https www nice88 asia The impact of the tariffs is already being felt across various industries, with manufacturers facing higher input costs, farmers losing access to key export markets, and consumers paying more for everyday goods. The escalating trade tensions between the United States and its trading partners have also raised concerns about the future of global trade and economic growth.

Pep Guardiola’s side avoided the indignity of a sixth successive defeat in all competitions and looked on course for a welcome victory thanks to a double from Erling Haaland – the first from the penalty spot – and a deflected effort from Ilkay Gundogan. Yet Guardiola was left with his head in hands as Feyenoord roared back in the last 15 minutes with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Sergio Gimenez and David Hancko, two of them after Josko Gvardiol errors. FULL-TIME | A point apiece. 🩵 3-3 ⚫️ | — Manchester City (@ManCity) Arsenal delivered the statement Champions League win Mikel Arteta had demanded as they swept aside Sporting Lisbon 5-1. Arteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials, and goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. Putting on a show at Sporting 🌟 — Arsenal (@Arsenal) Paris St Germain were left in serious of danger of failing to progress in the Champions League as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Kim Min-jae’s header late in the first half was enough to send PSG to a third defeat in the competition this season, leaving them six points off the automatic qualification places for the last 16 with three games to play. Luis Enrique’s side, who had Ousmane Dembele sent off, were deservedly beaten by Bayern who dominated chances and possession. 🔔 FULL TIME – Victory at home! +3 in the 👏❤️ | — FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid were 6-0 winners away to Sparta Prague, Julian Alvarez and Angel Correa each scoring twice whilst there were also goals from Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann. Barcelona ended tournament debutants Brest’s unbeaten start with a 3-0 victory courtesy of two goals from Robert Lewandowski – one a penalty – and Dani Olmo. Lewandowski’s first was his 100th Champions League goal, only the third man to reach the mark after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. A Castello Lukeba own goal saw Inter Milan go top of the standings with a narrow 1-0 win over RB Leipzig at San Siro, whilst Bayer Leverkusen were emphatic victors against Red Bull Salzburg, Florian Wirtz scoring twice to move Xabi Alonso’s side into the automatic qualification places. Atalanta continued their strong start, albeit whilst conceding a first goal in Europe this season in a 6-1 win away to Young Boys, whilst Tammy Abraham scored the decisive goal as AC Milan beat Slovan Bratislava 3-2.

Alisha Zachary faced a small business owner’s worst nightmare. Her Fort Worth studio, home to her permanent jewelry business, Goldilinks Jewelry, was burglarized less than two years into owning it. Nearly $15,000 worth of inventory was stolen. Get Arlington news that matters. Sign up for local stories in your inbox every Thursday. Zachary was devastated. Nearly three years of work went into getting the store up and running and it was all scuttled in a flash. Determined to not let the burglary rob her of her dream, Zachary pushed forward. “I’m hoping that it’s something that sticks around for a long time, because we love doing it,” Zachary said. After first hearing about permanent jewelry from her eyelash technician in October 2021, Zachary was instantly intrigued and thought it would be a creative way to exercise her love for making jewelry. She had studio space leased and inventory ordered by the following month. Goldilinks Jewelry opened its doors in January 2022, funded by a small inheritance Zachary received following her mother’s death. After 15 years of accounting in the oil and gas industry and one year of operating Goldilinks Jewelry — by appointment and on weekends — Zachary quit her corporate job in 2023 to run the business full time. “The turning point for me was coming into this environment every day and really developing my creative side, and then going back to a boring, 9-to-5 desk job that was very procedural and bureaucratic,” Zachary said. “I could drastically see the difference between those two worlds. It started really hitting me how unhappy I was in that corporate environment, and so I made the choice to leave my full-time job.” Her first year of running the business full time was interrupted by tragedy. Not only did the burglary occur Aug. 21, which was also Zachary’s birthday. On the same day, she was in Oklahoma with her 21-year-old daughter, Sara O’Lague, who was going through medical tests that led to a rare cancer diagnosis. O’Lague, a Goldilinks Jewelry employee, got into bracelet-making at a young age along with her mother and sister. After her diagnosis, O’Lague moved from Oklahoma back to Texas with her mother and transferred from the University of Central Oklahoma to Tarrant County College, studying education. While out of town helping her daughter, Zachary received a phone call from her Fort Worth studio’s property manager. The Goldilinks Jewelry studio had been wiped of nearly every item and was entirely trashed. Zachary returned to Fort Worth and inspected the damage. Furniture was overturned. The sparkling wine and soda bottles she stocked for customers were broken. Nearly everything was taken or destroyed. “I decided in that moment that I wasn’t going back into that space, that they just had taken such a special space that I share so many other special moments with people,” she said. “It was not ever going to be the same.” O’Lague watched her mother endure the heartbreak of losing part of her business — all while trying to help her navigate her diagnosis. After doctors told O’Lague about her cancer, all she had to look forward to was working at the store, but she was robbed of that, too. “Once I kind of figured out what was going on with my