The 30th anniversary next month of the fall of the Berlin Wall marks an epochal moment in international relations,  but the initial promise of what is commonly called the 1989 revolutions has now faded.

This week’s EU summit could be one of the most important ever. On the agenda is not just Brexit, but also the future of the EU well into the 2020s with a new European Commission and president.   

Beijing has much to celebrate on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, but it also faces a number of pressing challenges, of which the demonstrations in Hong Kong are only the most visible. 

The UK Supreme Court will deliver its verdict this week on whether Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament is lawful, but this is only one of many imminent key hinge points as his premiership injects further uncertainty, with the range of possible political outcomes growing.