Georgia’s ruling party has withdrawn a controversial “foreign influence” bill after two nights of protests in Tbilisi, but the opposition warned that more demonstrations were planned on Thursday.

The announcement that the bill would be scrapped, carried by the country’s public broadcaster, was made hours after tens of thousands of people gathered outside the Georgian parliament for a second night of rallies, some clashing with police.

The Executive Secretary of the Droa opposition party, Giga Lemonjala, said his party “did not believe” the ruling Georgian Dream party would withdraw the legislation, “because we have very sad experience that Georgian Dream has lied to the Georgian public several times.”

Lemonjala is demanding parliament formally cancels the bill and immediately release all those detained during the protests, which saw tens of thousands gather outside the country’s parliament over a fear it would drive a wedge between Georgia and Europe.

Protesters have been seen waving the flag of the European Union – which Georgia applied to join last year – and those of the United States and Ukraine, as well as the Georgian flag.

The controversial legislation would have required organizations receiving 20% or more of their annual income from abroad to register as “foreign agents” or face heavy fines – a proposal that rights experts warn will pose a chilling effect to civil society in the country and damage its democracy.

Meanwhile, Moscow on Thursday expressed concern over the situation and urged Russian nationals to exercise caution. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Thursday advised Russian nationals staying in neighboring countries to remain vigilant.

Asked on a press briefing if the Russian law had inspired the Georgian bill, Peskov said the Kremlin has “nothing to do with this” and pointed to legislation against so-called foreign agents in the US.

Critics said it resembled similar laws used by Russia to stifle dissent and political opposition and the announcement to shelve the bill was welcomed by the European Union’s office in the former Soviet Republic.

“We encourage all political leaders in GE (Georgia) to resume pro-EU reforms, in an inclusive & constructive way,” the office wrote on its official Twitter account.

Social media videos from Wednesday night showed some protesters throwing stones at the building’s windows and attempting to break a protective barrier, with police deploying water cannon and tear gas.

The Georgian Interior Ministry said it had arrested a further 66 people for their involvement in the protests.

“The participants of the rally violated the public order and law and order throughout the night at different locations and resisted the police officers,” the statement read.

The announcement brings the total number of people arrested in connection to the protests, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, to 142.

What was in the bill?

Georgia’s parliament were discussing two bills, according to Giorgi Gogia, associate director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch.

The first bill would have required organizations including non-governmental groups and print, online and broadcast media to register as “foreign agents” if they receive 20 percent or more of their annual income from abroad.

The second expanded the scope of “agents of foreign influence” to include individuals and increases the penalties for failure to comply from fines to up to five years in prison.

Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party said Wednesday that the laws would help root out those working against the interests of the country and the powerful Georgian Orthodox Church, Reuters reported.

He criticised Georgia’s “radical opposition” for stirring up protesters.

But Gogia said the the bills were a clear threat to human rights in Georgia.

“They threaten to marginalize and discredit critical voices in the country. This threat is real,” he said. “Under the disguise of transparency, the latest statements by the Georgian authorities strongly suggest that if adopted, the law will be weaponized to further stigmatize and penalize independent groups, media and critical voices in the country.”

Russia-aligned Belarus has had a citizenship law in place since 2002 that has a similar impact.

In December 2022, the Belarusian parliament passed amendments to the law which would enable the government to target members of the political opposition, activists and other critics in exile, according to Human Rights Watch.

The draft law would allow the president to strip Belarusians abroad of their citizenship, even if they have no other.

Georgia’s balancing act

Georgia, which won its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has long played a delicate balancing act between its citizens’ pro-European sentiment and the geopolitical aims of its powerful neighbor, Russia.

A Tuesday statement from the EU warned that the law would be “incompatible with EU values and standards” and could have “serious repercussions” on the group’s relations with Georgia.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said she believed that the bill “looks very much like Russian politics” and vowed to veto it.

Zourabichvili had vowed to veto the bill, but supreme executive power lies with the government headed by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

Georgia applied for EU membership in March 2022. Though it was not granted candidacy status, the European Council has expressed readiness to grant that status if Georgia implements certain reforms.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price on Wednesday said the bill was “Kremlin-inspired.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile addressed Georgian protesters directly, thanking them on Wednesday for raising his country’s flag during the demonstrations and wishing them “democratic success.”

“I want to thank everyone who has been holding Ukrainian flags in the squares and streets of Georgia these days,” Zelensky said.