diagnosis, I thought, ‘It just really freaking sucks, because I like being here, it was a really fun part of my routine,’” O’Lague said. Clients like Rachel Cervantes, a 23-year-old Fort Worthian, were devastated to hear the news of the burglary. Cervantes and her mother first visited the store for a Mother’s Day celebration in 2022 and went back together twice after that. “It’s just something really fun as a mother-daughter duo that we like to do together, especially when you grow up, you look for more fun adult things to do,” Cervantes said. The fond memories made with new and returning customers were part of Zachary’s favorite moments in running the business. From bachelorette parties to mother-daughter duos, Zachary enjoys interacting with her customers and providing them with jewelry and memories to last for years to come. Those special moments ignited Zachary’s determination to reopen. “Having lost my mom, I go back to the special moments that I’ve shared with people here, and how meaningful that is for me to be a part of those moments,” Zachary said tearfully. “I feel like I’m carrying on some of that with her.” Cervantes was one of many customers and community members who found out about the burglary via Goldilinks Jewelry’s Instagram , where Zachary announced the business’s temporary closure. “When bad things happen to nice people, it really sucks, especially something that somebody’s invested a lot of time and energy,” Cervantes said. Zachary said that social media post led to an outpouring of community support from vendors offering to provide supplies in advance of payments to other permanent jewelers offering to lend equipment to clients showing up at pop-up events. “As soon as we posted on social media what happened — it makes me emotional,” Zachary said, her words trailing away as she choked back tears. “The outpouring from the community was overwhelmingly amazing.” Zachary didn’t want Goldilinks Jewelry to be closed for long, so she began looking for a new space. A studio on Magnolia Street caught her eye, but Cameron Conaway, a Realtor from Street Realty, told her it was being leased. Conaway introduced her to a new development in Arlington that was looking for a small-business occupant. Moving to Arlington wasn’t in Zachary’s plans. She jokingly said when Conaway presented the idea she thought, “Oh, you’re cute. That’s never going to happen.” She toured the Arlington studio anyway. As she talked with Conaway, Zachary was persuaded. “He totally won me over with the location, with the walkability, with what they’re doing in this neighborhood, with the revival, with the street visibility, the nightlife, the restaurants,” she said. Goldilinks Jewelry celebrated its reopening Nov. 15. Though opening day was slow, Zachary and her staff are hoping for a busy holiday season and preparing for upcoming pop-up events. “I’m not trying to hold a grudge toward the people who committed the crime, but I wanted to take this as something to propel me to the next bigger, better thing,” Zachary said. Now in a larger studio and the first business to open in the new development on Front Street in downtown Arlington’s Urban Union, Goldilinks Jewelry is looking to create a new clientele base there. Zachary hopes her clientele in Fort Worth will be willing to make the drive and remain regulars. Cervantes said her drive to the old location and the new one are about the same distance. If Goldilinks Jewelry were to shut down permanently, Cervantes said she and her mother probably wouldn’t go anywhere else for permanent jewelry. Cervantes listed some perks of the business over other permanent jewelers, including no charge to returning customers for repairs or rewelds of their jewelry and a relaxing, easy-going environment. “I’m just really happy for her that she got back into the hobby that she really feels passionate about after such a negative thing happened to her,” Cervantes said. Goldilinks Jewelry currently offers permanent jewelry for bracelets, anklets and necklaces with over 40 sterling silver and gold chain options. The store also offers a custom hat bar where customers can pick one of over 30 colors for their hat, then accessorize it with over 100 patches, chains, charms and pins. Soon, Zachary plans to offer customizable cowboy hats and transparent bags to please stadium goers. Zachary also hopes to one day open a second location elsewhere in the metroplex or even in her hometown, Oklahoma City. However, O’Lague advised her to wait at least a year before moving into another new space because “it was a lot of work.” For now, Zachary, her employees and her daughter are looking to put the final touches on their new storefront and make a name for Goldilinks Jewelry in Arlington. In the meantime, they will enjoy the reestablished routine of providing permanent jewelry and lasting moments for people. “I hope that this can be my job forever,” O’Lague said. Ella Scott-Dean is an audience engagement fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact her at ella@fortworthreport.org. At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here . Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Do not copy stories straight from the front-end of our web-site. You are required to follow the guidelines and use the republication tool when you share our content. The republication tool generates the appropriate html code. You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. 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You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Ella Scott-Dean, Arlington Report December 11, 2024One key factor contributing to the slight rebound in the rental market is the introduction of new policies by local governments. Many regions have recognized the importance of stabilizing the rental market to ensure housing affordability and access for their residents. As a result, policies such as rent control measures, tax incentives for landlords, and subsidies for tenants have been implemented to support both renters and property owners.

