1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Accident
An articulated trolleybus was traveling on the loop route and approaching Wuai Street stop, when the trolley pole fell off the wire and connected onto a high voltage line, causing the trolleybus body to conduct electricity. As the electrical equipment behind the driver overheated and started smoking, panicking passengers saw the opportunity to leave through the opened doors. At the time, it was raining, so there was little electrical resistance and passengers were instantly electrocuted when their foot touched the ground, completing a connection between the trolleybus body and the ground.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Accident
However, sources differ on whether the passengers disembarked due to a smoke from the electrical equipment, or the passengers got off without knowing of the high voltage flowing through the trolleybus body; the number of deaths also differ, being either 5 or 6. The power was cut after 5 minutes. The 11 kV line was illegally connected by nearby construction workers on Wenhua Road, who had placed it above the trolley wires.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
With the closure of the Shenyang trolleybus, many other cities in the north-east region of China followed. The campaign of converting 'Electricity to Gas' (Chinese: 电改汽) was initiated with the aim of closing all trolleybus lines in favour of diesel buses had support from the media. News reports had not mentioned the illegally connected cable and instead concluded that 'trolleybuses are old antiques' and Mu Suixin, when visiting the injured, said that trolleybuses must be made obsolete. On the day after the accident, various city affiliated media reported on the 'revolution of public transport' through dismantling the trolleybus network.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
An additional reason given was that trolleybus infrastructure causes visual pollution, 'causes electrocution incidents' and the unstable voltages caused unreliable services. However, according to workers of the transport department, there were only 13 substations and most of them were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Later on, they were continuously upgraded and were not outdated, and neither was the contact network.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
Despite claims of outdated vehicles, part of the fleet was relatively new, having served only 3-7 years and most trolleybuses were built in 1995-1996, had a national standard of 10 years of service and could run at 50 km/h. 350 trolleybuses would be sold to other cities, such as Harbin and Zhengzhou.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
There was support for this government plan to demolish trolleybuses, as the government had for many years provided insufficient maintenance to the contact network, which led to citizens believing that the trolleybus was indeed an inefficient mode of transport with the trolley poles constantly disconnecting showing its apparent inefficiency.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
Trolleybuses were similarly poorly maintained, due to the operational model where trolleybuses were leased to drivers, which encouraged drivers not to send their vehicles to major overhauls, and with the insufficient repairs conducted by drivers, trolleybuses usually ran at slow speeds with faults that contributed to the negatives perceived by citizens, though initially, the plan was well received in improving efficiency. Through the 'Electricity to Gas' program, the city administration was able to receive funding from higher up and would allow an increase in income.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
The trolleybus was declared an obsolete form of transport and trolleybuses service in Shenyang ended at 22:30, 19 June, 1999 when the last route 10 car terminated.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
The mayor of Shenyang at the time was Mu Suixin, who in 2002 was sentenced to death sentence with reprieve over corruption. He was known for being aggressive in arguments and abusing his position of power. When debating about canceling the trolleybus, he strongly suggested a manager of city transportation to find the 'good' about converting to diesel buses, and not to list reasons why not to convert. Under his plan, the wide-reaching trolleybus network was replaced by 545 expensive buses, which contributed to worsening air quality in Shenyang. Although replacements were promised to be natural gas buses conforming to Euro emission standards, 80% were much more polluting diesel buses. On 10 October 2001, he was sentenced to death with reprieve with confiscation of all property, although he died of liver cancer in 2003.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
Xia Renfan also played a role in the removal of the trolleybus; in the spring of 1998, he became the head of the transportation department of the city through bribing Mu Suixin with $10000 USD, 'resolving' the objections to his appointment by others in the transportation department and Mu Suixin, even though Mu Suixin had realised that his reputation was poor, was untrusted and was rejected numerous times by the city committee.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
Satisfied with the bribe, Mu Suixin bypassed the committee by moving the passenger transport company from being under the city transportation department to an enterprise directly controlled by the city. He allocated generous funds to Xia Renfan for the 'modification' to the trolleybus network. From then on, much of the funds were used on renting a total of 2078 Mu of land, supposedly for retirement. He also received bribes from a bus manufacturer in Nanjing of around 20000 RMB, as 'a gift from the factory'.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
On another occasion, a bribe of 100,000 RMB was given for the purchase of 200 buses. In total, through misuse of public funds, bribery and corruption, Xia Renfan had illegally received over 300,000,000 RMB. In 2003, he was sentenced by the Liaoning Higher People's Court to death, although in 2005 his sentenced was reduced by the Supreme People's Court to death sentence with reprieve because he reported another high ranking official.


1998 Shenyang trolleybus electrocution accident, Aftermath
Although demolished for many years, the trolleybus still remains a widely known symbol of Shenyang.


1998 Shimizu S-Pulse season
The 1998 season was Shimizu S-Pulse's seventh season in existence and their sixth season in the J1 League. The club also competed in the Emperor's Cup and the J.League Cup. The team finished the season third in the league.


1998 Singapore Open
The 1998 Singapore Open was a men's tennis tournament played on Indoor Hard in Singapore, Singapore that was part of the Championship Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. It was the seventh edition of the tournament and was held from 12 October – 18 October.


1998 Singapore Open, Champions, Doubles
Todd Woodbridge /  Mark Woodforde def. Mahesh Bhupathi /  Leander Paes, 6–2, 6–3.


1998 Singapore Open – Doubles
The 1998 Singapore Open was a men's tennis tournament played on Indoor Hard in Singapore, Singapore that was part of the Championship Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. It was the seventh edition of the tournament and was held from 12 October – 18 October.


1998 Singapore Open – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1998 Singapore Open – Singles
The 1998 Singapore Open was a men's tennis tournament played on Indoor Hard in Singapore, Singapore that was part of the Championship Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. It was the seventh edition of the tournament and was held from 12 October – 18 October.