The aviation experience

Flying long-haul can leave you dried up, zonked out and unusually prone to flatulence. (And some of us were that way before we even boarded the plane.) So keep yourself well hydrated, eat slowly, avoid fizzy drinks, and read this guide to what exactly happens to your body on a long flight, along with tips on avoiding the most common problems.

As for the farting, that’s because of the change in cabin pressure and the gas in your system reacting accordingly – so be careful as the plane climbs and descends.

We also have flight attendant Kris Major’s insider secrets on how to survive a long-haul flight: from when to eat, to how to maximize your layover and whether it’s okay to take off your shoes. He also explains why he always hangs his tie on his bunk’s curtain before he goes to sleep.

Airports also do their bit to make sure passengers get the optimum experience at ground level, whether they’re setting off for their flight or arriving at their destination. The Airport Service Quality Awards recognize the aviation hubs doing the finest work, including an Italian mega-airport and a Southeast Asian wonder with its own indoor waterfall.

Cruise news

A round-the-world cruise sounds for many like an impossible dream, but seeing the sights by boat just got a little more affordable.

Life at Sea Cruises has opened bookings for its three-year, 130,000-mile voyage to 135 countries, with a ticket price that works out to a not-unreasonable $30,000 per person per year. Passengers will be able to work remotely from the full-scale business center and make use of the gym, pool and 24-hour hospital with free medical visits, as well as all the usual cruise ship amenities and entertainment.

Living life at sea as you do back home also means being just as mindful of environmental concerns. The cruise industry is known for its carbon-spurting vessels and excess waste production, but there are plenty of companies out there working hard to make water-bound adventures a lot more sustainable. Here are some of them.

Finally, it’s not just seas you can cruise upon: The world’s longest river cruise set out in January on the Ganges, launching new 3,200-kilometer (1,990-mile) trips through waterways in India and neighboring Bangladesh, visiting national parks, major cities and UNESCO World Heritage sites along the way.

Misbehavior of the week

A man and woman have been sentenced to four years in prison for carrying out a $1.7 million wine heist at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain. The couple stole 45 bottles of wine, including an 1806 vintage with a six-figure price tag.

Unruly dudes were caught on video throwing punches while boarding a Phoenix-bound plane at a Dallas airport. In a separate incident, a man was caught on video causing disruption before being arrested for allegedly trying to stab a flight attendant with a broken spoon and attempting to open the emergency door.

It seems there are some passengers who could benefit from traveling inside protective cases with a few chew toys and shiny tassels. But for the moment, at least, that honor is reserved for our furry friends. And so we end with a pet PSA: Please do not send live cats through the X-ray scanner at the airport.

We don’t recommend dead ones either, but it’s once again a fully animate kitty that has turned up at a US airport. TSA officers are therefore asking travelers to please, please unpack your puss before throwing your bag on the conveyor.

Family affair

A family of five – three of whom are pilots – are traveling around the world in an itty-bitty, single-engine plane. Here’s how they’re managing it without too much intrafamilial turbulence.

In case you missed it

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A writer flew to New York, then wrote a poem on Bumble.

It scored her a touchdown, without even a fumble.

What it’s like to travel around Afghanistan now.

Even amidst tragedy, daily life goes on.

Best portable cribs for naps and playtime

China’s rubber-stamp legislature has appointed Li Qiang, a long-time aide of leader Xi Jinping, as premier, the man tasked with reviving the world’s second-largest economy after three years of zero-Covid restrictions.

The National People’s Congress endorsed Li in a largely ceremonial vote at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Saturday morning. Li got 2,936 votes, with three votes cast against him and eight abstained.

Li, 63, is one of the most trusted protégés of Xi, the country’s most powerful leader in decades. He will replace outgoing Premier Li Keqiang, who had been Xi’s second in command since 2013.

Traditionally, the premiership is an influential role in charge of the economy, although over the past decade, its power has been eroded by Xi, who has taken almost all decision-making into his own hands.

Even so, much of the new premier’s efforts are likely to be concentrated on trying to turn around the fortunes of the Chinese economy, which recently set a GDP growth target for this year of about 5% – the lowest in decades.

That will be no easy task: China is in the midst of a historic downturn for the all-important housing market, consumer spending is sluggish, and unemployment remains high among the youth. And local governments are saddled by debt.

Business confidence has plummeted following an unprecedented regulatory crackdown on the private sector and increased uncertainties about China’s future policy. Relations between the United States and China are at their lowest point in decades, leading to escalating tensions in technology and investment. Foreign investment in China has slumped.