Despite the initial reactions, many Tencent Video VIP members recognize the platform's efforts to balance user experience and operational efficiency. By implementing this change, Tencent Video aims to create a fairer and more sustainable viewing environment for all subscribers. Moreover, the platform continues to invest in content acquisition and production to offer a diverse range of shows and movies that cater to different preferences and interests.The driving school has since emphasized that the safety and well-being of their students are their top priorities, and measures are being taken to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Additionally, efforts are being made to provide emotional support and counseling to the student involved in the incident, recognizing the stress and disappointment they must be feeling.

By Granville County Public Schools OXFORD — A team from J.F. Webb High School took home the top prize of $10,000 during Altec’s first-ever Innovation Challenge at the Granville County Expo Center on Nov. 22. The competition combines science, technology and engineering through a student-driven, project-based approach. Participating student teams were asked to present their solution addressing real-world problems using an innovative approach to benefit their school or community. The winners earned $10,000 for their school to implement their project idea — slated to begin in the spring of 2025. Upon extending an invitation for all county high schools to participate, three teams from two schools competed in this year’s competition, including two teams from Granville Central and one team from JFWHS. Around 15 students participated. The Altec Innovation Challenge began earlier this fall, with individual students coming together to create teams. Each team had a faculty sponsor from their school and was also paired with engineers from Altec to help mentor and guide them in developing their plans. The event concluded with final presentations to a panel of judges comprised of local business, education and community leaders. After much deliberation, the students from JFWHS emerged as the winners. Winning the top prize, Claudio Cheluca, Kaylee Hernandez, Jayden Kufahl, Iyy’Anna Lester, Madison Ragland, Isaiah Terry and Rileigh Warner impressed the judges with their ambitious proposal to create a state-of-the-art maker space at their school. This creative hub will feature innovative tools and technologies, including programmable robotic arms, 3D printers, laser cutters, virtual reality headsets, a high-powered Lenovo computer, a sewing machine and more. Located near the school’s media center, the maker space will be accessible to all students, fostering innovation and hands-on learning opportunities. The money awarded from Altec will fund the purchase of these tools, bringing the team’s vision to life and empowering JFWHS students for years to come. Superintendent Dr. Stan Winborne, who was on hand to hear the winning announcement, offered some remarks. “I am incredibly proud of all the students who participated in this exciting event. It was an amazing opportunity for them to develop the critical skills they need to be competitive and successful in their next steps in finding careers,” Winborne said. “Plus, they had so much fun. Working in teams to solve real-world problems is very empowering for them. I am grateful to our friends at Altec for making this happen. They are a top-notch organization!” Pierre Messier, general manager at Altec’s Creedmoor manufacturing facility, said the event displayed the wealth of talent among local students and served as a celebration of STEM-based career pathways. “This challenge truly embraces innovative thinking and reinforces the significance of STEM pathways for today’s students,” Messier said. “Seeing the dedication, teamwork, and creative problem-solving abilities of these students has been inspiring and highlights the promising future ahead for our community and industry. Altec is proud to partner with our local schools to provide this learning opportunity for our students.” “The diverse range of ideas and solutions demonstrated by the students in this challenge highlighted their talent, creativity, and effective collaboration,” added Altec Innovation Challenge leader Laura Holden, “setting a commendable standard for the future generation of leaders and problem solvers. We look forward to an even bigger event in 2025.” Educators interested in learning more about the 2025 Innovation Challenge should email laura.holden@altec.com .Stephen Collinson For Donald Trump, every defeat is just the catalyst for his next battle. No sooner had the president-elect suffered his first big reversal since winning reelection – when his scandal-tainted pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, withdrew Thursday after days of steadily worsening scrutiny over alleged sexual misconduct – Trump doubled down. In Gaetz’s place, Trump chose Florida’s former attorney general, Pam Bondi, another ultra-loyal MAGA warrior who is one of the most outspoken proponents of his theory that US justice was weaponized against him. Gaetz – who denies wrongdoing – may