1998 Singapore Open – Singles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1998 Skate America
The 1998 Skate America was the first event of six in the 1998–99 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan on October 29 – November 1. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Skaters earned points toward qualifying for the 1998–99 Grand Prix Final.


1998 Skate Canada International
The 1998 Skate Canada International was the second event of six in the 1998–99 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held in Kamloops, British Columbia on November 5–8. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Skaters earned points toward qualifying for the 1998–99 Grand Prix Final.


1998 Skate Israel
The 1998 Skate Israel was the 4th edition of a senior-level international figure skating competition held in Metulla, Israel. It was held at the Canada Centre. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.


1998 Skoda Czech Open
The 1998 Skoda Czech Open was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the I. Czech Lawn Tennis Club in Prague in the Czech Republic that was part of Tier IV of the 1998 WTA Tour. The tournament was held from 6 July through 12 July 1998. First-seeded Jana Novotná won the singles title.


1998 Skoda Czech Open, Finals, Doubles
Silvia Farina /  Karina Habšudová defeated  Květa Hrdličková /  Michaela Paštiková 2–6, 6–1, 6–1


1998 Skoda Czech Open – Doubles
Ruxandra Dragomir and Karina Habšudová were the defending champions but they competed with different partners that year, Dragomir with Åsa Carlsson and Habšudová with Silvia Farina.


1998 Skoda Czech Open – Doubles
Carlsson and Dragomir lost in the first round to Cătălina Cristea and Eva Melicharová.


1998 Skoda Czech Open – Doubles
Farina and Habšudová won in the final 2–6, 6–1, 6–2 against Květa Hrdličková and Michaela Paštiková.


1998 Skoda Czech Open – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1998 Skoda Czech Open – Singles
Joannette Kruger was the defending champion but lost in the first round to Virginia Ruano Pascual.


1998 Skoda Czech Open – Singles
Jana Novotná won in the final 6–3, 6–0 against Sandrine Testud.


1998 Skoda Czech Open – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.


1998 Sligo Senior Football Championship
This is a round-up of the 1998 Sligo Senior Football Championship. Eastern Harps atoned for the previous year's heavy defeat to Tourlestrane, reversing the result to win their fourth title. This was the last Championship to date to be played under the knockout system., as the round-robin section would be introduced for 1999.


1998 Sligo Senior Football Championship, Sligo Senior Football Championship Final
Team:P. WalshF. SextonO. ShannonD. MullaneyD. BallantyneM. CosgroveS. KingJ. Chambers (0-1)M. McCormackK. CartyJ. Bruen (0-1)B. PhillipsE. MolloyP. Taylor (Capt) (0-6)S. Dorrian (0-1)


1998 Sligo Senior Football Championship, Sligo Senior Football Championship Final
Team:P. McVannP. DurkinF. KennedyP. EganJ. CurleyD. DurkinN. ManleyE. Walsh (0-1)E. O'HaraJ. EganM. Walsh (0-1)S. DunneS. KingG. McGowan (0-4)R. Kennedy


1998 Slovak parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Slovakia on 25 and 26 September 1998. The elections resulted in the defeat of the Vladimír Mečiar government and the election of Mikuláš Dzurinda as Prime Minister. His party, the Slovak Democratic Coalition formed a coalition government with the Party of the Democratic Left, Party of the Hungarian Coalition, and the Party of Civic Understanding.


1998 Slovak presidential election
The 1998 Slovak Presidential elections were held from 20 January to 17 December 1998. The Slovak parliament failed to elect the new president of Slovakia which led to the introduction of a direct election in 1999. A candidate would’ve needed to receive 90 votes to be elected.


1998 Slovak presidential election, Voting, Remaining Ballots
There were another 4 ballots in which no candidate was registered. The last ballot was on 17 December.


1998 Slovak privatisation referendum
A referendum on banning the privatisation of strategically important state-owned companies was held in Slovakia on 25 and 26 September 1998. Although approved by 84.3% of those voting, voter turnout was just 44.1% and the referendum was declared invalid due to insufficient turnout.


1998 Sokcho submarine incident
The 1998 Sokcho submarine incident occurred on 22 June 1998, offshore of the South Korean city of Sokcho.


1998 Sokcho submarine incident, Capture
On 22 June, a North Korean Yugo-class submarine became entangled in a fishing driftnet in South Korean waters approximately 18 kilometres (11 mi) east of the port of Sokcho and 33 kilometres (21 mi) south of the inter-Korean border. A South Korean fishing boat observed several submarine crewmen trying to untangle the submarine from the fishing net. The fishing boat notified the South Korean Navy and a corvette towed the submarine with the crew still inside to a navy base at the port of Donghae. The submarine sank as it was being towed into port; it was unclear if this was as a result of damage or a deliberate scuttling by the crew.


1998 Sokcho submarine incident, Capture
On 23 June, the Korean Central News Agency admitted that a submarine had been lost in a training accident.


1998 Sokcho submarine incident, Capture
On 25 June, the submarine was salvaged from a depth of approximately 30 metres (100 ft) and the bodies of nine crewmen were recovered; five sailors had apparently been killed while four agents had apparently committed suicide. The presence of South Korean drinks suggested that the crew had completed an espionage mission. Log books found in the submarine showed that it had infiltrated South Korean waters on a number of previous occasions.


1998 Sokcho submarine incident, Capture
The bodies of the members of submarine crew were subsequently buried in the Cemetery for North Korean and Chinese Soldiers.


1998 Solheim Cup
The fifth Solheim Cup took place from September 18 to September 20, 1998, at Muirfield Village, Dublin, Ohio, United States. The United States team retained the cup beating the European team by 16 points to 12.


