But one peasant fumes that officials never bothered to give her any documents and seized her house and farmland a few months ago for a development project.

It keeps its currency controlled so its exports can out-compete those from other countries, and it grabs natural resources for itself wherever and whenever it can.

Yet seven years later, the title to Mr. Farani’s house is still up for grabs.

Hackers who commandeer your computer are bad enough. Now scientists worry that someday, they’ll try to take over your brain.

Academics also think that a proper land market would protect farmers from indiscriminate land grabs by local officials who often take collective ownership to mean control by themselves.