Marc Silver

Let's take time off from pondering the pandemic to enjoy some toilet humor courtesy of signage sent in by our audience — and also to think about how lucky we are if we have a safe toilet.

Women in a Kenyan village had a radical idea to stop the practice of trading sex for fish to sell: What if they owned their own boats? They had great success. Then came a series of terrible setbacks.

The betterment of childhood vaccination rates has been a global success story. A new report on the impact of the pandemic offers reason for concern — and optimism.

Soumana Saley has a passion for leather crafts — and for education. But the pandemic has presented challenges as he builds his reputation and his school in Niger.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, citizens are required by law to wear a mask in public. But the face coverings can have many meanings and materials — including banana leaves.

Yes, you can sing "Happy Birthday" twice. Or the ABC song. And you'll hit the recommended time for effective hand-washing. But why stop there? Our readers have groovy musical alternatives.

A virus first identified in December has altered daily life and public spaces around the globe. These images capture scenes from this unnerving era.

A photojournalist in Wuhan, China, portrays a city under quarantine in the midst of COVID-19.

The topics range from a ticking time bomb in the Arctic to the art of taking selfies in an ethical way. Here are the stories selected by our contributors.

The topics range from the way mangroves fight climate change to a pop-up pub in China where young patrons learn about the issue of sexual consent.