Debbie Ransome

London

Editor and Journalist at Freelance

Commonwealth watcher/freelance editor. Ex BBC Caribbean Head. For Caribbean news: @caribintelligen Commonwealth: @CWRoundTable and @CommonwealthJA

Featured in: Favicon

caribbeanintelligence.com Favicon

bbc.co.uk

voice-online.co.uk Favicon

bahamasentertainmentdaily.com Favicon

singaporeculturaljournal.com Favicon

ukdailynewsonline.com

Articles

Opinion - Trump’s tariffs: An opportunity or challenge for India

2 days ago | commonwealthroundtable.co.uk | Debbie Ransome

[This is an excerpt from an article in The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies.]President Donald Trump’s announcement on 2 April 2025, of a sweeping 26% tariff on all imports from India, has sent shockwaves through Indian as well as global markets and in diplomatic circles. Rooted in Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda, the move aims to correct what he calls ‘unfair trade practices’ and tilt the economic and geostrategic balance in America’s favour.
Concerns for press freedom across the Commonwealth

1 week ago | commonwealthroundtable.co.uk | Debbie Ransome

The past year has been a bad one for journalists and reporting the news. According to Reporters Without Borders’ 2025 press freedom index, the global situation is at its worst since the organisation first published its rankings in 2002.
Opinion: Who can lead the global south? Navigating the elephant and dragon’s rise

1 week ago | commonwealthroundtable.co.uk | Debbie Ransome

[This is an excerpt from an article in The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies.]India’s claim of leadership of the Global South comes strongly after the successful culmination of its G20 presidency with the New Delhi declaration. This success is proof that India’s diplomatic clout can be a successful bridge between the West and Russia amidst the Ukraine crisis.
Research Article - Borderland struggles: The consequences of the Afghan Taliban’s takeover on Pakistan

2 weeks ago | commonwealthroundtable.co.uk | Debbie Ransome

[This is an excerpt from an article in The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies.]The first major influx of Afghan refugees into Pakistan started in the late 1970s. During the Afghan-Soviet War, three to five million refugees came to Pakistan (Z. S. Ahmed, Citation2019). Since then, millions of Afghan refugees have remained in Pakistan due to political instability in Afghanistan.
Roundtable: Structural crises across South Asia

2 weeks ago | commonwealthroundtable.co.uk | Debbie Ransome

The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs has organised this roundtable to draw together academics and highly experienced analysts from South Asia to comment on the deep-seated structural problems across South Asian states. In each country, there are profound societal and institutional failings, rising populist nationalism and authoritarian government tendencies, widening inequalities and protest movements.
When to vote and what to vote on: The case for referendums in small states

3 weeks ago | commonwealthroundtable.co.uk | Debbie Ransome

When can a small state use a referendum which serves the aspirations of its people? What wording do you put on the ballot form for an achievable result? These are questions for most countries embarking on a referendum exercise but they’re even more pronounced for small states. These and other challenges came under scrutiny at a conference entitled Referendums in Small States and Territories: The Elusive “Yes” Vote, held on 16th and 17th April at Queen Mary University of London.
Opinion: Trump, Canada and ‘the 51st state’

3 weeks ago | commonwealthroundtable.co.uk | Debbie Ransome

[This is an excerpt from an article in The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies.]President Donald Trump has called Canada ‘a nasty country’, although – confusingly – he aims to turn it into America’s 51st State. The annexation of its northern neighbour is an old theme in US history, although it has been quiet for over a century. Donald Trump is simply making America grate again.
Belyndar Maonia Rikimani wins prestigious journal prize

4 weeks ago | commonwealthroundtable.co.uk | Debbie Ransome

Belyndar Maonia Rikimani, from Solomon Islands, has been awarded the prestigious Round Table Peter Lyon prize for her article, ‘Climate justice and Pacific Island countries – a case study on grassroots advocacy’, published in the August 2024 issue of The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies. Belyndar graduated with a Bachelor of Law degree and a Professional Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of the South Pacific.
Opinion - Ghana elections December 2024: Commonwealth observation

1 month ago | commonwealthroundtable.co.uk | Debbie Ransome

[This is an excerpt from an article in The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies. Opinions do not reflect the position of the editorial board.]A total of 13 candidates from nine political parties and four independents vied for the Presidency in the elections. Only the two main political parties fielded candidates in every constituency and had polling agents in all polling stations.
Book Review: Breaking the Mold

1 month ago | commonwealthroundtable.co.uk | Debbie Ransome

[This is an excerpt from an article in The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Foreign Policy.]Breaking the Mold (‘Mould’ in the King’s English) is an unusual book. The strapline beneath the main title is ‘India’s Untraveled Path to Prosperity’ and the book is essentially a basic lesson in economics and economic policy.