imagine hearts collectively drop. It was a nail-biter of a show and if a microphone was attached to every heart in the seconds before the announcement, one would probably think all 2008 Fou drummers from the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony were performing right there.

After the announcement, residents went home visibly disappointed. For them, it was a depressing end to what has been an amazing six weeks from the moment Susan Boyle captured the world’s attention.

One resident told us she “was disappointed for Susan” but that “her career starts now.”

Back on Yule Terrace, Boyle’s street, neighbors shook their heads in amazement at the outcome. Margaret Miller who lives across the street and has known Boyle since she was a baby said she was sad for her.

But when we asked her what she thought about reports that Boyle could stand to earn millions, Miller replied, “Good for her, because they were a hard working family. There were nine children and had lovely parents, lovely mother — she was a gem.”

She went on to say that by performing on a national stage Susan had made her mother’s dream come true and that “it was a pity her mum died before all this.”

So while this particular chapter in Susan Boyle’s life has come to an end, her story continues. Newspapers predict she could earn millions with a recording contract, a book deal, and perhaps even a movie about her life — all possible projects that could happen for her.

And when you visit her street and learn more about this woman who grabbed hearts globally, you wouldn’t want to begrudge her that.

BARCELONA, Spain (CNN) – For many fans here in Barcelona, the celebration started after the first goal, by Samuel Eto’o, in the Champions League final against Manchester United. Others, older and having seen more disappointments from their beloved Barcelona over the years, were more cautious. They didn’t become jubilant until Messi scored the second goal in the second half.

Barcelona fans celebrate in the streets of the Spanish city.

By that time, from our position with the thousands of Barca fans watching the game on a big screen in the old port area, it was sheer pandemonium – a field of red and blue Barcelona stripes, sparklers and fireworks, thousands of well lubricated (it wasn’t the local coffee, I don’t think) fans singing the Barca hymn.

Doing one liveshot after another for CNN, I could barely hear the questions from colleagues in the studios. But we were able to transmit the sheer joy of the historic moment – Barcelona getting its third trophy this year — the Spanish league and the Spanish King’s Cup and finally the sweetest of all, the Champions League.

And all of it for a first-year coach, Josep “Pep” Guardiola, just 38, a former Barca player whom one leading Barcelona newspaper on Thursday said was “touching heaven.”

After the game we headed toward the central Plaza de Catalunya, along with almost every other man, woman, child and house pet in town. Others came in from across the region of Catalunya, some six million people in northeast Spain who consider this team part of their identity.

They celebrated on foot and in cars. And on top of cars and hanging out of cars, and on top of fountains, and waving banners and singing the Barca hymn.

Until about 3 am local time, it looked like the happy cops weren’t even trying. Although over the course of the night, we learned there were more than 100 arrests for various disturbances and more than a hundred injured.

As we drove back to the hotel after 4 am, having sent our final TV story by broadband, we saw various trash containers burning, a strange way to celebrate such a momentous victory.

On Thursday, we are at the fabled Camp Nou stadium. The team arrives from Rome around 6 pm local time, then boards open air buses for a three-hour victory lap around central Barcelona, finally due to arrive at the stadium which will be filled. Hundreds of thousands of people expected to continue the party across Barcelona for a second straight day.

At the stadium, there’ll be a presentation of the players and the cup, and the ceremony will be sure to include, yes, the Barca hymn. It’s a catchy tune, and I might just learn it by the time we’re finished here.