1998 Solheim Cup, Format
A total of 28 points were available, divided among four periods of team play, followed by one period of singles play. The first period, on Friday morning, was four rounds of foursomes. This was followed in the afternoon by four rounds of fourballs. This schedule was repeated on the Saturday morning and afternoon. The four periods on Friday and Saturday accounted for 16 points. During these team periods, the players played in teams of two. The final 12 points were decided in a round of singles matchplay, in which all 24 players (12 from each team) took part.


1998 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election
The 1998 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


1998 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election, Campaign
Before the election the Conservative party held 17 seats, compared to 16 for Labour and 12 Liberal Democrats. However the council was run by the Labour party who governed with an agreement with the Liberal Democrats. With the split in seats between the parties the council was expected to remain without any party having a majority with Labour defending 6 seats, compared to 5 for the Conservatives and 4 for the Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, the independent candidates who were defending a seat in Shirley South and 2 seats in Shirley West ward were expected to come under pressure. During the campaign another independent councillor Trevor Eames, who was not defending a seat in the election, resigned from the council after being jailed for 7 years causing a by-election to be held later in the summer.


1998 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election, Election result
The results saw all 3 independents who were defending seats defeated, reducing the number of Independent Ratepayers on the council to 2. Labour gained 1 seat from the independents in Shirley West, while the Conservative took the other 2 in Shirley South and Shirley West. The Conservatives also won a seat from the Liberal Democrats in Packwood ward, with the former leader of the council Ken Meeson being returned to the council. Overall turnout in the election was 29%, varying between a high of 40% and a low of 15% in Smithswood ward.


1998 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election, Election result
Following the election the Conservatives elected a new group leader, Ted Richards, after the previous leader Ron Herd stepped down. However, despite holding 20 seats, compared to 17 for Labour and 11 for the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives remained in opposition, with Labour running the council with support from the Liberal Democrats.


1998 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council election, Election result
This result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections :


1998 Soul Train Music Awards
The 1998 Soul Train Music Awards were held on February 27, 1998, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Puff Daddy was the top nominee with five nominations, other top nominees included Janet Jackson, Aaliyah and Maxwell. The show was hosted by Patti Labelle, Erykah Badu and Heavy D.


1998 South Africa rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland
The 1998 South Africa rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland was a series of rugby matches played by the Springboks in November and December 1998. A potential Grand Slam was lost due to the defeat by England in the final Test match.


1998 South African Figure Skating Championships
The 1998 South African Figure Skating Championships were held in Cape Town from 5 to 10 October 1997. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's and ladies' singles at the senior, novice, and pre-novice levels. There were also junior and juvenile ladies' competition.


1998 South American Cross Country Championships
The 1998 South American Cross Country Championships took place on March 7–8, 1998. The races were held in Artur Nogueira, Brazil.


1998 South American Cross Country Championships
Complete results, results for junior and youth competitions, and medal winners were published.


1998 South American Cross Country Championships, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 117 athletes from 9 countries participated.


1998 South American Games
The VI South American Games (Spanish: Juegos Sudamericanos; Portuguese: Jogos Sul-Americanos) were a multi-sport event held in 1998 in Cuenca, Azuay, Ecuador, with some events in Azogues (futsal), Gualaceo (boxing), Guayaquil (bowling, canoeing, sailing, triathlon), Paute (wrestling), and Quito (fencing). The Games were organized by the South American Sports Organization (ODESUR). An appraisal of the games and detailed medal lists were publishedelsewhere,emphasizing the results of the Argentinian teams.


1998 South American Games
The games were officially opened by Ecuadorian vice-president Gustavo Noboa. Torch lighter at the Estadio Alejandro Serrano Aguilar was Olympic gold medalist, racewalker Jefferson Pérez. In honour of the peace treaty between Ecuador and Peru soon to be signed on October 26, 1998, officially ending the recent Cenepa War, the athlete's oath was sworn jointly by Ecuadorian cyclist Francisco Encalada and Peruvian table tennis player Eliana González.


1998 South American Games
The games were initially scheduled for May 1998, but were postponed mainly because of severe flooding caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon which resulted in more than 300 deaths. For the first time, Guyana participated at the games. However, the Netherlands Antilles were not present, reducing the number of participating countries to 14, as in the year 1994.


1998 South American Games, Medal count
The medal count for these Games is tabulated below. This table is sorted by the number of gold medals earned by each country. The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next, and then the number of bronze medals.


1998 South American Junior Championships in Athletics
The 30th South American Junior Championships in Athletics were held in Córdoba, Argentina from May 16–17, 1998.


1998 South American Junior Championships in Athletics, Participation (unofficial)
Detailed result lists can be found on the "World Junior Athletics History" website. An unofficial count yields the number of about 286 athletes from about 11 countries:  Argentina (66), Bolivia (12), Brazil (68), Chile (46), Colombia (24), Ecuador (15), Panama (3), Paraguay (4), Peru (9), Uruguay (15), Venezuela (24).


1998 South American Junior Championships in Athletics, Medal summary
Medal winners are published for men and womenComplete results can be found on the "World Junior Athletics History" website.


1998 South American Rugby Championship
The 1998 South American Rugby Championship was the 21st edition of the competition of the leading national Rugby Union teams in South America.


1998 South American Rugby Championship
The tournament was not played in a host country, but in different venues in each countrie participating.


1998 South American Rugby Championship
Argentina (that played with the "development XV") won the tournament.


1998 South American Women's Football Championship
The 1998 South American Women's Football Championship (Campeonato Sudamericano de Fútbol Femenino 1998) was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina between March 1 & 15. It was the third staging of the Sudamericano Femenino and determined the CONMEBOL's qualifiers for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.