Xi identified Li Qiang, a former Communist Party boss of Shanghai who presided over the city’s chaotic two-month lockdown, as the man to take on these challenges during a leadership reshuffle in October.

Born in the eastern province of Zhejiang, Li started his career as a worker at an irrigation pumping station. He received his undergraduate education in agricultural mechanization at a college in the city of Ningbo and then worked his way up through the provincial bureaucracy.

His career took off after he served as Xi’s de facto chief of staff when Xi was the party chief of Zhejiang province between 2002 and 2007.

Li is the first premier since the Mao era not to have previously worked at the State Council, China’s cabinet, as vice premier, analysts say.

It was Li’s personal ties with Xi that appear to have clinched his promotion over more qualified candidates, Julian Evans-Pritchard, senior China economist at Capital Economics, said when Li was promoted last year.

But some analysts said his tenure in Shanghai, particularly before last year’s Covid lockdown, pointed to a pragmatic, pro-business style.

During Li’s time there, Tesla built its first gigafactory outside the United States in the city. Tesla has sole ownership of that factory, the first foreign automaker in China to wholly own its plant.

“China’s business environment should turn more friendly, at least, in the coming two years” under Li, who is likely to support private companies and foreign investors, Citi analysts said in a research report.

In 2019, Li also oversaw the launch of China’s Nasdaq-style stock market on the Shanghai stock exchange.

Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, has announced plans to relaunch an iconic 1970s soda brand that once rivaled Coca-Cola and Pepsi, prompting a wave of nostalgia on social media among the millions of Indians who grew up drinking the beverage.

The brand filled a void in the South Asian country at a time when its more famous American rival Coca-Cola was not available, and the news of its return has prompted a flurry of interest from middle-aged Indians who remember drinking it in their youth.

Sukant Khurana wrote on Twitter that he could remember pestering his grandfather to buy him the drink.

“So many childhood memories … If it tastes anything like it did, Campa Cola will sell on nostalgia,” he wrote.

Meanwhile Atul Mohan tweeted that “some brands remain timeless … people still ask, ‘will you drink Campa?’”

While Coca-Cola was introduced in India in the 1950s it withdrew from the market just over two decades later when the Indian government introduced a regulation that would have required it to reveal its formula.

In its absence, the Indian alternative Campa Cola became immensely popular and soon grew to lead the country’s soft drink market.

Like its American rival its popularity was fueled by catchy advertising campaigns that appealed to Indian youth. Bollywood actor Salman Khan appeared in one of its more famous television campaigns while its print advertisements were known for their pop-art illustrations and bold colors.

It also had a punchy tag line, with a hint of an appeal to patriotism: “The Great Indian Taste.”

However, its popularity began to fizzle during the 1990s when India’s then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and his Finance Minister Manmohan Singh opened the country to foreign investment.

Foreign cola brands made a comeback, with Coca-Cola returning in 1993 and Pepsi and Fanta also becoming popular. Campa Cola gradually disappeared from stalls and shelves across the country.

With its new acquisition, Reliance appears to be hoping to appeal both to those Indians nostalgic for the brand and to introduce the cola to a younger crowd who might not remember its previous incarnation.

They were stripped down to their boxers and left barefoot. Many had their heads shaved as they were forced to run with their hands behind their back or neck. Altogether, there were 2,000 convicts who were transferred last week to El Salvador’s new “mega prison”, officially named the Center for Confining Terrorism.

The event was announced not only on national television but by President Nayib Bukele himself, who tweeted a much-discussed video of the transfer set to dramatic music.

Many in El Salvador (and foreign fans) applauded the footage – more evidence of Bukele’s tough “mano dura” approach to crime. And if critics and the families of those incarcerated found the footage chilling, their arguments found little traction in the country, where Bukele has effectively proposed a false dilemma: either embrace his lock-em-up strategy or relinquish control of the country to murderous criminal groups.

Last year, after an infamous weekend of killings, Bukele declared a state of emergency with the support of his country’s Legislative Assembly, controlled by his “New Ideas” party. The state of emergency has allowed the government to temporarily suspend constitutional rights, including freedom of assembly and the right to legal defense.

Under the state of emergency, which has been extended 11 times, suspects can be detained for up to 15 days without being charged, instead of the constitutionally mandated 72 hours. Once charged, a suspect can spend months in detention before facing trial.

