The UK needs strong international relationships

Nick Robinson, presenter of the BBC Today programme and Political Thinking podcast, speaks to Sir Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister, about the importance of maintaining strong international relationships.

In an interview recorded to mark Sir Keir’s first year in office, he defends the time he’s spent developing alliances with other world leaders. His critics claim he’s neglected domestic politics, and point to a series of policy u-turns. But Sir Keir tells Nick Robinson that building these relationships is essential to protect the UK’s national interest, particularly in a time of global conflict and instability.

Challenged over his domestic performance, he concedes he has changed position on some policy decisions but describes himself as a pragmatist who takes a common sense view in the light of changing circumstances.

In this conversation, Sir Keir also reflects on the impact on his family of his role as prime minister, and how he likes to relax by playing football.

Sir Keir Starmer was elected in 2024 on a substantial majority, returning the Labour party to power after fourteen years. Twelve months on, his party’s approval rating has gone down in the polls as it has run into a series of political difficulties.

Thank you to the Political Thinking team for helping to produce this programme.

Presenter: Nick Robinson

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(Image: Keir Starmer. Credit: Reuters)

Lyse Doucet speaks to Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, about the future of Iran’s nuclear programme and its government.

Both sides fired missiles into each other’s territories, with hundreds killed as military sites were destroyed and civilian infrastructure badly damaged.

Israel first attacked Iran on 13 June, claiming Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon. The conflict ended when the United States bombed three of Iran’s nuclear sites.

It is worth remembering, before any of the aggression started, talks about the future of Iran’s nuclear programme were ongoing with the US. But they were overshadowed by a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency declaring Iran was in breach of its nuclear obligations and questioned why Iran was enriching uranium to such high levels.

For now, there’s a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Majid Takht-Ravanchi explains why he thinks it will hold and what it will take for diplomacy with the United States to resume in good faith.

Presenter: Lyse Doucet

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(Image: Majid Takht-Ravanchi. Credit: Safin Hamid/AFP via Getty Images)

Jonathan Josephs speaks to Philippe Kehren, CEO of chemical multinational company Solvay. His firm sits at the forefront of Europe’s efforts to diversify its supply of rare earth metals. These elements are essential to much of modern technology, from mobile phones to medical equipment, car batteries and renewable energy.

Currently their supply is heavily dependent on China, which mines around 70% of all rare earth metals, and refines around 90%. Solvay aims to play a significant role in reducing this dependence, by increasing European capacity to mine and refine these materials.

However, Mr Kehren says the European Union needs to play its part by introducing incentives for customers to buy from European suppliers rather than their cheaper Chinese competitors.

Presenter: Jonathan Josephs

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(Image: Philippe Kehren. Credit: Dirk Waem/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)

James Copnall, presenter of BBC Newsday, speaks to Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, about the need for Europe to be able to defend itself.

In an interview recorded before the Nato summit on 24/25 June 2025, Mr Kubilius, a former Prime Minister of Lithuania, says peace in Europe cannot be taken for granted and that Europe can no longer rely on American military backing. Therefore, defence readiness must be a priority, meaning increased spending commitments from Nato members, and a unified, quick and clear approach across Europe to building defence capabilities. This, he believes, is the only way to deter the threat of further Russian aggression.

But some Nato member states may struggle to meet the proposed increased spending target of 3.5% of GDP on defence. A few still haven’t met the current goal of 2%, set more than a decade ago. However, other European nations are already boosting spending to 5% including countries living in close proximity to Russia, such as Poland, Estonia and Lithuania.

Overall, Europe still only accounts for 30% of Nato's total military spending, a figure that has prompted US President Trump to demand a much greater contribution from European members.

Presenter: James Copnall

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(Image: Andrius Kubilius. Credit: John Thys/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Amol Rajan speaks to Martina Navratilova, one of the greatest-ever tennis players, about her life and career. The story of her rise to the top of the game is as remarkable as the number of tournaments she managed to win.

Born behind the Iron Curtain in Czechoslovakia in 1956, she was 11-years-old when she watched Soviet tanks roll in to the country as Moscow sought to reassert control and quash political reform.

Navratilova, who played in her first tennis tournament when she was eight, rose to both national and international prominence in the years that followed.

But in 1975, following the Czech government’s efforts to control her tennis career, she defected. Aged 18, Navratilova sought asylum in the United States, where she later became an American citizen. During the late 1970s and 1980s she dominated the international tennis circuit, and by the time she retired, she had won 59 major singles and doubles titles.

But throughout her life, Navratilova has generated headlines on the front pages of newspapers, as well as the back. She came out as being gay in 1981, a rare thing for high-profile athletes to do at the time, and quickly became a prominent figure in the gay rights movement. More recently, however, she has found herself at odds with some groups due to her views on transgender athletes.

She has also battled cancer on two separate occasions.

Thank you to the Amol Rajan Interviews team for their help in making this programme.