1998 South American Women's Football Championship
This was the first Sudamericano Femenino to feature all 10 CONMEBOL confederations' women's national teams. Brazil won the tournament for the third time after beating Argentina 7–1 in the final. Brazil qualified directly to the Women's World Cup and Argentina faced Mexico in two play-off matches for qualification.


1998 South American Women's Football Championship, Venue
The only venue used for the tournament was the Estadio José María Minella, located in Mar del Plata.


1998 South American Women's Football Championship, Results
The ten teams were divided into two groups of five teams each. The top two teams in the groups advanced to the semi-finals. The winner of the tournament qualified for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup in the United States.


1998 South American Women's Football Championship, Results
Three points were awarded for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss.


1998 South American Women's Football Championship, Knockout stage, Final
Brazil won the tournament and qualified for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. Argentina advanced to the CONMEBOL/CONCACAF Intercontinental play-off.


1998 South American Youth Championships in Athletics
The 14th South American Youth Championships in Athletics were held in Manaus, Brazil from October 23–25, 1998.


1998 South American Youth Championships in Athletics, Medal summary
Medal winners are published for boys and girls. Complete results can be found on the "World Junior Athletics History" website.


1998 South American Youth Championships in Athletics, Participation (unofficial)
Detailed result lists can be found on the "World Junior Athletics History" website. An unofficial count yields the number of about 190 athletes from about 13 countries:


1998 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 1998 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Gamecocks were led by head coach Brad Scott and played their home games in Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. Scott was fired following the end of the season, but was quickly hired as an assistant coach by Clemson. Lou Holtz was subsequently hired as South Carolina's new head coach.


1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election
The 1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Jim Hodges, the Democratic nominee, handily defeated Republican Governor David Beasley to become the 114th governor of South Carolina. Beasley was the first incumbent governor to be defeated for reelection since Daniel Henry Chamberlain in the disputed election of 1876. As of 2021, this is the last time a Democrat was elected Governor of South Carolina.


1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election, Democratic primary
Jim Hodges, a state representative from the Midlands, faced no opposition from South Carolina Democrats and avoided a primary election.


1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election, Republican primary
The South Carolina Republican Party held their primary on June 9, 1998 and it was a sign of trouble that Governor David Beasley faced opposition to his reelection within his own party. Nonetheless, he easily defeated Bill Able, an attorney from Columbia, to become the Republican nominee for governor in the general election.


1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election, General election
Hodges started the campaign with a low name recognition across the state and early on it was decided by his camp to make education as their chief issue for the election. Immediately, Hodges blamed Governor Beasley for the poor SAT scores and the low achievement levels by the students of the state. Beasley was cited for his opposition to all-day kindergarten and Hodges proposed a state lottery to pay for the funding of pre-school and to also grant college scholarships. The lottery proved to be enormously popular with blacks because many could not afford to send their children to pre-school and with soccer moms who were worried by the rapidly increasing cost of higher education.


1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election, General election
Beasley responded by trying to shift the focus of the campaign to Hodges' ties to the gambling industry. As much as 70% of the money supplied to Hodges campaign was given by the video poker operators. In addition, the Palmetto League was being financed by video poker to attack Beasley's flip-flopping on the Confederate flag issue. Hodges keenly avoided discussing the Confederate flag issue to enable him to keep the support of blacks while also attracting disaffected whites.


1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election, General election
To tie in South Carolinians' dissatisfaction with education of the state and the Confederate flag issue, Kevin Geddings of the Hodges campaign created a series of ads featuring a character called "Bubba." Portrayed by Kerry Maher, Bubba was Georgia convenience store clerk dressed in Georgia Bulldogs garb who spoke with a thick Southern accent. The 30 second ads featured Bubba talking about how the Georgia lottery money was being used to improve schools there and the commercials would always end by Bubba saying, "Here in Georgia, we love David Beasley." Bubba was quickly elevated to celebrity status in South Carolina and was even adored by Gamecock fans when he made appearances at Williams-Brice Stadium for USC football games.


1998 South Carolina gubernatorial election, General election
The general election was held on November 3, 1998 and Jim Hodges was decisively elected as the next governor of South Carolina. Unsurprisingly, Hodges performed extremely well in the rural counties, but it was the unexpectedly strong vote of the Lowcountry in his favor that enabled Hodges to defeat Beasley. Turnout was much less percentage-wise than the previous election because approximately a half-million new voters were added to the rolls, but many of those chose not to vote in the election.


1998 South Dakota gubernatorial election
The 1998 South Dakota gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 1998, to elect a Governor of South Dakota. Republican incumbent Bill Janklow was re-elected, defeating Democratic nominee Bernie Hunhoff.


1998 South Florida Bulls football team
The 1998 South Florida Bulls football team represented the University of South Florida (USF) in the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA football season, and was the second team fielded by the school. The Bulls were led by head coach Jim Leavitt in his second year, played their home games at Tampa Stadium and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida and competed as a Division I-AA Independent. The Bulls finished the season with a record of eight wins and three losses (8–3).


1998 South Lakeland District Council election
The 1998 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


1998 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council election
The 1998 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party kept overall control of the council.


1998 Southampton City Council election
The 1998 Southampton Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Southampton Unitary Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.


1998 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament
The 1998 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament was held at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama from May 13th through May 17th. Auburn defeated Arkansas in the championship game, earning the Southeastern Conference's automatic bid to the 1998 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


1998 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament, Regular Season Results
The top four teams (based on conference results) from both the Eastern and Western Divisions earned invites to the tournament. The 12 teams played a 30-game conference schedule, playing 10 three-game series. Each team did not play one team from the opposite division.


1998 Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament, Regular Season Results
For the first time, the SEC tournament used the Omaha format, which was first adopted at the College World Series in 1988. The eight teams were seeded and divided into two four-team brackets; seeds 2, 3, 6 and 7 made up bracket one and seeds 1, 4, 5 and 8 made up bracket two. Bracket play was double elimination. The two bracket winners met in a single championship game.


