One nation and two contrasting cities whose differences tell the story of Uzbekistan’s DNA. This is what’s entailed by visiting Bukhara and Tashkent, from the golden age of the Mongol and Persian empires to the days of the Soviet regime.

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© Thankful Photography / Alamy / CORDON PRESS

Russia is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to build schools and universities across Central Asia, reinforcing the use of the Russian language at a time when younger generations in the region are increasingly exposed to Western and Chinese influences.

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Across Central Asia, deep-rooted son preference is driving sex-selective abortions and distorting birth ratios. Women describe intense family pressure to bear boys, while experts warn the growing gender imbalance could fuel long-term social instability.

A major military museum in the western German city of Koblenz is denying entry to nationals from 26 countries, causing tense scenes with some visitors who arrive with children.

In Central Asia, newborn boys outnumber girls at a rate well beyond the worldwide average. That shift is the result of sex-selective abortion, in which families choose to terminate a pregnancy when a daughter is expected. Observers warn that this choice is not always made freely by pregnant women.