California farmers enjoy pistachio boom, with much of it headed to China
Voice of America
FILE - Pistachios are hand-sorted at the Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds processing plant in Lost Hills, California, Oct. 25, 2024.
In a sprawling plant in the heart of California's farmland, millions of shells rush down a metallic chute and onto a conveyor belt where they are inspected, roasted, packaged and shipped off to groceries around the world.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon makes a "formal and unreserved" apology in Parliament for the abuse, torture and neglect of hundreds of thousands of children and vulnerable adults in care, in Wellington, New Zealand, Nov. 12, 2024. Gina, right, and Tanya Sammons hold a photo of their late sister Alva as they arrive at Parliament House in Wellington, New Zealand, ahead of the apology to the survivors of abuse in state, faith-based and foster care, Nov. 12, 2024.
The flag of Somaliland is seen during a campaign rally in Hargeisa on Nov. 8, 2024, ahead of the 2024 Somaliland presidential election. A supporter of the ruling Kulmiye party walks past a banner showcasing the incumbent president of Somaliland and presidential candidate Muse Bihi Abdi following Kulmiye's final campaign rally in Hargeisa on Nov. 9, 2024. Wadani party presidential candidate Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, also known as Irro, speaks during a press conference on Nov. 10, 2024, ahead of the 2024 Somaliland presidential election. Faisal Ali Warabe, pictured in 2023. FILE - Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, right, and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attend the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding agreement that allows Ethiopia to use a Somaliland port, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Jan. 1, 2024.
FILE - A wanted sign featuring an image of Daniel Abed Khalife, a former soldier suspected of terrorism offenses, is displayed near Wandsworth prison, from which he escaped, in London, Sept. 7, 2023.
FILE - Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr. speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ), June 15, 2023, in Tokyo. Whipps has secured another term in office in its Nov. 5, 2024 election. This frame grab from handout video taken on June 17, 2024 shows China coast guard boats (L) approaching Philippine boats (C) during an incident off Second Thomas Shoal. (Armed Forces of the Philippines - Public Affairs Office/AFP)
FILE - A boy displaced from Al Jazirah state due to Rapid Support Forces (RSF) violence, lies down on a bench with the logo of the International Organization for Migration behind him in New Halfa, Sudan, Nov. 2, 2024.
A Hezbollah flag flutters on one of the balconies of a building targeted by recent Israeli strikes in southern Beirut's Ruweiss district, Nov. 11, 2024, as the war continues between Israel and the Lebanese militant group.
Pedestrians walk along a road engulfed in thick smog in Lahore, Pakistan, Nov. 11, 2024.
Prime Minister of Mauritius and candidate for the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) Pravind Jugnauth casts his ballot at a polling centre during the Mauritian general election in Vacoas/Floreal, Nov. 10, 2024.
This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Emergency Service on November 11, 2024, shows a rescuer working at the site of a Russian night strike in Mykolaiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
FILE - Hsu Ching-kuang, chairman of Apollo Gold, talks about the Taiwan company's communication products at the headquarters in New Taipei City, Taiwan, Sept. 18, 2024.
Merchants film their jewelry products for e-commerce sales at their store inside the Yiwu wholesale market in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang province Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.