1998 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament
The 1998 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament was held at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston, SC from April 30 through May 3. Second seeded The Citadel won the tournament and earned the Southern Conference's automatic bid to the 1998 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. It was the Bulldogs fourth tournament win


1998 Southern Conference Baseball Tournament
The tournament used a double-elimination format. Only the top eight teams participated, so VMI and Appalachian State were not in the field. 1998 was the first season with UNC Greensboro and Wofford in the league, having joined the conference in the previous offseason.


1998 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1998 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place from February 26–March 1, 1998, at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Davidson Wildcats, led by head coach Bob McKillop, won their sixth Southern Conference title and received the automatic berth to the 1998 NCAA Tournament.


1998 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
The top ten finishers of the conference's eleven members were eligible for the tournament. Teams were seeded based on conference winning percentage. The tournament used a preset bracket consisting of four rounds, the first of which featured two games, with the winners moving on to the quarterfinal round. The top three finishers in each division received first round byes.


1998 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team
The 1998 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team represented the University of Southern Mississippi in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Golden Eagles were led by ninth-year head coach Jeff Bower and played their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium. They finished with an overall record of 7–5 (5–1 C-USA), finishing second in Conference USA. They were invited to the 1998 Humanitarian Bowl, where they lost to Idaho, 35–42.


1998 Southern vs. Prairie View A&M football game
The 1998 Southern vs. Prairie View A&M was a college football game that took place between the Prairie View A&M Panthers and the Southern Jaguars on September 19, 1998 in Beaumont, Texas, United States. The game was the final loss of 80 straight losses for the Prairie View program, but the game is infamous for a halftime brawl between the marching bands of the two schools.


1998 Southern vs. Prairie View A&M football game
The game was played at the "neutral-ground" Cardinal Stadium on the campus of Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Southern won the game 37–7.


1998 Southern vs. Prairie View A&M football game
There were 17,389 recorded in attendance for the game. At halftime, Southern held a 10–0 lead and continued to hold the lead through the remainder of the game.


1998 Southern vs. Prairie View A&M football game
The following weekend on September 26, Prairie View would end its NCAA all-division record 80-game losing streak by defeating Langston University 14–12 in Oklahoma City.


1998 Southern vs. Prairie View A&M football game, Legacy
The Southwestern Athletic Conference suspended both marching bands for the next two games because "...the bands' actions violate provisions of the SWAC Constitution and Bylaws governing unsportsmanlike conduct at athletic events." Seven Prairie View band members reported injuries.


1998 Southern vs. Prairie View A&M football game, Legacy
Complicating matters, the Southern band honored the suspension but Prairie View's band did not.


1998 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament
The 1998 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament was held from May 13 to 16, 1998 to determine the champion of the Southland Conference in the sport of college baseball for the 1998 season. The event pitted the top six finishers from the conference's regular season in a double-elimination tournament held at Fair Grounds Field in Shreveport, Louisiana. Fourth-seeded Nicholls State won their first championship and claimed the automatic bid to the 1998 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


1998 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament, Seeding and format
The top six finishers from the regular season were seeded one through six. They played a double-elimination tournament.


1998 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament, All-Tournament Team, Most Valuable Player
Jacques Jobert was named Tournament Most Valuable Player. Jobert was a second baseman for Nicholls State.


1998 Southwark London Borough Council election
Elections to Southwark Council were held on 7 May 1998. The whole council was up for election. Turnout was 32.9%.


1998 Southwark London Borough Council election, Ward results, Friary
Frank Pemberton was a sitting councillor for Rotherhithe ward, and was previously elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor


1998 Southwark London Borough Council election, Ward results, Liddle
William Skelly was a sitting councillor for St Giles ward


1998 Southwark London Borough Council election, By-Elections
The by-election was called following the resignation of Cllr. Nicola A. Kutapan.


1998 Southwark London Borough Council election, By-Elections
The by-election was called following the death of Cllr. Victor D. Jones.


1998 Southwark London Borough Council election, By-Elections
The by-election was called following the resignation of Cllr. Clifford J. Hodson.


1998 Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team
The 1998 Southwestern Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns football team was an American football team that represented the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) as an independent during the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their thirteenth year under head coach Nelson Stokley, the team compiled a 2–9 record.


1998 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1998 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 10 May 1998 at the Circuit de Catalunya. It was the fifth race of the 1998 Formula One season. The 65-lap race was won by McLaren driver Mika Häkkinen after he started from pole position. His teammate David Coulthard finished second and Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher took third.


1998 Spanish Grand Prix, Race summary
Mika Häkkinen qualified in pole position, 0.7 seconds ahead of his McLaren teammate David Coulthard in second place, with Ferrari's Michael Schumacher a further 0.8 seconds behind in third. The race proved to be a formality for Häkkinen, winning the race ahead of Coulthard in second, and Schumacher in third.


1998 Spanish Grand Prix, Race summary
Arrows driver Pedro Diniz started from the pit lane due to stalling on the warm up lap. At the start the McLarens got away well, but Schumacher made a poor start and fell back to fifth behind his teammate Eddie Irvine and Benetton's Giancarlo Fisichella. They ran in these positions until the first round of pit stops, when Irvine delayed Fisichella sufficiently for his teammate Schumacher to emerge ahead of them both and regain third.


1998 Spanish Grand Prix, Race summary
Fisichella and Irvine continued to battle until lap 28, when Fisichella attempted a passing manoeuvre around the outside of Irvine, resulting in a collision spearing them both off into the gravel trap. This led to Fisichella's Benetton teammate, Alexander Wurz, inheriting fourth place which he held until the finish. Mika Häkkinen was consistently faster than his teammate David Coulthard throughout the race weekend, unable to match his pace, even though they were in the same car. Respected ex driver and pundit Martin Brundle made the comment that Häkkinen was "in a class of his own".


