The Evening: Gaza aid groups pull back

Also, Ukraine lowered its draft age.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story April 3, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. Gaza's deepening food crisis Ukraine's plan to replenish its army Plus, Alice Randall's music The Open Arms, the first ship dispatched to Gaza by World Central Kitchen, in Larnaca, Cyprus, today.  Petros Karadjias/Associated Press Food aid for Gazans was sent back to Cyprus World Central Kitchen, the charity group that paused its operations in Gaza this week after seven of its workers were killed in an Israeli strike, sent three ships with hundreds of tons of food meant for Gazans back to port in Cyprus. It was the most tangible sign yet that the attack, which Israel called a mistake, has set back efforts to address severe hunger that experts say is approaching famine. At least one other aid group also announced it was suspending its operations in the enclave, and the U.N.'s World Food Program stopped its overnight work while it evaluated security. The halting of the maritime aid organized by World Central Kitchen will probably be felt most in northern Gaza, where food shortages are most dire. The ships were intended to supplement the roughly 117 aid trucks that enter Gaza each day — a tally that is less than half what the U.N. estimates is needed to meet basic food needs. Before the strike, the World Central Kitchen team had spent the day getting 100 tons of supplies off the group's ship at a rudimentary jetty, which had been built in six days from the rubble of bombed buildings, and to their warehouse. Here is an account of the strike and its aftermath. In a Guest Essay for Opinion, José Andrés, the wealthy and well-connected chef who founded World Central Kitchen, criticized the Israeli government and called for it to quickly allow more food and supplies to reach starving Gazans. In related news, one of the strongest voices inside the White House urging an end to the war in Gaza is the person closest to the president: Jill Biden. Ukrainian soldiers training in the Donetsk region this week.  Nicole Tung for The New York Times In need of more troops, Ukraine lowered its draft age In an effort to combat Russia's relentless campaign in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law this week three measures aimed at replenishing his country's exhausted military. The most significant and politically toxic change was a lowering of the draft eligibility age from 27 to 25. Zelensky had delayed signing the new draft rules for nearly a year, but many soldiers have now been on continual combat duty for two years. Casualty rates are high. Zelensky also eliminated some medical exemptions and created a database of men to crack down on draft dodgers. By winning the support of shareholders, Robert Iger can push forward with his growth plan for Disney. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Disney fended off an activist investor, for a second time The Walt Disney Company announced today that shareholders had voted to elect its entire slate of board nominees, capping off one of the priciest and nastiest corporate board elections in history. The result suggested that shareholders still have confidence in Disney's chief executive, Robert Iger, who for the second time in two years has fended off a high-profile activist investor from securing board seats. That investor, Nelson Peltz, along with Ike Perlmutter, the former head of Marvel, spent about $25 million in the effort to shake up the company. The two businessmen had criticized Disney's streaming strategy and lagging stock price. Officials said that more aftershocks from the quake were likely in the coming days. Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times A powerful earthquake shook Taiwan A magnitude 7.4 earthquake centered near the city of Hualien rocked Taiwan this morning, killing at least nine people and injuring more than 1,000 others. As of nightfall, 71 people were trapped in two mining areas near the epicenter. It was the strongest quake to hit Taiwan in 25 years, and many other aftershocks — at least one as powerful as magnitude 6.5 — continued every few minutes throughout the day. The shocks toppled buildings and left two others teetering perilously. With rain in the forecast, officials warned of possible landslides in the coming days. Here are images of the aftermath. More top news Health: The first patient to receive a kidney transplanted from a genetically modified pig has fared so well that he was discharged from the hospital today. New York City: The State of New Jersey challenged the city's new congestion-pricing system in federal court. Death row: Brian Dorsey is scheduled to be executed next week in Missouri. More than 70 current and former prison workers have sought clemency for Dorsey. 2024: Republicans in Nebraska, a state that divides its electoral votes, renewed a push for a "winner take all" system that raises the prospect of an electoral college tie in November. Trump: The judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal case in Manhattan rejected his last-ditch bid to delay a trial beyond April 15. Weather: A storm system brought snow, rain and winds from northern New York State through northern New England. South Africa: The speaker of the National Assembly resigned after a judge cleared the way for her arrest on corruption charges. Tech: A little-known programmer may have saved the internet from a huge cyberattack. Sports: The L.S.U. star Angel Reese declared her eligibility for the W.N.B.A. draft with a spread in Vogue. TIME TO UNWIND A Ramadan meal break in the middle of a match.  ProShots/Icon Sport, via Getty Images European soccer has changed its tune on Ramadan For Muslim players in the world's most competitive soccer leagues, like the Premier League, Ramadan used to be a challenging month. Some players were pressured to avoid daily fasts, and some teams would use fake injuries to allow Muslim players to surreptitiously break their fasts midgame. Now, players in European leagues benefit from custom diets, fast-friendly practice schedules and league-approved breaks in games. It's a sign of the increasing prevalence — and the soaring value — of the sport's Muslim stars. Alice Randall's "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)" was a 1994 hit for Trisha Yearwood. Arielle Gray for The New York Times Alice Randall's music, as she intended it to sound Three decades ago, Alice Randall cracked a color barrier in Nashville by becoming the first Black woman to write a chart-topping country hit. But she soon quit writing songs in the genre after finding it impossible to enlist Black country singers for her music — the only singers she believed could tell her stories the way they were intended. Next week, that will change. A dozen Black voices, including Rissi Palmer and Rhiannon Giddens, will reimagine Randall's best-known songs in a new compilation, "My Black Country." Randall is also releasing a memoir under the same title, weaving her country career into a corrective genre history. Maya Rudolph (left) with Kristen Wiig. OK McCausland for The New York Times Dinner table topics Comedy friends: Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph are both headlining Apple TV+ shows. They discussed laughter and likability. Catch and kill: Here's what an editor at The National Enquirer saw during the rise of Trump. Carefluencers: People taking care of older relatives are documenting their experiences online. Sales advice: Should a real estate agent be mad that his friends didn't hire him? Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO TONIGHT David Malosh for The New York Times. Cook: There are countless ways to make dal. This version takes just 10 minutes and five ingredients. Watch: "Sheeps Clothing" is one of the best horror movies to stream right now. Listen: These five minutes could make you love Shirley Horn's music. Read: The actress Rebel Wilson came out with a vulnerable new memoir, "Rebel Rising." Pack: We have tips for traveling light. Decorate: An imposing work of pottery can elevate any garden. Gear up: These are Wirecutter's favorite raincoats. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ONE LAST THING Lindsay D'Addato for The New York Times Two guys who know a good stick when they see one Boone Hogg and Logan Jugler, who are both 30, have built a sizable online community by critically reviewing sticks. That might sound like a joke, but Hogg and Jugler actually do post pictures of sticks picked out of the woods, assessing their shape, feel and overall quality. The reviews were always intended to be a gag. But after a while, Hogg and Jugler started to realize that some of their audience members had a genuine interest in the bits of branch that fall off trees. Have a whimsical evening. Thanks for reading. Emree Weaver was our photo editor today. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Photo Editor: Brent Lewis Need help? 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