:root {
            --brand-accent: #D48533;
            --brand-dark: #28355A;
        }

        .blog-card {
            background: transparent;
            display: flex;
            flex-direction: column;
            height: 100%;
            transition: transform 0.5s ease;
            width: 100%;
        }
        .blog-card:hover {
            transform: translateY(-8px);
        }
        .blog-img-wrapper {
            position: relative;
            background-color: transparent; /* Removes the white/gray background */
            border-radius: 2rem 2rem 0 0;
            overflow: hidden;
            z-index: 10;
            aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; /* Perfectly matches your backend's 1280x720 canvas */
        }
        .blog-img-wrapper img {
            width: 100%;
            height: 100%;
            object-fit: cover; /* Since the aspect ratio matches exactly, it will not crop */
            display: block;
            transition: transform 0.7s ease;
        }
        .blog-card:hover .blog-img-wrapper img {
            transform: scale(1.05);
        }
        .blog-content {
            background-color: #fff;
            padding: 1.25rem;
            display: flex;
            flex-direction: column;
            flex-grow: 1;
            border-radius: 0 0 2rem 2rem;
            border: 1px solid #f8f9fa;
            border-top: 0;
            box-shadow: 0 4px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.02);
            transition: box-shadow 0.5s ease;
            position: relative;
            z-index: 0;
        }
        @media (min-width: 576px) { .blog-content { padding: 1.5rem; } }

        .blog-card:hover .blog-content {
            box-shadow: 0 10px 30px rgba(0,0,0,0.06);
        }
        .blog-title a {
            color: var(--brand-dark);
            text-decoration: none;
            transition: color 0.3s ease;
        }
        .blog-card:hover .blog-title a {
            color: var(--brand-accent);
        }
        .read-more-btn i {
            font-size: 10px;
            transition: transform 0.3s ease;
        }
        .read-more-btn:hover i {
            transform: translateX(4px);
        }
        .line-clamp-2 {
            display: -webkit-box;
            -webkit-line-clamp: 2;
            -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
            overflow: hidden;
        }
        .tracking-widest { letter-spacing: 0.1em; }

        /* --- Modern Circular Pagination (Bug-Free & Responsive) --- */
        .custom-pagination {
            width: 100%;
            display: flex;
            justify-content: center;
            margin-top: 3rem;
        }

        /* 1. Safely hide the "Showing X to Y" text block */
        .custom-pagination p.text-sm.text-gray-700,
        .custom-pagination nav > div.sm\:flex-1 > div:first-child {
            display: none !important;
        }

        /* 2. Reset the wrapper layout */
        .custom-pagination nav {
            display: flex !important;
            justify-content: center !important;
            width: 100% !important;
        }
        .custom-pagination nav > div.sm\:flex-1 {
            display: flex !important;
            justify-content: center !important;
        }
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm {
            box-shadow: none !important;
            display: flex !important;
            gap: 10px !important; /* Spacing between circles */
        }

        /* 3. Target ONLY the actual circular buttons */
        /* Includes clickable links (a) and active/disabled spans */
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > a,
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span > span,
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span[aria-disabled="true"],
        .custom-pagination .pagination .page-link {
            border-radius: 50% !important; /* Perfect circle */
            width: 44px !important;
            height: 44px !important;
            display: flex !important;
            align-items: center !important;
            justify-content: center !important;
            border: 1px solid #e5e7eb !important;
            background-color: #fff !important;
            color: var(--brand-dark) !important;
            font-weight: 600 !important;
            font-size: 1rem !important; /* Ensures numbers are visible */
            text-decoration: none !important;
            margin: 0 !important;
            padding: 0 !important; 
            transition: all 0.3s ease !important;
            box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.02) !important;
            line-height: 1 !important;
        }

        /* Clean up Laravel's outer transparent span so it doesn't break the layout */
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span {
            border: none !important;
            background: transparent !important;
            box-shadow: none !important;
            padding: 0 !important;
            margin: 0 !important;
        }

        /* 4. Active Page Styles */
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span[aria-current="page"] > span,
        .custom-pagination .pagination .active .page-link {
            background-color: var(--brand-dark) !important;
            color: #fff !important;
            border-color: var(--brand-dark) !important;
            box-shadow: 0 4px 10px rgba(40, 53, 90, 0.2) !important;
        }

        /* 5. Hover Styles (for clickable links only) */
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > a:hover,
        .custom-pagination .pagination .page-link:hover {
            background-color: var(--brand-accent) !important;
            color: #fff !important;
            border-color: var(--brand-accent) !important;
            transform: translateY(-3px); /* Floating hover effect */
        }

        /* 6. Disabled Arrow Styles */
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span[aria-disabled="true"] > span,
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span[aria-disabled="true"],
        .custom-pagination .pagination .disabled .page-link {
            background-color: #f9fafb !important;
            color: #d1d5db !important;
            border-color: #f3f4f6 !important;
            cursor: not-allowed !important;
            box-shadow: none !important;
            transform: none !important;
        }

        /* -----------------------------------------------------------------
           7. BULLETPROOF FIX FOR PREV/NEXT ARROWS & HIDDEN TEXT
           This hides any messy "Previous"/"Next" text and SVGs, replacing 
           them with clean, uniform CSS arrows (‹ and ›) for all states.
        ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > a[rel="prev"],
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > a[rel="next"],
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span[aria-label*="Previous"] > span,
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span[aria-label*="Next"] > span,
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span[aria-disabled="true"] > span {
            font-size: 0 !important; /* Hides internal text */
        }

        /* Hide default SVGs globally in pagination */
        .custom-pagination svg {
            display: none !important;
        }

        /* Hide default text */
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > a[rel="prev"],
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > a[rel="next"],
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span[aria-disabled="true"] > span {
            font-size: 0 !important;
        }

        /* Previous Arrow */
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > a[rel="prev"]::after,
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span[aria-disabled="true"]:first-child > span::after {
            content: "\2039"; /* ‹ */
            font-size: 1.5rem;
            line-height: 1;
            display: block;
            margin-top: -3px;
        }

        /* Next Arrow */
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > a[rel="next"]::after,
        .custom-pagination nav .shadow-sm > span[aria-disabled="true"]:last-child > span::after {
            content: "\203A"; /* › */
            font-size: 1.5rem;
            line-height: 1;
            display: block;
            margin-top: -3px;
        }

        .custom-pagination .flex  {
            display: none !important;
        }