DRESDEN, Germany –Egyptian Magdi Khalil is an educated man. He lived in Japan for seven years, teaching architecture and designing environmentally-friendly houses. Now he lives in Dresden and teaches at the local university. He says he likes the town — but that the Egyptian community has suffered what he calls “a disaster.”

A protester at Cairo airport awaits the body of Marwa El-Sherbini, who was killed in Germany.

He’s referring to the killing of Marwa El-Sherbini — an Egyptian woman, mother and wife — in a German courtroom by a man who appears to have acted upon hatred for Muslims.

That man, a German man of Russian descent identified only as Alex W. by German authorities, had already been fined for calling his victim, who wore a headscarf, a “terrorist,” after she asked him to let her son use a swing in a playground. She had taken him to court; he had been fined and was now going into revision when the incident happened.

By all accounts, almost everything that happened in the court room was a disaster. Khalil recounts the details of what has been reported –- and believes many questions remain unanswered

He wants to know why Alex W was not searched when he went into the court. No one seems to have noticed that he was carrying a knife. “How can something like this happen in a court where people are supposed to be safe?” Khalil asks me.

Khalil also wants to know why, when El-Sherbini’s husband went to her aid (and was himself attacked and stabbed by Alex W), a policeman shot him in the leg in the mistaken belief he was the assailant. “Why did the cop think the Muslim-looking man must be the killer?” asks Magdi.

The public response after the incident has been muted. It took days for German politicians to react and publicly condemn the act. Khalil asks: “What would happen if an Egyptian man would stab a German woman to death in court?”

Khalil is asking questions – and so are many other people. there latent anti-Muslim sentiment in Germany, perhaps in many western European countries? Where were the candlelight vigils for the victims? Where was the public outrage? Why is there no debate about possible political reactions?

The German government has since condemned the attack but maintains that its response was adequate. “We cannot tolerate right-wing extremism, hatred of foreigners or Islamophobia in our country,” Thomas Steg, a spokesman for Chancellor Merkel, said at a press conference Wednesday. Meanwhile outrage at the killing has continued to grow in Egypt, to where Marwa El-Sherbini’s body has now returned.

Khalil is clear: “I believe this was an isolated incident that this has nothing to do with Germany as a whole.” But he says the German government needs to answer the questions being asked — not least for its reputation in the Islamic world, for its reputation among Muslims in Germany and to ensure that Marwa El-Sherbini did not die in vain.

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.

For the past two years, I have been involved in CNN’s coverage of Autism Month.

My own 14-year-old adopted son appeared in last year’s coverage as he and I talked about his struggles with autism and the strain on our family and on his ability to get a good education.

This year, I stepped back a bit to watch the story of an extraordinary young man and his relationship with a ‘Befriender’ programme.

Eleven-year-old Joel D’Angelo has Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a higher functioning part of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

His buddy in this story is Swedish-born flight attendant Andre Hellstrom. Andre joined the National Autistic Society’s befriender program in order to better the life of a child in London, England, for a few hours every month.

The goal is little more than getting Joel out of the house and that seems to have worked out great since they both share a passion for roller blading, airplanes and going to the movies.

Andre has now vowed to be part of Joel’s life until he moves into his own flat. That is a long-term commitment indeed.

The woman who introduced Joel and Andre, Rosie John-Baptiste, told me: “Autism affects people in a way that reduces their capacity to make friends, to experience socialization in a way that many people who don’t have autism take for granted.”

Rosie also has an autistic child and I could not agree with her more.

It’s an extremely difficult time when an autistic child goes through adolescence. They have to cope with becoming a teenager who sees the world differently from their peers. Interaction with large groups can therefore be very difficult.

And frankly, for many autistic teenagers, it’s easier and less stressful to sit in front of the computer all day than to confront the world outside the front door.

But I can see from my son’s experience that he really thrives when he has one-to-once contact with an adult.

Sadly, however, when we met Joel in March, there were 300 children on the NAS waiting list in London.

John-Baptiste said, “We don’t actively advertise the service because we are beyond capacity at the moment.”

That means at least 300 children who won’t have an Andre calling them on the phone to arrange fun plans.

(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.

SEOUL, South Korea – Over the weekend, North Korea fired seven missiles into the sea between Korea and Japan.

Shortly afterwards, South Korean media published stories about just how much this display of missiles cost the impoverished North Korean regime.

The price tag for each missile fired on July 4 was said to be between $3 to 5 million — all seven, a total of about $25 million.