1998 Spanish Grand Prix, Race summary
During the race, Michael Schumacher and Minardi's Esteban Tuero were given 10 second stop-go penalties for pit lane speeding.


1998 Spanish Grand Prix, Race summary
The Stewart of Rubens Barrichello earned two points by finishing in fifth place, which were team's first of the season, this was made possible by the new engine and chassis the team used (however teammate Jan Magnussen ran with the old chassis). Reigning World Champion Jacques Villeneuve finished in sixth place, after Williams had their worst qualifying result since the 1989 United States Grand Prix.


1998 Spanish Grand Prix, Race summary
On the final lap, Williams driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen passed Prost's Jarno Trulli for eight place when Trulli was incorrectly shown the blue flags as the marshalls had mistaken the Williams for a Ferrari.


1998 Spanish Grand Prix, Race summary
"I am truly angry because I had to give up a great battle, and it isn't fair to lose a position because they are blind and can't recognise one car from another. Of course it doesn't matter much to finish eighth or ninth, but for a racer it matters. In a case of a blue flag I didn't have an alternative". Jarno Trulli


1998 Spanish Grand Prix, Race summary
Post race, Fisichella was given a $7,500USD fine for the collision with Irvine.


1998 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1998 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix was the third round of the 1998 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on 3 May 1998 at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez.


1998 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix, Championship standings after the race (500cc)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round three has concluded.


1998 Sparkassen Cup
The 1998 Sparkassen Cup was a women's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts in Leipzig in Germany that was part of the Tier II category of the 1998 WTA Tour. It was the ninth edition of the tournament and was held from 2 November until 8 November 1998. Unseeded Steffi Graf won the singles title, her fifth at the event, and earned $79,000 first-prize money.


1998 Sparkassen Cup, Finals, Doubles
Elena Likhovtseva /  Ai Sugiyama defeated  Manon Bollegraf /  Irina Spîrlea 6–3, 6–7, 6–2


1998 Sparkassen Cup on Ice
The 1998 Sparkassen Cup on Ice was the third event of six in the 1998–99 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held in Gelsenkirchen on November 12–15. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Skaters earned points toward qualifying for the 1998–99 Grand Prix Final.


1998 Sparkassen Cup – Doubles
The 1998 Sparkassen Cup – Doubles was the tennis doubles event of the ninth edition of the Sparkassen Cup; a WTA Tier II tournament held in Leipzig, Germany.


1998 Sparkassen Cup – Doubles
Martina Hingis and Jana Novotná were the defending champions but chose not to compete this year.


1998 Sparkassen Cup – Doubles
Fourth seeds, Elena Likhovtseva and Ai Sugiyama won the title, deafeating Manon Bollegraf and Irina Spîrlea in the final, 6–3, 6–7, 6–2.


1998 Sparkassen Cup – Singles
The 1998 Sparkassen Cup – Singles was the tennis singles event of the ninth edition of the Sparkassen Cup; a WTA Tier II tournament held in Leipzig, Germany.


1998 Sparkassen Cup – Singles
Jana Novotná was the defending champion but chose not to compete this year.


1998 Sparkassen Cup – Singles
Steffi Graf won the title, defeating Nathalie Tauziat in the final, 6–3, 6–4. This title would be Graf's last in her native Germany before retiring in 1999.


1998 Sparkassen Cup – Singles, Seeds
The top four seeds received a bye to the second round.


1998 Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic election
Election of the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic was held on 20 July 1998 after legislative election. Candidate of Civic Democratic Party Václav Klaus was elected the Speaker. He was also supported by Czech Social Democratic Party as a result of Opposition Agreement.


1998 Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic election, Background
Election was held after 1998 legislative election which was won by the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) while the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) came second. ODS eventually agreed to support a minority government by ČSSD while ČSSD agreed to the leader of ODS Václav Klaus for position of the Speaker. Freedom Union decided to nominate Stanislav Volák for the position. Volák also had support of the Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party.


1998 Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic election, Voting and aftermath
Klaus received 137 votes while Volák only 39 votes. Klaus became the new Speaker. The result was attacked by Freedom Union and by the People's Party. Members of these parties argued that the election is a confirmation of secret deals between ČSS and ODS. Jan Ruml stated that Klaus' victory marks the beginning of coalition between ODS and ČSSD. Leaders of Civic Democratic Alliance were also critical of the result. They doubted that Klaus would act independently as the Speaker.


1998 Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic election, Voting and aftermath
Klaus announced after the election that vote of confidence could be held on 18 August 1998.


1998 Speedway Conference League
The 1998 Speedway Conference League was the third tier/division of British speedway.


1998 Speedway Conference League, Final league table
+ withdrew - Norfolk replaced Skegness and took over fixtures


1998 Speedway Conference League, Conference League Knockout Cup
The 1998 Conference league Knockout Cup was the first edition of the Knockout Cup for tier three teams.


1998 Speedway Conference League, Conference League Knockout Cup
In 1995 there had been an Academy League Knockout Cup and in 1996 a Conference League Knockout Cup but due to a merger of the British Leagues, both the 1995 and 1996 editions acted as the second tier of British speedway at the time.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix
The 1998 Speedway Grand Prix was the 53rd edition of the official World Championship. It was the fourth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era used to determine the Speedway World Champion.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix
Tony Rickardsson won the World title, which included three wins from the six Grand Prix events. The Swede's win was his second World title success and he secured the gold medal comfortably ahead of nearest rivals Jimmy Nilsen and [Tomasz Gollob]].


