Sometimes, research has the power to transport you to places you’ve never been and introduce you to people you would never meet in your daily life. That’s certainly how I felt working on this piece with Marco Di Nunzio, a lecturer in the anthropology of Africa, as he shared his experiences documenting the rapid redevelopment of inner city Addis Ababa – capital of Ethiopia.

The story starts in Arada – a social and cultural hotspot, which has developed a reputation for urban sophistication and “smartness”, thanks in no small part to the street hustlers whose presence has enlivened the area for more than 60 years. But now, waves of evictions and demolitions in the city’s historic centre threaten their livelihoods – while investors prepare to cash in on the cultural value they’ve helped to create.

While government officials assured Di Nunzio that these plans will clear the way for regeneration and investment, locals shared their experiences of loss and displacement – a story that will resonate with city-dwellers around the world.

Next, let tourism experts guide you through Mount Everest’s Base Camp, where they interviewed the tourists and workers involved in the death zone economy, during a season which saw many fatalities on the summit. Elsewhere, Andreas Fulda explores how the UK government could uphold the “one country, two systems” formula in Hong Kong, while Janet Xuanli Liao reviews claims that China will become the world’s “renewable energy superpower”.

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