North Korea has launched 18 short to long-range missiles so far this year. This total comes to some $330 million, according to Joongang Ilbo, which quoted a military source. Analysts say that is enough to keep North Koreans fed for an entire year.

So did North Korea gain more than a big bang for its buck?

Some analysts believe the launches were conducted on the U.S. Independence Day to show the North’s displeasure at the Obama administration. Washington has been pushing for tough enforcement of the U.N. Security Council sanction imposed after North Korea conducted a nuclear test in May. But if the North wanted to get a rise out of the United States, it failed. Washington had little to say on the matter.

North Korea did manage to spook South Korea. Some of the missiles were thought to be scuds with an extended range that would cover all of South Korea.

And South Korean media quoted military officials as saying the latest launch showed North Korea had been able to significantly improve the accuracy of the scuds.

This does not bode well as relations between South and North Korea have deteriorated to its worst level in recent years. South Korean projects in the North which were supposed to foster friendship between the two Koreas have either been suspended or have hit major stumbling blocks.

The North openly denounces the South Korean president as a war-monger.

After the missile launches, Chung Mong-Jun, a prominent National Assemblyman called upon the government to address the South Korean people to explain the level of threat North Korea posed to the South.

But what if North Korea’s fireworks display really didn’t have much to do with the outside world?

Kim Tae-Woo, a long-time North Korea watcher with the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis, laughs in agreement when asked if the outside world thinks it means more to North Korea than it actually does.

Kim sees the missile launches as simply a process in North Korea wanting to be what it always said it wanted to be: an independent and strong nuclear power.  “North Korea needs to test its missiles to see if their technological advances are real.”

“And it doesn’t hurt to let its potential buyers know as well,” he says.

While it is difficult to know exactly how many missiles North Korea exports, it is known that missile sales are a major source of foreign currency and their main customers are countries like Iran and Libya.

And then there is the internal political reasoning. “North Korea often uses such military actions to concentrate internal forces, to enhance domestic stability,” says Kim.

For North Korea, which seems to be in the process of transferring leadership from Kim Jong-Il to his 26-year-old son Kim Jong-Un, this is a crucial time. After a stroke last year, the North Korean leader’s health is in question.

The 26-year-old heir apparent is a relative newcomer to the North Korean power structure and a young man shrouded in mystery to the outside world. The only picture publicly known of Kim Jong-Un was taken when he was a student in Switzerland ten years ago.

And to realize a smooth transition of power from father to son, analysts point out that the leadership needs the backing of all factions of its society, especially the military.

So if testing out and showing off its missile prowess keeps the military happy, it is more than worth the hefty price tag the North Korean leadership paid, says analysts.

“For the North Korean leadership, nothing is more important than regime survival,” says Kim.

Throughout one of Europe’s largest cities, the major topic gripping most is not Swine Flu or what will happen to Michael Jackson’s estate – it’s the event officially known simply as “the Championships.”

Errol Barnett soaks up the atmosphere — and drizzle at Wimbledon.

To be able to cover this quintessentially British event while on assignment for CNN in London is quite a treat –-considering I was born in the UK. After living in the U.S. for 16 years, though, I have been reminded of how captivated people in this country become — regularly hearing their romanticized descriptions of the pristine court, centuries old tradition and of course the players.

Also, millions of pounds are pumped into betting shops like William Hill where an analyst told me bets could total £10 million ($16.3 million) on the men’s final match alone. The games at the All England Club have been made increasingly fascinating this year, because of the possibility of Andy Murray making it to and winning the finals – something a Brit has not done in 73 years.

On the day my task was the Men’s Semifinals. I was warned that covering this high-profile event didn’t necessarily mean a glamorous setting. Because of broadcasting rights we cannot film inside the courts, so at 5 am I found our live location on a wet golf course across from a nice brown puddle after a good ol’ English drizzle.

Early morning rain aside — I still saw dozens of people patiently lined up to buy expensive tickets for a game that was still some 8 hours away. Even earlier in the week when I passed through a pub I was surprised to see it quite full and yet very quiet with Wimbledon the firm focus of everyone’s attention.

All of this reminds me of why people around Britain love Wimbledon – a mix of unique tradition, familiarity and polite sportsmanship that make for relaxing afternoon get-togethers with neighbors. It really is wonderful to be home.

TOKYO, Japan - Working for CNN, I have covered mine disasters, civil unrest, hurricanes and war. But until today, I had never done a story on grunting.

Our assignment stemmed from Wimbledon’s crackdown on grunting and yelling in tennis. We were tasked to find out the philosophy behind similar exclamations in the martial arts.