1998 Speedway Grand Prix, Event format
The system used was a new one for the 4th SGP season with 24 riders, divided into two classes. The eight best would be directly qualified for the "Main Event", while the sixteen others would be knocked out if they finished out of the top two in 4-man heats on two occasions - while they would go through if they finished inside the top two on two occasions. This resulted in 10 heats, where eight proceeded to the Main Event, where exactly the same system was applied to give eight riders to a semi-final.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix, Event format
The semi-finals were then two heats of four, where the top two qualified for a final and the last two going towards the consolation final. The 4 finalists scored 25, 20, 18 and 16 points, with 5th to 8th scoring 15, 14, 12 and 10 point, and after that 8, 8, 7, 7, etc. Places after 8th place were awarded according to the time a rider was knocked out and, secondly, according to position in the last heat he rode in.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix, Qualification for Grand Prix
The 1998 season had 21 permanent riders and 3 wild card at each event. The permanent riders are highlighted in the results table below.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic
The 1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic was the first race of the 1998 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on 15 May in the Marketa Stadium in Prague, Czech Republic It was the second Czech Republic SGP and was won by Swedish rider Tony Rickardsson. It was the first win of his career.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Czech Republic, Starting positions draw
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Antonín Kasper, Jr., Bohumil Brhel (both from Czech Republic) and Gerd Riss (from Germany) as Wild Card.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark
The 1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark was the third race of the 1998 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on 17 July in the Speedway Center in Vojens, Denmark It was the fourth Danish SGP and was won by Danish rider Hans Nielsen. It was the fifth win of his career.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark, Starting positions draw
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Brian Karger (from Denmark), Antonín Kasper, Jr. (Czech Republic) and Lars Gunnestad (Norway) as Wild Card.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Germany
The 1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Germany was the second race of the 1998 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on June 6 in the Rottalstadion in Pocking, Germany The second Czech Republic SGP, it was won by Swedish rider Tony Rickardsson, his second career win.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Germany, Starting positions draw
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Gerd Riss, Robert Barth (both from Germany) and Antonín Kasper, Jr. (from Czech Republic) as Wild Card.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain
The 1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain was the fourth race of the 1998 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on 7 August in the Brandon Stadium in Coventry, England It was the fourth British SGP and first in Coventry. SGP was won by Australian rider Jason Crump. It was the second win of his career, after winning in 1996 London GP.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain, Starting positions draw
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Antonín Kasper, Jr. (Czech Republic) and Joe Screen and Martin Dugard (both from Great Britain) as Wild Card.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland
The 1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland was the sixth race of the 1998 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on 18 September in the Polonia Stadium in Bydgoszcz, Poland It was the fourth Polish SGP, but first in Bydgoszcz. Grand Prix was won by Pole Tomasz Gollob, who was riding for Polonia Bydgoszcz in Polish League. It was his third winning in GP history.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland, Starting positions draw
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Antonín Kasper, Jr. (Czech Republic) and two Poles: Robert Dados (1998 Under-21 World Champion who qualify to the 1999 Speedway Grand Prix) and Jacek Gollob as Wild Card.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden
The 1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden was the fifth race of the 1998 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on 28 August in the Motorstadium in Linköping, Sweden It was fourth Swedish SGP and was won by World Champion Tony Rickardsson. It was third win of his career.


1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden, Starting positions draw
The Speedway Grand Prix Commission nominated Antonín Kasper, Jr. (Czech Republic), Peter Karlsson (Sweden) and Lars Gunnestad (Norway) as Wild Card.


1998 Speedway World Team Cup
The 1998 Speedway World Team Cup was the 39th edition of the FIM Speedway World Team Cup to determine the team world champions.


1998 Speedway World Team Cup
The final took place on 11 September at the Vojens Speedway Center in Denmark. The winners were the United States team who claimed their fifth title.


1998 Speedway World Team Cup, World Final
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fellns - non-starter • nc - non-classify


1998 Spengler Cup
The 1998 Spengler Cup was held in Davos, Switzerland between December 26, 1998, and December 31, 1998. All matches were played at host HC Davos's home Eisstadion Davos. The final was won 5-2 by Team Canada over host HC Davos.


1998 Sri Lankan local elections
Local elections were held in Sri Lanka on 29 January 1998 for 17 local authorities on the Jaffna peninsula, in the north of the country. They were the first local elections held in the peninsula since 1983. Turnout was low due to the threats issued by the rebel Tamil Tigers. The Eelam People's Democratic Party gained control of nine local authorities, Democratic People's Liberation Front (PLOTE) three, Tamil United Liberation Front one and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization one. There was no overall control in the three remaining local authorities.


1998 Sri Lankan local elections, Background
The Sri Lankan government suspended local government in the north and east of the country in 1983 using Emergency Regulations. In March 1994, elections were held in the east and in Vavuniya in the north. However, elections weren't held in other areas of the north, including the Jaffna peninsula, because most of these areas were at that time controlled by the rebel Tamil Tigers.


1998 Sri Lankan local elections, Background
In August 1995 the Sri Lankan Military launched an offensive to recapture the Jaffna peninsula. By December 1995 the military had captured most of the Valikamam region of the peninsula, including the city of Jaffna. By 16 May 1996 the military had recaptured the entire peninsula. In late 1996 the government announced elections would be held for 23 local authorities in Jaffna District, Kilinochchi District, Mannar District and Vavuniya District but following opposition from Tamil political parties postponed them. On 3 December 1997 the government announced that elections would be held for the 17 local authorities on the Jaffna peninsula.


1998 Sri Lankan local elections, Background
The Tamil political parties were still opposed to holding elections as "normalcy" hadn't returned to the peninsula. The peninsula was under the firm grip of the Sri Lankan military and civil government had little, if any, role in the administration of the peninsula. The Tamil Tigers were also firmly against the elections being held. Despite these objections the elections were held on 29 January 1998.


