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I’ve been fascinated with whales recently. Check out this incredible story of a woman, who was saved by a humpback whale which resulted in a life-long bond between the two:

Economy

First Major Bank Cuts Interest Rates

Recently, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) unexpectedly cut its main policy rate by 0.25 percentage points to 1.5%, citing projections that national inflation will likely remain under 2% in the coming years.

Contrary to expectations from economists surveyed by Reuters, who anticipated the bank would maintain rates at 1.75%, the SNB's decision came as a surprise. The bank explained, "Inflation has been below 2% for some months now, aligning with what the SNB considers price stability. Our new forecast suggests inflation will continue to stay within this range for the foreseeable future." In February, Swiss inflation further declined to 1.2%.

Additionally, the SNB has revised its inflation forecasts downwards. It now expects inflation to average 1.4% in 2024, a decrease from the previously estimated 1.9% in December, and to adjust the 2025 forecast to 1.2% from 1.6%. For 2026, the bank's initial prediction is an average inflation rate of 1.1%.

Following this announcement, Capital Economics analysts predict that the SNB will implement two additional rate cuts this year, noting the bank's dovish stance and the likelihood of inflation falling short of its forecasts. "We anticipate inflation to settle even below the SNB's revised projections, maintaining around the current rate of 1.2% before dropping below 1.0% next year. Consequently, we expect rate cuts in the September and December meetings, bringing the policy rate down to 1%, where it is likely to stay through 2025 and 2026," according to a note from Capital Economics.

The upcoming September meeting is expected to be the final one overseen by SNB Chairman Thomas Jordan, who will retire at the end of the month after a 12-year tenure.

The SNB also provided an outlook on the Swiss economy, predicting "modest" growth in the upcoming quarters and anticipating a GDP increase of about 1% this year.

At the global level, the bank anticipates "moderate" economic growth in the next quarters, with inflation likely to decrease due in part to tight monetary policies.

Entertainment

Cillian Murphy to Return to ‘Peaky Blinders’

Fresh from winning an Oscar for Best Actor, Cillian Murphy seems to be sticking close to his roots.

Steven Knight, the creator of the acclaimed crime series "Peaky Blinders," revealed to Birmingham World that Murphy will indeed be reprising his role as gang leader Tommy Shelby in the upcoming "Peaky Blinders" movie.

"He's definitely coming back for it," Knight confirmed. "We're set to start shooting in September, just around the corner in Digbeth."

Murphy, who gained widespread acclaim for his portrayal of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan's film "Oppenheimer," was a standout during the recent awards season.

Given his success with "Oppenheimer," fans of "Peaky Blinders" had been curious on social media about whether Murphy would return to the role of Tommy Shelby, and it seems their hopes have been answered.

World News

Largest Gold Nugget Ever Found in England

Despite encountering technical difficulties with his metal detector, Richard Brock, a seasoned treasure hunter with over three decades of experience, made a remarkable discovery in the Shropshire Hills of England. Arriving late to the organized expedition, Brock's persistence paid off when he unearthed a 64.8-gram gold nugget, the largest ever found in England.

“After only 20 minutes of scanning the ground with this back-up detector that had a fading screen display, I found this nugget buried about five or six inches down in the ground” said Brock.

The discovery, named 'Hiro's Nugget,' holds a bit of mystery because the area is not known for large deposits of gold. The area where it was found, near Much Wenlock, is believed to have served as a track or road with railway lines, possibly containing stone from Wales—a region renowned for its gold deposits. This could explain the strange appearance of the gold nugget.

The discovery is now being auctioned online by Mullock Jones Auctioneers, with expectations of fetching tens of thousands of dollars.

In a gesture of generosity, Brock intends to share the proceeds with the landowner.

Sports

On this Day: Sports History

• In 1973, American tennis player Billie Jean King ended Australian Margaret Court's impressive 57-match winning streak with a hard-fought victory of 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 in the semi-finals of the WTA event held in Indianapolis, IN.

• In 1973, Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr achieved a milestone by scoring his third career hat trick in a game against Toronto, despite the team's 7-3 loss. This accomplishment also marked Orr as the first player in NHL history to score 100 points for four consecutive seasons.

• 1973 Muhammad Ali suffers a broken jaw in a shock split-points decision loss to Ken Norton over 12 rounds in San Diego; Ali wins rematch in another controversial split decision

Mind Stretchers

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No matter how little or how much you use me, you change me every month. What am I?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
The answer is 1461, because (365 x 4) + 1. One of the years is a leap year.
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Debbie Ettinger got the correct answer first!

The first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.