Claire Harbage

The Winter Games' opening ceremony took place Friday, with 20,000 fireworks, the parade of athletes — and an impromptu handshake between South Korea's president and Kim Jong Un's sister.

We asked young people about how they view their identity, what role religion plays in their lives, what they hope for the future, and what they believe unifies this sprawling, pluralistic democracy.

Racing requires a pair of pigeons. The male is the racer, and he flies back to the female during the race. But some Indonesian men love this sport so much, it's been blamed for a rise in divorce.

The public ferry system is a key link for a diverse nation spanning some 17,000 islands. "We serve all the people," says the captain of a ferry linking majority-Hindu Bali with majority-Muslim Lombok.

Indonesia's founding philosophy includes the notions of unity and social justice for all. But there are growing concerns that the country is becoming less tolerant than it once was.

Before a convention center opened its doors and volunteer care to pets, their owners had to make a tough choice: Take shelter or stay with animals in floodwaters. But anxiety looms around what's next.

A day after the hurricane hit Houston, Al-Salam mosque in Houston welcomed people displaced by flooding. "I'm Catholic and my husband is Jewish, but it is beyond all that," says one volunteer.

The National Weather Service called the rain and flooding "unprecedented," and warned it could top 50 inches in some parts of the region.

Around the world, hip-hop gives a voice to the voiceless. Our photo essay spotlights rappers in Senegal, who shout out their frustrations about living in poverty and their dreams of a better future.