be gone, but Trump’s craving for the Department of Justice to act like his personal team of lawyers rather than an independent guardian of the law is showing all signs of remaining intact. On the face of it, Gaetz’s withdrawal was an embarrassing defeat as he lost a tussle with Republican senators who didn’t relish the dilemma that would have come with a vote either for Gaetz or against Trump. Sources told CNN that the president-elect wanted Gaetz because he shared his desire to purge ‘deep state’ adversaries in the DOJ and was completely loyal. But Trump forgot another necessary quality — that his pick not create any discomfort for the senators he needs to keep on his side even as they look at their own next election battles. The Gaetz disaster suggests that despite his big election win, some laws of political gravity still apply to Trump. There was a sense of hubris from Trump in picking possibly the least qualified, most controversial and disliked potential attorney general nominee in modern history. His selection of other Cabinet picks – who seem, by normal standards, deeply unqualified – also looks like the kind of classic overreach and misreading of a mandate that can get new presidents into trouble. The haphazard decision making and lack of vetting that led to the Gaetz selection — sources said Trump settled on him while flying to and from Washington last week — hardly suggests his second term will be much more disciplined than his first. And picking a candidate whose main qualifications seemed the certainty he’d delight Trump’s base and horrify elites underscores the president-elect’s impulsiveness. Yet Trump’s omnipotence in the GOP – and his party’s refusal to convict him in two impeachment trials – means that it would be unwise to see Gaetz’s downfall as a harbinger of the new Senate GOP majority’s willingness to curb an all-powerful new president. With constitutional honor satisfied, and feeling an obligation to their party leader, some senators might even be more disposed to back Trump’s other provocative picks. And the loss of Gaetz – whom Trump said Thursday has a “wonderful future” – is likely to have no impact on the goals of a second presidency that Trump has promised to devote to retribution. White House administrations always reflect the person at the top. This may explain why two-and-a-half weeks into his transition, several of Trump’s Cabinet picks are embroiled in allegations of sexual misconduct, ethics or legal controversy. Former Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for the Department of Defense, is facing fresh revelations about an alleged sexual assault of a woman in California seven years ago. Like Gaetz, Hegseth was not prosecuted over the allegation and denies he did anything wrong. His lawyer has said, however, that while the Iraq and Afghanistan combat veteran regards the encounter as consensual, he entered into a settlement agreement with his accuser that included an undisclosed payment and a confidentiality clause. In yet another cloud gathering around a Trump Cabinet pick, CNN reported Thursday on a lawsuit that alleges that Linda McMahon, who the president-elect wants to lead the Department of Education, knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) employee as early as the 1980s. McMahon denies the allegations. There is also fresh scrutiny of allegations that Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., groped a part-time babysitter who worked for him between 1998 and 1999. The woman, Eliza Cooney, recently spoke to USA Today and said she wished “we were electing people with fewer skeletons in their closet.” In a podcast interview over the summer, Kennedy declined to acknowledge the allegations first raised by Vanity Fair but then said he’d had a “very rambunctious youth” and had not been a “church boy.” When asked directly whether he denied sexually assaulting Cooney, Kennedy repeated, “I’m not going to comment on it.” In any normal administration, such a wave of scandal surrounding multiple picks would be seen as evidence of a transition in disarray. But Trump’s political career has never followed conventional patterns. Chaos is endemic, and it’s where the president-elect thrives in a cloak of impunity. Trump’s own history of legal struggles and sexual misconduct allegations, all of which he’s denied, may mean that such vulnerabilities in others don’t represent the same impediment to advancement as they might for another president. Last year, for example, a Manhattan federal jury found in a civil case that Trump sexually abused the writer E. Jean Carroll in a department store in 1996 and awarded her damages for battery and defamation. Shortly before the 2016 election, Trump boasted on a leaked “Access Hollywood” tape that famous people like him could grab women by the genitals and “they let you do it.” And earlier this year, Trump was convicted of a felony in a case arising out of a hush money payment he made to an adult film star. He denies wrongdoing in all cases. None of it stopped him from winning a historic second term earlier this month. After the “Me Too” movement exposed years of abuse of women in showbiz, the