US says private security firms will deliver Gaza aid

Hello. The US has confirmed it will use private security firms to deliver Gaza aid, amid protests from international agencies. China correspondent Laura Bicker looks at Beijing's complicated relationship with Russia after President Xi's appearance at Moscow's Victory Day parade. And the Pope's brother shares a childhood joke that predicted his sibling would lead the Vatican.

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Private security firms to control Gaza aid under US plan

A girl reacts as Palestinians wait for food at a charity kitchen in Beit Lahia. Credit: Reuters

The US has confirmed its plans to use private security firms to control aid deliveries in Gaza, claiming previous international efforts had led to supplies being stolen by Hamas. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, said that "distribution centres" would be protected by contractors and their perimeters "secured" by Israeli troops. The UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA, has refused to participate in the plan, saying it would "weaponize" deliveries. Agencies report growing malnutrition in Gaza since March, when Israel imposed a full blockade following the breakdown of a ceasefire.

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Why Xi wants to be close to Putin - but not too close

Xi listens to his interpreter as he sits next to Putin at the Moscow Victory Day parade. Credit: Reuters

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin made it look like they were the best of friends as the Chinese president sat beside his Russian counterpart at Moscow's Victory Day parade. But there is more to this relationship than meets the eye.

Why was Xi at the parade?

Russia is an important partner for China, and indeed Xi has described an "unbreakable" bond. But we get "wowed" by the symbolism of such public displays, says analyst Mathieu Boulegue, and there is a lot of performance around this relationship. In truth, Xi is walking a very fine line.

So it's complicated?

The war in Ukraine has made Putin a pariah in much of the world. Beijing needs to be careful that its friendship with Moscow doesn't isolate it from other partners, especially as it fights an economic war with the US - and it has been keen to portray itself as a stable alternative to the White House.

Who should be worried?

Both Xi and Putin want to present their vision of an alternative to what they believe is US hegemony. But they are no longer equals - China is a superpower, and Russia is not thanks to Ukraine. Behind the statements and smiles, there are potential sources of discord that could easily surface in the coming years.

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Biden breaks with convention to skewer Trump

Joe Biden and the BBC's Nick Robinson during the exclusive interview

In an exclusive and remarkably candid interview - the first since he left office - Joe Biden discussed what he really thought of his successor's first 100 days, plus his fears for the future if the Atlantic Alliance collapses. BBC Radio 4 presenter Nick Robinson reflects on what was said - and what it means.