Many of the people arrested under the state of emergency have been charged but not convicted, and receive little opportunity to argue their innocence in El Salvador’s group hearings. At the beginning of January, just over 3,000 detainees had been freed due to lack of evidence – of the over 64,000 people arrested since the state of emergency began.

Criminal gangs in El Salvador trace their origins to those formed in the United States by Salvadoran immigrants fleeing the country’s civil war in the 1980s. More than 330,000 Salvadorans came to the US between 1985 and 1990, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

In the 1990s, US immigration authorities deported large numbers of MS-13 gang members, many of whom had arrived as children, back to their home countries – El Salvador for most. Once there, these groups metastasized, controlling vast portions of the country and making life miserable for many law-abiding citizens.

The issue now is not the validity of the crackdown or the decision to free Salvadorans from the scourge of the criminal gangs. For observers, analysts and human rights groups, the question is at what cost? How long will Salvadorans allow the suspension of their basic constitutional rights in the name of security? Are they willing to live under a state of emergency indefinitely?

For decades, Salvadorans endured criminal gangs that robbed, extorted, killed, raped, and terrorized the population. Now, the vast majority of Salvadorans (and some in Latin American) support their president as the first leader to take the problem seriously.

In El Salvador, there is little room for criticism or dissent about the state of emergency. In the country of more than six million, you’re either with the president or against him; those who question Bukele’s heavy-handed policy get sternly rebuked by the president’s supporters and the Central American version of cancel culture (in the best of cases). For legislators, questioning his policies would be political suicide; as of November last year, according to a poll by Salvadoran newspaper La Prensa Gráfica, 89% of Salvadoreans approved of their president.

Bukele has effectively framed critics of his policies as unsympathetic to El Salvador’s bloody and painful history, describing rights groups, for example, as “not interested in the victims, they only defend murderers, as if they enjoyed watching bloodbaths.”

Media organizations and NGOs that document human rights abuses by his government are “partners of the gang members,” Bukele tells supporters.

Javier Simán, a former presidential hopeful, said in September 2021 that Bukele was “using the power of the State to go against his critics” and that he was “attacking and delegitimizing civil organizations.” Simán went on to say that Bukele “has used social media, government institutions to target those who criticize his government […] and journalists.”

In June of last year, Amnesty International published a report that titled “El Salvador: President Bukele submerges his country in a human rights crisis after three years in government.” One section alleges government retaliation against five journalists, including three who “had to moved or leave the country because of government harassment.”

The same report describes the case of Dolores Almendares, a union leader, who was accused and detained for alleged “illegal meetings”, though his family and colleagues from the union believe that detention could have some link with his defense of labor rights.

Claims of innocence

Juan Pappier, Human Rights Watch’s Americas acting deputy director, recently told me that his organization has witnessed some of the abuses committed under Bukele’s policy, including detentions of innocent people.

“We have documented on the ground that some of these people [the detained] have nothing to do with gangs, are innocent Salvadorians, working people, children who have been arrested and now face Kafkian legal proceedings to prove they have nothing to do with these criminal organizations,” Pappier said.

Bukele’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this topic. As a matter of policy, the Salvadoran president does not speak to the media, choosing instead to speak out on Twitter, where he often argues that human rights groups are more interested in defending the rights of criminals than law-abiding citizens.

In a tweet last April, Bukele acknowledged that mistakes had been committed in one case, saying, “There will always be a 1% error that a fair system must correct.”

But families of many of the detained have been protesting for months, claiming their loved ones were arrested and accused of being gang members simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Maribel Flores, the mother of a detained woman, recently joined a group protesting Bukele’s policies at the headquarters of El Salvador’s Office for Human Rights in San Salvador, the capital, demanding an end to what they call “arbitrary detentions.”

“Little by little, one is consumed by the sadness of trying to find out why their children are in that place [jail]. Maybe they don’t give them medicine, or food, or anything,” Ruiz said.

Ayda Zugay clasps her hands together, trying to keep her nerves in check.

She’s been waiting for this day for decades.

At any moment the woman she tried to find for so long will finally be here.

It’s been more than 23 years since a stranger on an airplane gave Zugay and her sister an envelope with $100 in it that would change their lives.

The story reached millions of readers – many of whom sent in tips to help with the search. Several of them saw the handwriting on the envelope and knew right away who was behind it: Tracy Peck of Blaine, Minnesota.

Zugay and her older sister, Vanja Contino, reconnected with Peck in an emotional Zoom call that weekend.

