My latest briefing for The Week got held just a bit past its prime, but in case you're still interested, here's everything there is to know about Kazakhstan. Or at least everything that I know. And, yes, I was asked to write this one because of my history on this beat.
By the way, my editors here are always looking for good briefing topics. The idea behind the briefings is to provide background information on something in the news or culture. Typically news articles mention, say, the Geneva Conventions, the Amish, or the morning-after pill, without explaining exactly what those things are and where they come from. Week briefings answer the questions newspapers and TV don't have time or space (or wit) for.
So if there's anything in the news you've been wanting the backstory on, let me know and I'll see if it's briefing material. We're all about serving our non-paying occasional readers.
