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The shooting and killing of one teacher and three children in the court yard of their Jewish school in the French city of Toulouse brought shock waves to a city now in serious mourning.

The dispicable and cowardly attack on complete innocents has brought back memories for a Jewish community who constantly struggle with anti-Semitism and hate crimes.

The CEO and president of the Jewish Federations of North America, Jerry Silverman, said in a statement, “Words cannot describe the shock and outrage - and deep mourning - that result from a terror attack that is specifically directed at children. We have long known that Jews can be targets of vicious attacks wherever they are in the world. And it is clear, that even today, in 2012, that statement remains true."

Describing Monday's shooting as "an attack on all of us", and the targeting of children as "particularly sick and vile", the president of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, called upon Jews in all countries to "stand shoulder to shoulder with French Jewry" as they "do everything in their power to quickly hunt down the perpetrator of this horrible crime and bring him to justice."

Israeli MK Danny Dannon announced the parliamentary Committee for Aliya, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs, of which he is chairman, will hold an emergency hearing on Tuesday to discuss the school shooting. “The shooting at the Jewish school is a red light for the entire Jewish people the world over.

There is no letting up on the people of Syria as President Bashar al-Assad's army continue to fire mortars and rockets into the city of Homs.

The rebellious resistance to Assad's regime has cost Homs dearly as the body count rises daily. President Assad, although being pressed by the world to step down, has resisted by continuing his persistant crushing of any militarized pockets of dissent.

The United Nations has calculated that aproximately 5,000 people have been killed in Syria since the anti-government protests began in March of last year.

With the International community having to deal with the UN resolution on Syria being vetoed by Assad's allies, China and Russia, the West - together with the Arab League -are struggling to come up with a solution.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the failure to agree on a UN resolution for Syria had encouraged Damascus "to step up its war on its own people".

Even though several districts are controlled by rebel forces, Homs, Syria's third-largest city, is the major focus of unrest against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

As the violence escalates the international community is searching for new diplomatic approaches to stop the continued onslaught and increased bloodshed in Syria.

A senior Arab League official said that the Cairo-based organization will discuss at a meeting next week whether to recognize the opposition, Syrian National Council, as the legitimate representative of Syria and whether to allow it to open offices in Arab capitals.

The PNG ferry MV Rabaul Queen which was carrying more than 350 passengers sunk off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Rescuers have been able to pull 238 survivors from the waters, but many are feared missing.

PNG's National Maritime Safety Authority said the ferry shuffling people between Lae and Kimbe West sent out a distress signal. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) went into action immediately the distress signal went out sending eight merchant vessels and three helicopters to aid in the recovery of survivors.

The Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that diplomatic staff were monitoring the situation, adding that there had been no reports of Australians on board the vessel. She continued that there is likelihood of a high death toll from the tragedy.

AMSA spokeswoman Carly Lusk reiterated that a greater loss of life may have been avoided as sea conditions were good, with a 10 knot wind and only a light swell. She said the ferry's owners had reported 350 people on board the 47m coastal ship.

"We are getting more life rafts out into the water. There have been more reports of vessels sighting people in life rafts, so we're hoping for the number of survivors to increase in the very near future.

"The ship reportedly sank about 9 nautical miles - 16km - off Finschhafen on the South Pacific nation's north coast, on its way from Kimbe on the island of New Britain to the mainland city of Lae, AMSA said.

Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd reaffirmed that Australia stood ready to help in any way. "I spoke to my counterpart, PNG Foreign Minister Ano Pala, earlier today to inform him that Australia stands ready to offer all necessary assistance," Mr Rudd said in a statement.

Mr Rudd continued that "The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has arranged ships in the area to conduct rescues and for aircraft to fly over the area." "The aircraft will assist with dropping rescue equipment, including life rafts."

The AMSA said six merchant vessels are still currently on the scene, four of which are recovering survivors. "There is no sign of the Rabaul Queen ," the company said in a statement.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister Peter O'Neill said the government would carry out a full investigation into the disaster, given the importance of sea transport in a country where the cost of flying is prohibitive for most people.

"We will leave no stone unturned. We need to bring some safety measures back into this industry," O'Neill said. "We cannot afford to continue to lose our people's lives. Sea transport is one of the most important forms of transportation in the country."

PNG, Australia's nearest neighbour, is largely undeveloped, with poor infrastructure and limited facilities despite enormous resources wealth. The majority of its six million people eke out subsistence livings in villages clinging to jungle-clad mountains or scattered around its many islands.

PORT SAID: EGYPT - More than 70 people have been killed in what can only be described as a human stampede at a football match in Egypt's  northern city of Port Said.

Blame for the mass violence, which took a match between two Egyptian  teams, al-Masry and al-Ahly from one of rivalry to one of war, was pointed towards the supporters of the overthrown president, Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt's largest political structure, The Muslim Brotherhood, wasted no time in appointing the blame in that direction for the eruption of violence which also saw 1,000 football supporters and players injured.

Even with riot police at the game, most just looked on as football fans rushed the field after the match was over, which saw the al-Masry team winning over the match favourite and Egypt's top team al-Ahly.

Security officials at the game said the fans smothered the field chasing players and cornering their supporters around the stadium. Total mayhem ensued as stones and bottles were thrown at them.

Hesham Sheiha, the deputy health minister said "This is unfortunate and deeply saddening. It is the biggest disaster in Egypt's soccer history."

The head of Egypt's ruling military council, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, sent in army helicopters to pluck trapped al-Ahly  football players, along with their injured supporters out of the stadium. Riot police were sent in to drive the rival crowds of fans back.

The death and injury toll came from a lack of efficient security policing the event. Al-Ahly player Abo Treika told a TV channel, "This is not football. This is a war and people are dying in front of us. There is no movement and no security and no ambulances." "This is a horrible situation and today can never be forgotten."

This is not the first time and it most certainly won't be the last time when we see clashes of this kind vibrating the feelings of the people which carries the deep resentments of their political persuasion.

Essam al-Erian a parliamentarian said in a statement on the Muslim Brotherhood's, Freedom and Justice Party website, "The events in Port Said were planned and are a message from the remnants of the former regime."

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said he was "very shocked and saddened" to learn that a large number of football supporters had died or been injured". "This is a black day for football," he continued in a statement. "Such a catastrophic situation is unimaginable and should not happen."

The voice of the people speaking loudly at a football game reverberates the obvious void and uncertainty left after President Mubarak was ousted. A sad indictment where a supposed competitive match could turn so ugly and war like, killing just as many as it would on a battle field. And, to think a match between two rival sport's teams was often thought to be a form of anger management sublimation for the real deal.