It’s a joyful occasion. But as they wait for Peck to arrive, Zugay tells her sister that she’s feeling anxious and emotional.

What if the moment doesn’t feel right? What if they struggle to connect with each other? What if the woman who’s inspired her for so many years ends up seeing her as a disappointment?

Tears well up in her eyes.

“I don’t want to let her down,” she says.

Contino tells her sister that could never happen.

“You are an amazing person,” she says. “This is all happening because of you.”

The three women share a tearful embrace

Zugay and Contino hide themselves behind a Christmas tree covered with gleaming gold ornaments, hoping to surprise Peck when she arrives.

As they wait, the Midtown Manhattan hotel lobby where they’ve planned to meet is bustling. Guests toting suitcases and shopping bags dart past them, oblivious to the dramatic moment that’s about to unfold.

Even though they know she’s coming, Peck catches them by surprise when she finally appears.

“Hi!” the sisters shout in unison, rushing forward to wrap their arms around Peck.

“My lovelies!” Peck exclaims.

Her face reddens as tears stream down her cheeks. “Oh! This is such a blessing,” she says, and they hold each other tighter.

To Peck, the hug feels like an embrace from family members she’s known for years.

To Contino, it’s an amazing connection between the past and the present that she never imagined would be possible.

To Zugay, it feels like a moment of closure, and a moment of something new that’s just beginning.

They have a lot to catch up on

A few minutes later, Zugay and Peck settle down on the couch in Zugay’s hotel room. Contino sits on a chair nearby, snapping photos and taking in the scene.

They’ve exchanged some texts and messages on social media since their virtual meetup in the spring. When she got engaged several months ago, Zugay texted Peck to tell her.

But there’s so much more to catch up on, and so much to share.

The last time these three women sat side by side, they were in very different places, even though they were flying to the same destination.

On May 31, 1999, Peck was in her late 40s and had just finished a dream vacation watching the French Open with friends.

Contino, then 17, and Zugay, then nearly 12, had just said goodbye to their parents and everything they knew as they fled their war-torn country.

Peck was heading home to be with her family. Zugay and Contino were heading into uncertainty. They were seeking refuge in the United States, but had no idea what they’d find once they arrived.

Zugay didn’t speak much English then, but she sensed the compassion in her seatmate’s voice.

“We were able to communicate even though we had so many differences,” she says.

After hearing the sisters’ story that day, Peck handed them an envelope at the end of the flight, telling them to wait until they got off the plane to open it. Inside she tucked a $100 bill and the dangly earrings she’d been wearing.

“To the girls from Yugoslavia –” her note on the outside of the envelope began. “I am so sorry that the bombing of your country has caused your family any problems. I hope your stay in America will be a safe and happy one for you — Welcome to America — please use this to help you here. A friend from the plane — TRACY”.

Peck had no idea how much that gesture would come to mean to its recipients – and how much writing it would end up changing her life, too.

Contino, who’s now 41 and an anesthesiologist in Connecticut, sees the envelope as a reason why she still tries to prioritize giving to people in need, and why she’s teaching her two daughters to do that, too.

Zugay, a 35-year-old who lives in Boston, sees Peck’s simple act of generosity as the foundation of many things in her life, including her work with numerous nonprofits and the consulting company she cofounded.

And now that they’re finally reunited, Zugay wants to make sure Peck knows how much it’s meant.

“I thought of you for so many years,” she says. “It was almost like you were next to me in the things I was doing.”

For the sisters, Tracy’s handwritten note was a piece of a puzzle

Zugay unzips a black backpack, pulls out the envelope and hands it to Peck.

It’s in remarkably good condition, with no major wrinkles or tears. Zugay keeps it with her important documents and has tried hard to protect it.

“This is so wonderful,” Peck says. “I just can’t believe you kept this all these years.”

Peck says she’s amazed Zugay kept searching when so many others would have given up.

“Thank you so much for everything, Tracy,” Zugay says. “You’re such a beautiful person. I’m so excited for your joy to radiate across the planet.”

Zugay tells Peck she still remembers having a panic attack once when she thought she’d lost the envelope, and the many hours she spent looking at it and searching for clues. For so many years, that piece of paper seemed to be the only thing connecting her to a puzzle in her past she needed to solve.

Now that she and Peck have reunited, the envelope itself doesn’t seem as important. But what it symbolizes seems more important than ever. And that, Zugay says, is why she’s determined to keep telling the story.

