Eighty years, eight men: Will the UN finally choose a woman? The next straw poll could reveal whether the contest is headed for a historic breakthrough or a compromise candidate. Gender 2 hours ago

António Guterres, the current and outgoing UN Secretary-General, went through six Security Council straw polls over 10 weeks in 2016 before he was recommended to the General Assembly.

No secretary-general has ever been chosen faster than four rounds, and none has ever been confirmed after only two, which is exactly where this race stands today.

The field also includes two Africans running partly on the continent's long-stalled case for a Permanent Security Council seat, and one candidate whose steady numbers suggest he could end up as the compromise nobody saw coming.