The Inquiry

What can a new UN Secretary-General achieve?

Is a deal on the Kuril Islands ever possible?

The Kuril Islands territorial dispute between Russia and Japan remains a persistent geopolitical deadlock, rooted in historical grievances and conflicting national claims. Despite various treaties since the mid-19th century, including the 1855 Treaty of Shimoda and the 1956 Japan-Soviet joint declaration, no lasting re...

Can middle powers reshape the world?

Middle powers are increasingly seeking to reshape the global order as the influence of traditional superpowers, specifically the United States and China, fluctuates. These nations—ranging from Canada to various Gulf states—are moving beyond binary alliances to build fluid, issue-specific partnerships that prioritize st...

How can Nepal’s economy rebuild after floods?

The August 2026 Himalayan rock and ice avalanche in northern Nepal triggered catastrophic flooding, resulting in approximately 1,400 deaths and widespread infrastructure destruction. This disaster, distinct from typical rain-induced events, severely crippled Nepal’s hydropower sector—the nation’s primary energy source ...

How did Italian politics become stable?

Italian politics has achieved a rare period of stability under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government recently became the longest-serving in the country's post-war history. This shift contrasts with Italy’s traditional parliamentary fragmentation, which historically saw an average government duration of just o...

Can China’s polar silk road change global trade?

China’s "Polar Silk Road" aims to utilize the Northern Sea Route along the Siberian coast as a secondary shipping lane, potentially halving transit times between Asia and Europe. While the route offers significant fuel and time savings, its commercial viability remains constrained by harsh Arctic conditions, the necess...

Can Africa take control of its digital future?

Africa’s digital future hinges on balancing rapid innovation with infrastructure development and sovereign control. While mobile money services like M-Pesa demonstrate the continent's capacity for pioneering financial technology, significant digital divides persist, particularly regarding gender inclusion and rural con...

Should rivers have personhood?

Granting legal personhood to rivers offers a framework to protect waterways by treating them as entities with rights rather than mere physical resources. This approach allows appointed guardians to represent a river's interests in court, potentially curbing pollution and unsustainable development. However, legal standi...

How has the Cockroach Janta Party changed India’s politics?

The "Cockroach Janta Party" (CJP) youth protest movement has emerged as a significant challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, highlighting deep-seated frustrations over systemic unemployment and a broken social contract in India. Triggered by the leak of medical entrance exam papers, the movement reflec...

Can elections restore Moroccans’ faith in their country?

Morocco faces a critical test of public trust ahead of the September 2026 general election, as citizens grapple with regional economic disparities and high youth unemployment. Despite significant infrastructure investments, such as the 2030 World Cup preparations, wealth remains concentrated among elites, leaving many ...

Is daylight saving time working?

Daylight saving time functions as a social clock management tool rather than an energy-saving necessity, yet its biannual implementation disrupts human biology and economic productivity. While Benjamin Franklin first proposed shifting work hours to maximize daylight, modern applications often result in widespread sleep...

Is Indigenous education at risk?

The recent removal of legal mandates requiring New Zealand school boards to incorporate Māori culture into classrooms sparks a critical debate over the future of Indigenous education. Critics argue that shifting from a universal mandate to an optional framework risks eroding years of progress in revitalizing Te Reo Māo...

Can we live with extreme heat?

Extreme heat waves, driven by human-caused climate change, present a multifaceted threat to human health, global food security, and urban stability. Physiologically, extreme temperatures trigger cardiovascular strain and dehydration, with heat stroke representing a critical, albeit minority, risk compared to heat-relat...

Can the illicit gold trade be stopped?

The global surge in gold prices, which have quintupled over the last two decades, has transformed the precious metal into a primary financing tool for civil wars and criminal insurgencies. Because gold is fungible and easily smuggled, it allows sanctioned regimes and armed groups to bypass international financial syste...

Are we closer to gene therapy for sickle cell disease being accessible?

Sickle cell disease, a debilitating inherited blood disorder affecting millions globally, faces a potential turning point with the advent of gene therapy. While this treatment offers a transformative cure by modifying a patient's own stem cells, its accessibility remains severely limited by a prohibitive cost of at lea...

Is Kenya serious about ending femicide?

Kenya faces a critical crisis regarding femicide, characterized by a lack of centralized data and the absence of a standalone legal definition for the crime. While the government has established a task force to address the escalating violence, activists and experts emphasize that deep-rooted patriarchal norms and syste...

Can the New World Screwworm be stopped?

The New World Screwworm, a parasitic fly that lays eggs in living tissue, has re-emerged in Texas, posing a significant threat to livestock and public health. Once eradicated from North America through the Sterile Insect Technique—a process involving the mass release of radiation-sterilized flies to disrupt reproductio...

Is technology ruining sport?

Technology in sports, from football’s Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to tennis’s Hawk-Eye, aims to eliminate human error, yet it simultaneously threatens the essence of the game. While these tools provide necessary accuracy in high-stakes environments where professional livelihoods are at risk, they often disrupt the fl...

Can Brussels crack the gender pay gap?

The EU Pay Transparency Directive aims to close the 11% gender pay gap by mandating salary transparency and employer accountability, yet its success remains uncertain. While measures like salary history bans and job ad disclosures may increase competition, they often fail to address deep-seated structural issues such a...

Why does Ebola keep coming back?

Ebola persists as a recurring global health threat due to its complex zoonotic origins and the existence of multiple viral strains that complicate vaccine development. While the virus is primarily transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, early detection remains difficult because initial symptoms ...