“It’s been really beautiful to be able to elevate the message of welcoming people, and encouraging people to be kind,” she says. “You don’t have to be a wealthy philanthropist; you don’t have to be somebody who has a lot of power. You can be an average person, and you can have an incredible impact on somebody’s life.”

Tracy’s act of kindness has touched many others

Some shared their own experiences of reaching out to others or receiving unexpected support at moments when they felt lost.

One person wrote that they’d been dangerously close to suicide but reconsidered after reading about Zugay’s search for Tracy.

“Something woke up in me that was quiet for so long. … Instead of ending my life that day, I walked around the city feeling gratitude for people like Tracy in my life,” the note said. “Now when I think about what I hope to build out of my life, I will always think of you and Tracy.”

Zugay says it’s been overwhelming and inspiring to receive so many beautiful messages.

But while most responses have been positive, a few negative emails have also made their way to her inbox.

To Zugay, that’s important to acknowledge, too.

“That’s why I do the work I do,” she says. “The goal is for everybody here to feel belonging and welcome and to thrive.”

And no matter how many negative responses she gets, Zugay says finding Tracy makes it all worthwhile.

The three women go sightseeing in New York

When Peck learned she’d be traveling to New York, there was one thing she knew she wanted to see with Zugay and Contino: the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

“To me, the whole idea of Christmas is about love and giving and kindness,” Peck says. And who better to see the tree with than the women who’d given her such a beautiful reminder of how a small act of kindness can grow into something so much bigger?

So after hours of swapping stories about their family members, discussing their lives and careers, and sharing memories of the past and dreams for the future, the trio venture out to the packed sidewalks of Midtown Manhattan for a glimpse of the iconic sight.

At points, it feels like someone is shoving them from every direction. In the commotion, Zugay and Contino try to keep their eyes trained on Peck’s blonde hair.

“We can’t lose Tracy now,” Contino laughs, “not after we finally found her.”

They marvel at the Saks Fifth Avenue holiday lights display and snap selfies beside the tree.

“So beautiful,” Peck says.

And no matter how crowded the sidewalks around them get, the three women stick together.

Reuniting in person, Peck says, has brought even more unexpected joy than their initial conversation.

“Love and friendship among women is to me among the greatest gifts in the world,” she says. “I feel I’ve gained that bond with these two amazing women.”

They get a standing ovation at ‘CNN Heroes’

“There are good people in this world,” Contino says.

Zugay nods in agreement.

Before long, a familiar voice echoes in the event space as a video plays that includes excerpts from their May reunion on Zoom.

It’s Tracy – the Tracy. Hearing her voice makes Zugay feel instantly emotional. Now they’re together at last.

The audience gives them a standing ovation as they walk on stage side by side.

Their New York reunion is more than they ever expected

As they return to their New York hotel after the show, they rehash highlights of the night – the celebrities who stopped them in the hallway to marvel at their story, the many honorees doing extraordinary things for their communities and, best of all, the fact that they got to spend an entire weekend together after so many years apart.

Peck thinks back to the young girls she met on the plane and how brave they were that day.

“I wouldn’t have been nearly as strong as you were. I wouldn’t have been mature enough to do it. … I’m so proud of you, the two women you’ve become,” she says.

Zugay thinks back to her many years searching for Tracy, and what she hoped she’d find.

“You turned out to be so much more than I ever expected,” Zugay tells Peck. “Just hearing your voice means so much to me. I can’t wait to hear about our future days together.”

They’re hoping to plan a bigger reunion so more members of their families can meet. And next year, Zugay hopes Peck will be a guest at her wedding.

Still reveling in the many inspiring stories of the evening and the chance they had to share the moment together, Zugay says she feels so overwhelmed with gratitude that she won’t be able to sleep.

Over the years, the efforts of so many people helped her find Tracy – at least 17, by her latest count, from the first journalist to cover her story for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune to the videographer who helped her get the word out on social media.

Tonight, she can only think of one thing to do: write her own notes, just like Tracy did, thanking them.

The protracted doping saga involving Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva entered another phase on Tuesday as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Last month, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) effectively cleared Valieva of wrongdoing, saying that the 16-year-old had violated anti-doping rules but bore no “fault or negligence” for the transgression.

But WADA believes such a conclusion is “wrong” and has now exercised its right to appeal the ruling.

Valieva was suspended by RUSADA the day after she guided the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) to victory in the figure skating team event at last year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing, where she also became the first woman in history to land a quadruple jump at the Games.