media, politics and business, Trump’s capacity to defy such allegations is rare for such a public person. And his defiance may have factored into his Cabinet picks and commitment to stick with them despite some allegations having already been public or new information that subsequently became available. Allegations against Trump have long been disregarded by his voters, many of whom believe he has been subject to witch hunts by Democratic prosecutors. Social conservatives, meanwhile, sometimes rationalize questions about his personal ethics or behavior that give them doubt by pointing to the Supreme Court majority he built. But the collapse of Gaetz for attorney general suggests that Trump’s Teflon hide is not transferable and that his MAGA apprentices lack his capacity to face down almost any scandal and survive. The next person to test this gauntlet may be Hegseth, who held multiple meetings with senators Thursday. While they are proponents of Trump’s smash mouth, stunt politics, neither Gaetz nor Hegseth possess his power or political aura to intimidate wavering Republicans into complicity. And Gaetz is notoriously unpopular on Capitol Hill. Trump called Gaetz Thursday morning and told him he didn’t have the votes to win confirmation, CNN’s Kristen Holmes reported, according to a source with direct knowledge of the call. The president-elect didn’t tell Gaetz to drop out, this source said. But Gaetz had been facing the pressure of a congressional showdown over a House Ethics Committee report into his alleged sexual misconduct and drug abuse. He withdrew moments after CNN’s Paula Reid and Sarah Ferris reported that the woman who said she had sex with Gaetz while a minor told the Ethics Committee she had two sexual encounters with him at one party in 2017, according to sources familiar with her testimony. The woman, who was 17 at the time, testified that the second encounter included another adult woman. Gaetz offered the classic sentiments of a Cabinet pick defeated in a confirmation fight by writing on X that his plight was “unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.” The end of his battle for one of the most critical jobs in the Cabinet quickly increased the heat around some of Trump’s other controversial Cabinet picks, including Hegseth, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who was chosen to be director of national intelligence, and Kennedy. Political ramifications of the failed Gaetz confirmation drive — which collapsed two months before he could be officially nominated by the new president — are intriguing but still hard to game out. This is unlikely, however, to dent the president-elect’s prowess among his most loyal supporters. And the storm and stress of Trumpism is certain to produce a myriad of political earthquakes and scandals before and after the inauguration, so the Gaetz chapter will likely end up being regarded as a tiny blip in a longer melodrama. Plenty of presidents get a Cabinet pick knocked back and do just fine. On Capitol Hill, there was a sense of relief among Senate Republican that there would be no vote on the nomination early next year. Some may have been dreading a vote against Trump that might invite primary challenges. Others, like Maine Sen. Susan Collins or North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, may also have worried that a vote to confirm Gaetz would have hurt them statewide in their 2026 reelection races. Gaetz’s withdrawal, however, is not a great look for Vice President-elect JD Vance, the Ohio senator whom Trump designated to lobby his colleagues with Gaetz in tow this week. And true to form, in picking Bondi, Trump has selected another person who will alarm DC’s establishment and will be equally dedicated to doing the boss’ work in defenestrating the DOJ. Bondi has had her own controversies – she once denied that a $25,000 charitable donation Trump sent her was in any way connected to her decision not to pursue action against Trump University. But she’s got one thing that Gaetz lacked – she’s likely to be far more confirmable in next year’s Republican-led Senate. — CNN

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Sask. NDP MLA says his trans children were the target of Premier Moe's proposed change room policyWalmart's DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump's election victory

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts claims beef with A.J. Brown was made up: ‘BG knows he spoke out of place’