Presenter: Amol Rajan

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(Image: Martina Navratilova. Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News presenter and correspondent, speaks to Muhammad Yunus, interim leader of Bangladesh.

The 84-year-old is perhaps one of the world’s best-known Bangladeshis. Described as the banker to the world’s poor, he gained international recognition as a Nobel prize-winning economist, who founded the Grameen microfinance bank, which delivered small loans to economically deprived people.

It was a model applauded by many and is one which now operates across more than 100 countries worldwide.

But it’s also a model which was criticised by his political rival - Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who accused Mr Yunus of sucking blood from the poor. Her government made a series of allegations against him, including embezzlement, all of which he denies.

And it was the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina’s government last August that saw Muhammad Yunus thrust into the political spotlight.

Student-led protests saw thousands take to the streets in an uprising against her Awami league government, which was accused of election rigging, human rights abuses and jailing critics.

When Ms Hasina fled to neighbouring India, student leaders picked Muhammad Yunus to unite a divided nation. As well as promising to stamp out corruption, he’s also faced the challenges of managing a refugee crisis on his doorstep and navigating cuts to foreign aid.

So, after nearly a year in the job, how is he faring?

Presenter: Rajini Vaidyanathan

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(Image: Muhammad Yunus. Credit: Reuters/Yves Herman)

James Copnall, presenter of the BBC’s Newsday, speaks to Yoshua Bengio, the world-renowned computer scientist often described as one of the godfathers of artificial intelligence, or AI.

Bengio is a professor at the University of Montreal in Canada, founder of the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute - and recipient of an A.M. Turing Award, “the Nobel Prize of Computing”.

AI allows computers to operate in a way that can seem human, by using programmes that learn vast amounts of data and follow complex instructions. Big tech firms and governments have invested billions of dollars in the development of artificial intelligence, thanks to its potential to increase efficiency, cut costs and support innovation.

Bengio believes there are risks in AI models that attempt to mimic human behaviour with all its flaws. For example, recent experiments have shown how some AI models are developing the capacity to deceive and even blackmail humans, in a quest for their self-preservation.

Instead, he says AI must be safe, scientific and working to understand humans without copying them.

Presenter: James Copnall

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(Image: Yoshua Bengio. Credit: Craig Barritt/Getty)

James Coomarasamy, presenter of the BBC’s Newshour and The World Tonight, speaks to Mike Huckabee, US Ambassador to Israel.

He’s an Evangelical Christian, who has backed the presence of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories, which are considered illegal under international law - although Israel rejects this.

Some opposition politicians in the US have been critical of his appointment and previous statements he’s made about the ongoing war in Gaza.

One Democratic senator said Huckabee was "woefully unfit" for the role and accused him of engaging in "brazen denial of the existence of the Palestinian people".

But during questioning by a US Senate committee, Huckabee played down some of his past statements, saying he would "carry out the president's priorities", not his, and denied backing the expulsion of Palestinians.

He takes up the role amid growing international calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and pressure for more humanitarian aid to reach the territory. Despite a number of proposals put forward by the international community, there does not yet appear to be a realistic prospect of an end to the conflict.

Presenter: James Coomarasamy

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(Image: Mike Huckabee. Credit: John Taggart/Bloomberg via Getty Images.)

Waihiga Mwaura, presenter of the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme, speaks to Microsoft co-founder and global philanthropist, Bill Gates.

Mr. Gates, who is 69 years old, announced last month that he plans to give away 99% of his vast fortune over the next 20 years, predominately through his Gates Foundation. The foundation has already given over 100 billion dollars since being established 25 years ago.

He built his vast personal wealth through the software giant Microsoft, which he co-founded back in 1975. Mr. Gates has gradually stepped back from the company in recent decades, first resigning as its chief executive in 2000 and then later as its chairman in 2014.

This has allowed him to turn his attention to global philanthropy, with a particular focus on health initiatives in lower-income countries.

But Mr. Gates fears this work could be at risk as wealthier countries cut back on their own international aid commitments.

Presenter: Waihiga Mwaura

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(Image: Bill Gates. Credit: Reuters)

Frank Gardner, BBC Security Correspondent, speaks to Carsten Breuer, the German chief of defence.

General Carsten Breuer gives his assessment of the threat that Russia poses to the Western alliance Nato. He says that Russia is building up its forces to an "enormous extent" and says that members of the alliance need to prepare for a possible attack from Russia within the next four years, according to assessments from defence analysts. He cites recent attacks on undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, and unidentified drones spotted over German power stations and other infrastructure, as possible evidence that Russia is continuously looking for weaknesses in the defence capabilities of Western countries. Russia has denied involvement in these incidents. General Breuer argues that Nato members should build up their militaries, and that European nations should consider security a baseline for prosperity and development.

Presenter: Frank Gardner

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(Image: General Carsten Breuer. Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)