Mara Caputo

Last week ISN Insights traversed Brussels relations with the Arab world, moved south along the Central Africa coast, ending up in South and Southeast Asia:

• On Monday Drs Federica Bicchi and Caterina Carta of the London School of Economics and Political Science examined how the Lisbon Treaty reforms are impacting EU relations with the Arab world in the midst of the uprisings.

• Professor Gerard DeGroot of the University of St Andrews explored the ‘resource curse’ phenomenon as it applies to the tiny island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe.

• Chatham House’s Dr Farzana Shaikh analyzed Wednesday Pakistan’s relations with Sri Lanka and the implications of renewed bilateral ties for regional security.

• Thursday we published a piece by Southeast Asian-based independent journalist Simon Roughneen on how freedom of expression is – literally – on trial in Thailand.

• We rounded out the work week with our Friday ISN Podcast interview with Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt on the challenges of ensuring maritime security.

This week we’ll be taking a closer look at: backsliding on democracy in the Ukraine; rising Chinese naval power; a new drug-busting Central American partnership; the past and future of statebuilding – and much more. Stay tuned…

Last week ISN Insights took an analytical tour through Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East:

• On Monday we took a closer look at the storied diplomatic history – and increasingly important ties – between India and Indonesia, thanks to an analysis from Dr Rupakjyoti Borah.

• Tuesday’s article by the Jamestown Foundation’s Roman Muzalevsky examined the impact that increasing Tajik-Uzbek tensions are having on Iran’s regional economic ambitions.

• Dr John CK Daly laid bare the rising human, political and fiscal costs of ISAF’s logistical supply missions on Wednesday – in particular how astronomical fuel prices are hampering the battle for Afghanistan.

• On Thursday, the Center for Security Studies’ Danny Bürkli analyzed the details of the United Arab Emirates’ ambitious nuclear plans.

• We closed out the week with a round-up of Syria – both its internal political and economic dynamics as well as regional relations – in a Friday podcast interview with the Economist Intelligence Unit’s David Butter.

This week we’ll dive into: how the reformed EU architecture outlined in the 2007 Lisbon Treaty is tackling the Arab uprisings; how the tiny, island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is handling the big burden of newly discovered oil reserves; the regional impact of Pakistan’s renewed bilateral ties with Sri Lanka; the internal political dynamics propelling a harsh, new government crackdown on freedom of expression in Thailand and much more…

Last week we showcased BRIC countries in a special ISN Insights weekly theme, where we took a closer look at the emerging BRIC powerhouses – Brazil, Russia, India and China – plus one aspiring candidate, Indonesia:

• On Monday we took a closer look at India’s economic growth contrasted against its political stagnation, thanks to commentary by Dr Harsh V Pant.

• Tuesday we forecast what 2011 holds for Russia – politically, economically and diplomatically, in a broad-spectrum analysis by Simon Saradzhyan and Nabi Abdullaev.

• We examined aspiring BRIC member Indonesia on Wednesday, with an analysis by Dr John Sidel on how hopes for membership will continue to drive the government’s ambitious policy agenda.

• Thursday we shone a light on regional behemoth China, soon to overcome the US as the world’s largest economy, according the article from Dr Graham Ong- Webb.

• We wrapped up the work week with Friday’s podcast on Brazil, in which Samuel Logan predicts that Dilma Rousseff will keep the country on a path of carefully managed growth.

This week we’ll be delving into: the growing strength of Indian-Indonesian ties; the implications of recent Tajik-Uzbek squabbles; the crushing costs and growing dangers of ISAF fuel imports; the United Arab Emirates as the region’s nuclear ‘gold standard’; and a status update on Syria. More to come…

Today we are pleased to announce the launch of our new editorial service – ISN Insights – designed to provide you with daily in-depth analysis of the most critical international trends and events of our day.

ISN Insights will provide you with original ISN analyses, expert commentaries and comprehensive backgrounders on the hot-button and underreported issues shaping our world in the 21st century. Written by well-established and up-and-coming researchers, academics, policymakers and specialized journalists, ISN Insights represents a diversity of voices on international and security issues that do not necessarily receive proper attention in traditional media outlets.

ISN Insights merges the best of our two established editorial products – ISN Security Watch and ISN Special Reports – into a streamlined, one-stop shop for international affairs and security coverage. Like ISN Security Watch, ISN Insights will continue to provide you with daily editorial updates – publishing an original ISN article Monday through Thursday, complemented by a Friday ISN Podcast interview with a leading expert in the field. In addition, in-depth articles on macro trends and events of international relevance will also be regularly featured, as we have long done with ISN Special Reports.

But that’s not all: Like ISN Special Reports did before it, ISN Insights offers you a package of information, combining an original article with our extensive digital library holdings on the topic. And this package is now available each and every day – providing you with an unprecedented breadth and depth of coverage of the issues that matter most to you.

One element of our editorial agenda hasn’t changed, however: Our commitment to providing you with the expert insights that help keep you abreast of the most pressing international relations and security topics of our day.