So, we tracked down a likely spot, a karate dojo run by the coach of Japan’s National Karate Team. Masao Kagawa was more than happy to explain about what is known in Japan as kiai (pronounced key-eye) — the yell, grunt or exhalation used to complement a kick or punch.

“There are many kinds of Kiai,” he said. “Kiai can be used first to give yourself energy.  Secondly, it can intimidate your competitor. Third, it can be used to show your skill.”

In order to better explain, he had me put on a robe and taught me the basics. Mind you, I was not one of those kids who took karate. I had never had any instruction at all, and it was pretty obvious.

He would probably deny it, but our teacher was struggling to stifle a grin as he watched me try to imitate the other students.

But I took heart in something else Kagawa told me.

“Kiai is not about pretense,” he said. “It can be silent, when rather than yelling loudly you utter within your mind.”

“Utter within your mind” eh?  That sounds like something Wimbledon officials might want to explore.

SEOUL, South Korea – Judging from the media, South Koreans are not only happy about their team qualifying for the finals of the 2010 World Cup –- but they are also ecstatic about the North making it in, too.

“South and North Korean Brothers Make It Into the Finals,” said one South Korean newspaper headline read by locals on the subway.

The Joongang Daily has a front page picture of the star players from each of the teams with this headline: “The Two Men Go Together to the World Cup.”

“Will the two teams score goals of reconciliation?” the newspaper wrote in a headline for another story on the matches.

Another national daily, which said a joint cheering squad should be formed, wrote: “South and North Korea to Go Together to the Finals for the First Time in 44 Years.”

In fact next year’s tournament in South Africa will be the first time both Koreas have played at the same World Cup. South Korea made their tournament debut in 1954 and have qualified for every World Cup since 1986, reaching the semifinals on home soil in 2002. North Korea’s sole appearance in the World Cup was in 1966 in England where they reached the quarterfinals.

The teams’ achievements also topped the main news programs of South Korean TV stations.

While this may seem strange to the outside world, it is not if you consider the fact that in South Korea there are two mutually exclusive North Koreas.

One is the belligerent North Korea, which is seemingly bent on becoming a nuclear state and is led by secretive leader Kim Jong-Il.

The other is the North Korea that was severed by the South through a war that many people here feel was not of Koreans making. It is the idea of North Korea as the lost and impoverished brother that has gone astray.

North Korea is still the home for the brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters of tens of thousands of South Koreans.

Family members that these South Koreans never get to see, never get to hear from, except for a few isolated “family reunions.”

So while the rest of the world may see a rogue state, South Korea sees a country filled with “brothers” that need to be embraced.

Brothers that were “helped” when South Korea’s star player Park Ji-Sung fired in the equalizing goal against Iran.

If the South Koreans had lost, North Korea’s chances of making it to the World Cup would have gone up in smoke.

So while in almost no other place and instance, can South and North Koreans go hand in hand, it seems at the World Cup finals in South Africa, they will be able to play, brother alongside brother.

And that is worth celebrating.

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.

SEOUL, South Korea – The man who answered my call sounded extremely dazed. “I didn’t believe it when they first told me,” said 40-year-old Bae Seok-bum. “I thought they were pulling my leg.” But when Bae logged onto the Internet, he found his face plastered on South Korean Web sites as the third son and the heir apparent to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

Bae Seok-bum says this picture is of him, not North Korea's heir apparent.

“I have no idea how this got on TV Asahi,” he said. “I took this photo last summer when we went on a trip. And I posted it on my Internet cafe so that others could see what I was doing,” he said.

This is not the first time Bae, who is South Korean, got noticed for his resemblance to Kim Jong Il. “I heard that many, many times,” he sheepishly admitted. But this is the first time things have gotten so out of hand.

“I’m getting so many phone calls that I can’t do anything else.” Even when I was talking to Bae, his cell phone kept beeping, letting him know there were many calls waiting.

Such a case of mistaken identity is not surprising when you have a regime that is so shrouded in mystery. The only photo the outside world has seen of North Korea’s heir apparent, who is now 26, is a school photo taken when he was thought to be 11 at most. So when TV Asahi said it had pictures of Kim Jong Un as an adult, everyone took notice.

Even me. I was just twittering away that the resemblance between father and son was uncanny when I first heard of the possible hoax. And so, the outside world is back to trying to find out whatever they can about the mysterious Kim Jong Un. I have even heard of some using imaging technology to try to figure out what he would look like today.

Well, if you ask me, I would think those images could look a lot like Bae Seok-bum. Who, by the way, has finally turned off his cell phone.