The Air Force has a mythical sky beast known as the Lockheed Martin U-2 Dragon Lady — a jet with such efficiency and performance that it's still being used since it was commissioned during the Cold War in 1955. But while the U-2 is designed for soaring through the sky at 400 mph with its 104-foot wingspan, it can't really land without being tamed. That's where U-2 chase cars come in. Inspired by the look of a sailplane, the U-2 is light enough to complete missions at a range of 3,000 miles and reach an altitude of 70,000 feet — even while carrying equipment. This made it the perfect asset for U.S. intelligence agencies. Pilot Maj. Richard Heyser used the U-2 to gather crucial information about Russia's plans to launch a nuclear strike against the U.S. in 1962. But its lightness comes at a price — the U-2 wingspan generates incredible lift that makes it tough to look down at the runway while descending. When combined with its unreliable landing gear, it's beyond dangerous to touch down. In fact, it's known as the most difficult-to-land machine in the U.S. Air Force. Since the U-2 flies down the runway at 140 mph, whoever provides the pilot with landing instructions needed to be just as fast. The idea of a chase car was conceived, with muscle cars racing behind a U-2 as it landed to call out instructions and then provide equipment to keep it upright after it lands. The driver operating the chase car must be just as qualified as the pilot is in the U-2 cockpit, able to give extremely critical and specific instructions all the way down the runway. Then there's the matter of the car itself — the Air Force wanted cars that had power and speed on straights, making the American muscle car the perfect choice throughout history. Two Ford Country Squire station wagons with supercharged engines were purchased as the initial chase cars, high on horsepower but iffy on control. Said one retired veteran to Classic Machines : "We were hot rod guys and took care of that easy enough." The idea was to use large cars to fit all of the necessary equipment but were still fast enough to keep up with the U-2 as it landed. A series of "souped up" El Caminos were next, packing massive engines that produced up to 450 hp. These cars were used for two decades, even driving under each wing to keep the U-2 plane steady. Up next was the CHP Fox Body Mustang after the California Highway Patrol approached the Air Force with the idea when it was in need of a new chase car ASAP. Lighter than the El Camino, the Mustang had an incredible top speed and was already equipped to run radios. After the 1980s passed, the Z28 Camero with the Police Package and a 5.7-liter V8 engine. In the 2000s, the Air Force turned to the Pontiac G8. Twenty were ordered but as they age, they are being replaced with Camaros, Dodge Chargers, Challengers , and even Teslas. The U-2 is getting older but it's still being used to survey dirt patterns, searching for mines and IEDs over Iraq and Afghanistan. While still effective, the U-2 is almost 70 years old at this point. With the U-2 possibly retiring soon, does that mean chase cars are also a thing of the past? As the U-2 reaches its end, the Air Force already is working with a new spy drone — the RQ-4A . Its top speed is 357 miles per hour and it has a wingspan of 130.9 feet. Just like the U-2, it seems like it doesn't have the best landing capabilities either. RQ-4A pilots already have started utilizing chase cars. It can't hurt to have extra eyes on the runway. It's still a mystery what cars will be used for this challenging job once the current ones are out of date. It could very well be a fleet of electric vehicles in the near future . [Featured image by Air Wolf Hound via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 2.0 ]

Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Tuesday addressed the media at Rail Bhawan in New Delhi. He provided detailed insights into three major railway infrastructure projects approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) which will significantly boost connectivity in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. While discussing the details of the project and its benefits to the Khandesh region of North Maharashtra and connectivity to the Purvanchal region of Uttar pradesh, the Minister highlighted the significant role of the 375 km multi-tracking projects,which include the Jalgaon–Manmad 4th line (160 km), Bhusawal–Khandwa 3rd & 4th lines (131 km), and the Prayagraj (Iradatganj)–Manikpur 3rd line (84 km). These projects are set to boost connectivity between Mumbai and Prayagraj and aim to facilitate the movement of both passenger and goods trains, thereby driving the socio-economic growth of the region. The Minister further elaborated that these three projects, approved at the Cabinet level, are part of a comprehensive strategy to improve container movement between Purvanchal and Mumbai, including Varanasi. A detailed survey extending to Varanasi was conducted to ensure the corridor caters to the needs of emerging industries. These projects will enhance the logistic capacity to this section. This section will also work as a feeder section to Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC), helping to decongest cities and major railway stations while enhancing connectivity to key ports in Maharashtra, such as Jawaharlal Nehru Port Mumbai and the upcoming Vadhwan Port. This connectivity will facilitate the seamless movement of both agricultural and industrial goods, thus strengthening the logistics ecosystem and supporting economic development. The Minister also emphasized the success of the recently launched Shetkari Samridhi Rail from Deolali to Danapur, which has achieved 200% occupancy since its inception. This innovative train service, with 10 passenger coaches and 10 coaches dedicated to agricultural produce, was