However, it came to light during the course of the Olympics that Valieva had tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine – which can enhance endurance – in December 2021.

Valieva has not publicly explained the positive test results.

The ROC placed first in the team event in Beijing ahead of the USA in second, Japan in third and Canada in fourth, but no medal ceremony was held as a result of the doping controversy.

In a statement on Tuesday, WADA said it is seeking a four-year period of ineligibility for Valieva and disqualification of her results from the date of the sample collection on December 25, 2021.

“As it has sought to do throughout this process, WADA will continue to push for this matter to proceed without further undue delay,” the statement added.

“Given the case is now pending before CAS, WADA can make no further comment at this time.”

Without naming Valieva, the statement said that RUSADA is “convinced that the athlete is guilty of violating the rules, but it is minimal and a reasonable sanction could be the issuance of a ‘warning.’”

Valieva was cleared to compete in the women’s singles event at the Winter Olympics but ultimately placed fourth after falling and stumbling several times during the competition.

Travis Tygart, the CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), said on Tuesday that the decision to appeal Valieva’s case to CAS “had to be done in order to restore some confidence in the global anti-doping system.”

He added: “Let’s hope the hearing is expedited and open to the public so that the athletes whose dreams are hanging in the balance can believe in the final outcome, whatever it may be, and that some justice can be salvaged soon.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), meanwhile, said it welcomes WADA’s decision for taking the case “one step closer to a final resolution.”

“This is also in the best interests of everyone involved, particularly the athletes who have not yet been able to receive their medals from Beijing 2022.”

In 2009, Kevin Pearce was at the height of his professional snowboarding career and bound for the Winter Olympics. But in an instant, it came to a halt when he suffered a devastating accident.

During training, he struck his head on the edge of a halfpipe, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. It changed the course of the then-22-year-old’s life.

He had to relearn how to walk and talk and essentially start over. His older brother Adam quit his job and moved across the country to help him through rehab.

“What I remember most, and the best thing I remember, hands down,” Kevin said, “is Adam being there and doing it all with me.”

He eventually started doing yoga, and his family saw how it transformed him and gave him a sense of hope.

“It was the first time I remember so clearly coming out of a class with him and just seeing in his face this new expression, this new person,” Adam Pearce said. “We were like, ‘We need to figure out why and how that just happened.’”

Traumatic brain injury affects the lives of millions of Americans each year, including many who are living with long-term TBI-related disabilities.

Wanting to bring hope and healing to others through yoga and meditation, Adam and Kevin co-founded the LoveYourBrain Foundation in 2014. The nonprofit offers weeklong retreats and community-based yoga classes across the United States for people who have a TBI as well as their caregivers.

“I think people feel isolated after brain injury because they don’t feel able, and when you don’t feel able, you generally retreat back inside,” Adam said. “At these retreats, people are given the space to lean into those deep challenges and express them and talk about them.”

Ultimately, the organization aims to create a safe space and supportive community where people with a TBI can heal together.

“Connection happens quickly because there’s such a shared common understanding among the group,” Adam said. “Once someone sees someone be vulnerable, it instantly allows the next person (to be). By the end, people start to see vulnerability as a superpower.”

The organization also trains yoga teachers, giving them knowledge on how to work with those who have a TBI, and works with hospitals to incorporate yoga into rehabilitation early on. To date, LoveYourBrain has reached more than 35,000 people.

“Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought we’d be here almost 13 years later after Kevin’s accident,” Adam said. “What this has taught me is that trauma and adversity can be a powerful pathway for deeper learning and growth.”

Adam: We basically spent the first month and a half in critical care. We really didn’t have an idea of what recovery or healing looked like at that time. I just kind of found myself saying, “This is where I have to be.” So, I spent a year by his side and really just focused on getting him better. I knew he was competitive, and I knew the games that would make him want to engage. So, we did that. And, as you can imagine, when you’re in rehab for eight, ten hours a day for six months straight, you need something to keep you going.

Adam: After Kevin started to build a yoga practice into his life, the things that were most noticeable were confidence. So much of his self-confidence was taken away from him. But once he started doing a practice that gave him self-empowerment, he started just feeling more confident and in more control. He would come out of yoga class and you’d be like, “Oh, that’s the old Kevin.”

Adam: It’s really important because oftentimes you can get so isolated in the way you’re caring for someone, or even how they’re thinking about what that person needs. When we expose caregivers in a setting with other caregivers and people with brain injuries, it allows us to challenge our own preconceived notions and just open our perspective to other ways of supporting people.

