Yes it’s that time of the year again!
Readers’ Picks
These are the articles that got your attention (and clicks) in 2012.
1. Catholic Church Makes A Fortune in the German Porn Business
Weltbild, one of Germany’s largest publishing companies, happens to be owned and operated by the Catholic Church. But that has not stopped it from publishing books that many of the faithful find offensive.
2. Why Facebook Must Die For Internet Freedom to Flourish
Op-Ed: Facebook is squaring with Google in a race for control not only of the social network market, but of the Internet as a whole. Regardless of who “wins,” there’s a danger for users, who bit by bit are losing control of both their digitial profiles – and digital freedom.
3. When Chimpanzees Attack: 10 Killed In Possible “Revenge” For Past Human Brutality
The terrifying story of apes attacking villagers in eastern Congo captivated you — or was it the chimpanzombie photo?
4. My Father’s Work Eviscerated: Tolkien
LE MONDE
Christopher Tolkien gave his first ever press interview with Le Monde, shedding light on his father’s vision and sharing his own deep dismay with Hobbit director Peter Jackson.
5. Why Eastern Germany Is The Most Godless Place On Earth
More than two decades after its political reunification, Germany continues to be divided along religious lines. Christianity still holds a fair amount of sway in the West. Not so much in the East, where two thirds of the population – young and old – are declared atheists.
Staff Picks
And these are our favorites, here at Worldcrunch’s Paris HQ:
1. The Little Town With A Big Airport That Wants To Secede From Russia
The story about the national independence of Domodedovo sounds like a joke. But the best jokes come from the most tragic material, and this story says much about shifting power in modern Russia.
2. Four Years Later, Obama’s African “Brothers” Give Him Mixed Marks
“He gave us back our pride. If a black man can become president of the United States, it means that we blacks are capable of anything” versus “He had the legitimate right, because his father is from our continent, to talk to African dictators in very strong language. But he kept silent.”
3. “Kids, Jose Is Now Melisa” – Meet Buenos Aires’ First Transsexual Teacher
“Some of the changes appear to have been completely accepted, but seeing her in heels and a skirt still provokes surprise. ‘You’re pretty, teacher!’ and ‘Why did you change now and not earlier?’ were some of the comments.”
4. When Women Conquer Men Of Power – How It Looks In China
Men conquer women by conquering the world; women conquer the world by conquering men: an analysis of the silent but supreme power of mistresses, from Julius Caesar to Bo Xilai and David Petraeus.
5. From Post-Revolution Tunisia, The Brutal Odyssey Of A Convicted Blasphemer
The roving journey across seven countries of a convicted blasphemer facing a seven-and-a-half-year jail sentence for publishing online caricatures and pamphlets depicting the prophet Muhammad.
BONUS
A Real Animal Lover? Meet The Man Fighting To Keep Bestiality Legal In Germany
Undoubtedly 2012’s most WTF story – if only for this quote: “But I stay away from horses; the danger of falling in love is simply too great.”
