A curated list of stories produced by Steven Davy for The World from PRX and GBH.

Producing

With several effective vaccines approved, governments around the world are now tasked with managing the unprecedented rollout to inoculate populations from the coronavirus. The immense effort has led to some creativity in making the jab accessible. In London, taxis are being converted into Vaxi Taxis to transport people to vaccination sites. And officials in Ghana are using small drones to fly vaccines and parachute the supplies down to remote medical clinics.

Countries get creative with inoculation campaigns

A 100-year-old clock in Japan hanging in a Buddhist temple stopped working after the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck the northeast of the country in 2011. Ten years later, the antique clock miraculously started working again following an aftershock of the original quake.

Clock stopped by tsunami resumes ticking 10 years later

A national spike in anti-Asian hate crimes — including a recent mass shooting in Atlanta — is prompting a national conversation. From physical assault and harassment to discrimination, the Asian American Pacific Islander community has experienced harrowing violence in the US, made more acute amid the coronavirus crisis. The World recently moderated a discussion addressing anti-Asian racism and the pandemic. According to the panelists, it is critical to understand the long history of hate and drop all assumptions.

The long history of anti-Asian hate and a path forward

For fans in China of the television sitcom “Friends,” the much-hyped reunion special was missing several high profile guest stars. Appearances from Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and the K-Pop band BTS, along with LGBTQ references, were all removed from the special. It was unclear whether it was a Chinese government censorship directive, or if the streaming platforms made the cuts on their own, but many fans cried foul.

China censors ‘Friends’ reunion

NASA’s latest exploration of Mars is happening with the Perseverance rover, which successfully landed last week on Jezero Crater. The rover’s mission is to investigate the potential for signs of ancient life on Mars. The rover also sent back audio from the Red Planet for the first time.

Listen to the sounds of Mars for the first time

Fans planning to watch the gilded Olympic torch pass by on its route through Japan are being asked to avoid cheering and instead only applaud the runners. The organizing committee for the Tokyo Olympics announced in a briefing on Thursday new guidelines for fans in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Applaud, but no cheering: Tokyo Olympics release guidance for fans

Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is. The World is heard on over 300 stations across North America.