Adam: Brain injury impacts the whole body – the physical, the emotional, and the social. The unique part about yoga is that it also focuses on the whole person. It really gives people the ability to connect with the mind, connect with the body, and connect with the spirit. And I think it’s an incredible pathway to healing. Oftentimes our medical system has us thinking that someone else can fix us. And I think there is so much more that we can do for ourselves.

Want to get involved? Check out the LoveYourBrain Foundation website and see how to help.

To donate to the LoveYourBrain Foundation via GoFundMe, click here

Mikaela Shiffrin won her 86th World Cup race on Friday – triumphing in the giant slalom in Åre, Sweden – to match the overall record set by skiing legend Ingemar Stenmark.

Shiffrin is now on the precipice of becoming the sport’s all-time winningest athlete – man or woman – and can break the record on Saturday in the slalom.

“This is just a spectacular day,” a beaming Shiffrin said after the race. “I just wanted to push and fight for it.”

She finished her final race 00.64 seconds ahead of her nearest rival Federica Brignone despite the Italian scoring the fastest time in the second run.

It was the 27-year-old American’s 20th giant slalom victory and brought her level with Vreni Schneider for the women’s record number of wins in that discipline.

Shiffrin’s compatriot Lindsey Vonn, who reached 83 World Cup wins and was the women’s record holder before Shiffrin overtook her, tweeted, “Congrats!! Dominating.”

Friday’s victory also secured Shiffrin her 15th giant slalom crystal globe. The American had already claimed the overall and slalom titles earlier this season.

Shiffrin can claim the record for herself on Saturday when she returns to the slopes in the slalom, which starts at 04:15 a.m. ET.

If she doesn’t claim victory in her favorite race the American skier will have another shot at glory next week at the World Cup finals in Andorra where she will compete in the downhill, super-G, grand slalom and slalom.

Breaking Stenmark’s record would cap a remarkable season for Shiffrin given she did not pick up a single medal from five races at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and failed to finish in three of them.

She has taken 12 World Cup victories so far this season, five short of her own record of 17 set in 2018-19.

In February, Shiffrin overtook Vonn’s women’s record of 82 wins before she secured her seventh career Alpine world championships gold medal in the Alps which made her the most successful skier in the modern era (post World War II).

“Even if I’m training alone, I’m always thinking, ‘Can I ski this faster?’ And if I can, then I better because somebody else probably is.”

Shiffrin has now won 52 slaloms, 20 giant slaloms, five super-Gs, five parallels, three downhills and one Alpine combined.

Gary Lineker will take a step back from presenting “Match of the Day,” the iconic British football show, following controversy about a tweet he wrote earlier in the week, the BBC announced on Friday.

On Tuesday, Lineker tweeted “Good heavens, this is beyond awful” to a video posted on Twitter by the British Home Office announcing the government’s asylum seeker policy.

He then continued to write: “There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?”

A statement from the BBC said the decision for Lineker to step back followed “extensive discussions” with the former England international and his team.

“We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines,” the statement said.

“The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.

“When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none. We have never said that Gary should be an opinion free zone, or that he can’t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies.”

No presenters or pundits on Match of the Day

No presenters or pundits will appear on this Saturday’s Match of the Day show, after a series of statements of support for Lineker.

Former football players Alan Shearer and Ian Wright both announced on Twitter that they had told the BBC they would not appear on the show.

“I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night,” Shearer wrote on Twitter.

“Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity,” Wright tweeted.

“Some of our pundits have said that they don’t wish to appear on the programme while we seek to resolve the situation with Gary. We understand their position and we have decided that the programme will focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry,” a BBC spokesperson said on Friday evening.

Dan Walker, a former BBC Breakfast and Football Focus presenter, also tweeted: “I used to sit in for Gary Lineker on MOTD… not sure I’d fancy it this weekend. What a mess!”

Meanwhile, the BECTU union who represent BBC staff, expressed their concern on Friday about the BBC’s decision.

“This is a deeply concerning decision from the BBC. It will give the appearance that they have bowed to political pressure from ministers to take someone off air for disagreeing with the policies of the current government,” the Head of BECTU, Philippa Childs said in a statement.

“Taken with the ongoing controversy over the appointment of the BBC Chairman, who has a much more important role in upholding the reputation of the BBC, and who has not stepped back while under investigation, it also risks given the impression of double standards on these issues.”