introduced based on suggestions from farmers in Nashik. Many small-scale farmers expressed the need for a flexible transportation solution, as they are often unable to book an entire train. The Shetkari Samridhi Rail allows farmers to transport varied quantities, from half a quintal of produce like onions or pomegranates to larger consignments such as 10 quintals of soybeans. He further said that this train has been widely appreciated for its farmer-friendly approach, with positive feedback highlighting its popularity and utility. Encouraged by its success, plans are underway to expand similar services to other regions, enabling more farmers to benefit from affordable and reliable transportation for their agricultural products Answering a question from the media, the Minister discussed the implementation and progress of Kavach technology, aimed at enhancing safety and operational efficiency in the railway network. He highlighted that Kavach Version 3.2, which had been successfully implemented over 1600 km, is now being upgraded to the enhanced Kavach Version 4.0. Kavach Version 4.0 approved on 16th July 2024 by RDSO. The upgraded version incorporates advanced features to further bolster safety and efficiency in train operations. A massive initiative is underway to equip 10,000 locomotives with Kavach technology, with orders already placed and over 9,000 technicians and engineers trained for its installation. Comparing the scale of this project to starting a new telecom company, the Minister shared that testing between Sawai Madhopur and Kota has been successfully completed, and the section is now operational with Kavach 4.0. Additionally, certification for the Mumbai-Vadodara corridor is underway, while installation has commenced on routes such as Delhi-Mathura, Delhi-Alwar, and Delhi-Kanpur. As of now, Kavach 4.0 has been installed over 1,000 km, with plans to extend it to the entire country within the next six years. The Minister highlighted that while India is targeting nationwide coverage in just six years, other countries have taken more than 20 years to implement similar safety systems across their networks. The installation process has been made highly efficient, with Kavach being fitted on a locomotive in just 22 hours post-training. For achieving speeds of 130 km/h and beyond is not feasible without Automatic Train Protection (ATP) systems like Kavach,the Minister added. The Minister also outlined the environmental and economic benefits of the railway projects, emphasizing that the Railways, as an environment-friendly and energy-efficient mode of transportation, will play a crucial role in achieving the country’s climate goals while significantly reducing logistics costs. He highlighted that these projects will contribute to the reduction of 271 crore kilograms of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to the plantation of 15 crore trees. The total cost of these three projects is approximately Rs 7,927 crore, and they are expected to be completed in four years. The projects will result in incremental loading of 50 million tons of cargo and will save a total of 15 crore liters of diesel per year. This underscores the Government's commitment to sustainable development and economic growth through green and efficient infrastructure. These sections of 375 km of railway line projects will connect key regions, including the Mumbai-Prayagraj-Varanasi route, Mumbai-Howrah golden diagonal, and Mumbai-Manmad-Bhusaval-Khandwa-Satna-Prayagraj-Varanasi route. The projects will enable the operation of additional passenger trains, benefiting pilgrims traveling to Jyotirlingas in Nashik (Trimbakeshwar), Khandwa (Omkareshwar), and Varanasi (Kashi Vishwanath), as well as to religious destinations in Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, Gaya, and Shirdi. By improving capacity and operational efficiency, the projects will also enhance connectivity between Khandesh region in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Purvanchal in North India, and Mumbai in the West. In addition to religious and cultural benefits, these projects will promote tourism by improving access to key attractions such as the Khajuraho UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ajanta and Ellora Caves UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Devgiri Fort, Asirgarh Fort, Rewa Fort, Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Keoti Falls, Purwa Falls, and more.In the aftermath of the emergency medical intervention, the bar owner was whisked away to the hospital for further treatment and surgery. The attending physicians worked tirelessly to repair the damage caused by the stabbing, but little did they know that a hidden danger lurked within.

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A path forward — and a warning — for Democrats: From the Politics DeskAs tempers flared and voices escalated, the car driver was quick to point fingers, accusing the truck driver of negligence and recklessness. "Why didn't you brake? You saw me changing lanes, didn't you?" the car driver demanded, his frustration evident.

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