“Orthodox Activists Say Charlie Hebdo Shooting Was 'Just Punishment”, “King of Saudi Arabia allocated $ 35 mln to fight Ebola”, “What does Ukraine expect from Norman format summit in Astana?, “Working too hard can drive you to booze”

sptimes.ru. “Orthodox Activists Say Charlie Hebdo Shooting Was 'Just Punishment” - Russian Orthodox activists rallied outside the French Embassy in Moscow with signs blaming this week's massacre at the offices of Charlie Hebdo on the newspaper's own practice of lampooning various religions — and on the French government for tolerating its satire.

euronews.com. “Author defends his novel about a Muslim-run France after critics condemn it as a gift for the far right” - Celebrated French author, Michel Houellebecq has refuted allegations that his new novel is an Islamophobic scare story. His novel “Submission” tells of the 2022 French presidential election which is won by a Muslim and is followed by an erosion of personal and religious freedoms and the wearing of the veil. Critics say the book which includes Front National leader Marine Le Pen losing the presidency to the Muslim rival is fuel for her party’s far-right policies and is a Christmas gift for her.

kazpravda.kz. “King of Saudi Arabia allocated $ 35 mln to fight Ebola” - These funds will help implement the program, aimed at opening of specialized medical centers in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Mali. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud has granted $ 35 mln to fight the Ebola virus in West Africa, Kazpravda.kz reports with reference to the Islamic Development Bank.  

tengrinews.kz. “What does Ukraine expect from Norman format summit in Astana?” - Ukraine's temporary charge d'affaires in Kazakhstan Yuriy Lazebnik has explained what issues the Ukrainian leadership expects to address at the possible Norman format summit in Kazakhstan’s Astana. It was earlier announced that the meeting would take place on January 15 in Kazakhstan’s Astana. In particular, Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said that his diplomatic year in 2015 would begin with a visit to the Kazakh capital for the talks in the Norman format.

afp.com. “Working too hard can drive you to booze” - It's true: working too hard can drive you to drink, said researchers Wednesday who warned of the health risks of such dual excess. An overview of studies covering more than 400,000 people showed that individuals who exceed 48 working hours per week -- the European Union's suggested maximum -- are likelier to consume "risky" quantities of alcohol, they said.