A happy face on a parascending is seen in the sky of Nice, France, August 21, 2019. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

No pot of gold for locals as China mines Sierra Leone

Like many African countries, Sierra Leone has courted foreign companies which pay governments big fees for mining rights, while locals often feel they have no say nor benefit

ANALYSIS-No minorities, no meat? Gig economy deepens cities' divides

Organisations such as Uber, Ola, and home-sharing platform Airbnb are under fire for fueling discrimination related to religion, race or sexual orientation in cities

Flat-packed cities: wooden skyscrapers sprout over concrete concerns

With concrete a major source of climate-changing emissions, cities around the world are looking at high-rise wooden buildings instead

INTERVIEW-Thai minister vows to make resolving land claims in forests 'top priority'

The military government in 2010 had vowed to "take back the forest" and pledged to increase Thailand's forest cover to about 40% of the total surface area from about a third

More deals, less conflict? Cross-border water planning key, report warns

As global water supplies run low, agreements on how to share water across borders are crucial - but few are in place yet, researchers say

Park life boosts morale as much as Christmas, survey shows

Visiting parks leads people to being happier, the study found

Homeless children in England living in shipping containers, hostels - Commissioner's report

Homelessness has been increasing in England for nearly a decade amid rising private rents, a freeze on welfare benefits and a shortage of social housing

FACTBOX - Seven Indian land laws that give special rights to people, places

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that indigenous people in Meghalaya state have full rights over the land and all its resources

Best of the rest

Discover all this week's top land and property rights stories from across the web