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Tragic Loss: First Openly Gay Muslim Imam Killed in South Africa

In a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through communities worldwide, Muhsin Hendricks, the first openly gay Muslim imam, was fatally shot in South Africa. The incident occurred on Saturday in the city of Gqeberha, where Hendricks was ambushed by two men in a pick-up truck. The attackers, whose faces were covered, fired multiple shots through the side window of Hendricks' car. Hendricks was renowned for his advocacy for LGBTQ+ inclusion within Islam. He founded a mosque in Cape Town that welcomed gay Muslims and worked tirelessly through his Al-Ghurbaab Foundation to support and mentor individuals struggling to reconcile their faith with their sexual orientation. His efforts made him a prominent figure internationally, and he was a speaker at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association’s conference in South Africa last year. The motive for the killing has not been established, but many believe it was an assassination due to Hendricks' progres...

Job market remains resilient despite Fed’s rate hikes and inflation worries

The U.S. labor market continues to show signs of strength as the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits dropped to a five-week low of 209,000 last week, according to the Labor Department. This indicates that employers are holding on to their workers amid a tight labor market and rising demand for goods and services.

However, the report also contained some hints of trouble, as the number of people collecting unemployment checks rose by 30,000 to 1.7 million in the week that ended Sept. 30. This suggests that some workers are having difficulty finding new jobs after losing their previous ones.

The Federal Reserve has been raising its benchmark interest rate since last year to combat surging consumer prices, which reached four-decade highs in 2022. Many economists feared that higher rates would dampen economic growth and trigger a recession, but the economy and the job market have remained resilient so far.

The Fed is expected to raise rates again in December, which would be the fourth increase this year. Some analysts believe that the Fed is nearing the end of its rate-hike cycle and may pause or even reverse course next year if inflation pressures ease and growth slows.

The combination of moderating inflation and robust hiring has raised hopes that the Fed can achieve a so-called soft landing, which means cooling down the economy without causing a downturn. Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, said that "overall, layoffs remain low and demand for workers remains strong. Even as the Fed has taken aggressive action to soften labor market conditions, businesses are not shedding workers at a rapid pace."

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