1998 Sri Lankan local elections, Details
The Tamil Tigers ordered the electors not to participate in the elections and issued threats against election officials and potential candidates. As a result, most moderate political parties did not participate in the elections. The two main national parties, People's Alliance and United National Party, didn't contest in any of the local authorities. The Tamil United Liberation Front, the largest moderate Tamil party, only contested in two of the 17 local authorities. This allowed the elections to be dominated by government backed paramilitary groups and rebel militant groups. The Democratic People's Liberation Front (PLOTE), Eelam People's Democratic Party, Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization contested in all 17 local authorities. A breakaway faction of the EPDP contested in two local authorities as an independent group.


1998 Sri Lankan local elections, Details
Five of the nominations of the EPRLF and both nominations of the TULF were initially rejected due to technical errors but legal challenges overturned the rejections.


1998 Sri Lankan local elections, Results
Turnout was low (19%) due to the threats issued by the Tamil Tigers. 14% of the votes cast were also spoilt. The EPDP gained control of nine local authorities, DPLF (PLOTE) three, TULF one and TELO one. There was no overall control in the three remaining local authorities, including Jaffna Municipal Council.


1998 Sri Lankan local elections, Results, By local authority
1. DC = Rural Council (Pradeshiya Sabha or Pradesha Sabhai), MC = Municipal Council, UC = Urban Council


1998 Sri Lankan local elections, Aftermath
The normal life term of Sri Lankan local government bodies is four years. The life term of the above 17 local authorities expired in February 2002 but the central government extended this by another year, as the law allows. Elections should have been held when the extension expired in February 2003 but in January 2003, following a request from the Tamil National Alliance, the central government instead dissolved the local authorities and instead put in place special commissions to administer the local areas.


1998 Sri Lankan local elections, Aftermath
The Jaffna peninsula continued to be administered by these special commissions until elections were held on 8 August 2009 for Jaffna Municipal Council. Elections for the rest of the peninsula are due to take place on 17 March 2011.


1998 Sri Lankan national honours
In April 1998 President of Sri Lanka Chandrika Kumaratunga awarded national honours to 78 individuals for distinguished services to mark the golden jubilee of Sri Lankan independence.


1998 St Albans City and District Council election
The 1998 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of St Albans City and District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.


1998 St Albans City and District Council election, Election result
The Liberal Democrats were reduced from 39 to 30 councillors, but retained a 3-seat majority on the council. Liberal Democrat losses included losing seats to Labour in Ashley, Cunningham and St Peters wards, while Labour also held Sopwell where Kerry Pollard had stood down after being elected Member of parliament for St Albans at the 1997 general election.


1998 St Albans City and District Council election, Election result
This took Labour to 16 seats, while the Conservatives increased to 11 seats after gaining 5 seats from the Liberal Democrats in Harpenden North, Harpenden South, Harpenden West, St Stephen and Verulam wards, with the majority in Harpenden North only being 23 votes after a recount. Overall turnout at the election was 36%.


1998 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election
The 1998 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.


1998 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election, Election result
Both the Labour and Liberal Democrat group leaders said that they were pleased with the election results. Labour held control of the council after winning 13 of the 19 seats contested, leaving the party with 42 councillors. However the Liberal Democrats gained a seat in Newton East from Labour to have 10 seats and there was a vote swing from Labour to the Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, the Conservatives gained 1 seat, after taking Rainford, to have 2 councillors.


1998 St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council election, By-elections between 1998 and 1999, Newton West
A by-election took place in Newton West on 21 January 1999 to replace Labour councillor Martin Schofield. The seat was gained for the Liberal Democrats by Virginia Taylor with a majority of 145 votes over Labour's Thomas Chisnall after a 25% swing.


1998 St. Cloud explosion
The 1998 St. Cloud explosion was a gas explosion that occurred in St. Cloud, Minnesota on December 11, 1998. A work crew installing a utility pole support anchor punctured an underground natural gas pipeline, causing the explosion. The blast killed four people, injured eleven, destroyed six buildings, and caused an estimated $399,000 in damages.


1998 St. Cloud explosion
An NTSB report on the incident faulted the safety and emergency practices of Cable Constructors, Inc., whose employees punctured the gas line, and the procedures and training of the St. Cloud fire department for responding to gas leaks.


1998 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals 1998 season was the team's 117th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 107th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 83-79 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League Central division, 18 games behind the Houston Astros. First baseman Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record this season by hitting 70 home runs, battling with the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa, who finished runner-up in the National League with 66.


1998 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, Scorecard for McGwire's 70th
Entering the game on September 27 against the Montreal Expos, McGwire had 68 Home Runs. In  the third inning, McGwire hit a home run off of Mike Thurman, and in the seventh, he got number 70 off of Carl Pavano. The ball was caught by Philip Ozersky. In January 1999, Todd McFarlane purchased Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball from the 1998 season for a record $3 million.


1998 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season, Aftermath of the 1998 home run chase
A section of Interstate 70 running through downtown St. Louis was renamed "The Mark McGwire Highway." His record stood until Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001. In years following, revelations of the anabolic steroids scandals have possibly tainted these records, but at the time it was great theater and was largely responsible for drawing many fans back to the game after the 1994 players' strike, which had angered and alienated many of them.


1998 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; Avg. = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases


1998 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games played; IP = Innings Pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO. = Strikeouts; BB = Bases on Balls


1998 St. Louis Rams season
The 1998 St. Louis Rams season was the team’s 61st year with the National Football League (NFL) and the fourth season in St. Louis. It was the second year for head coach Dick Vermeil. The team failed to improve on its 5–11 record from 1997, and instead finished the season 4–12 and missed the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season, during which they had compiled a league-worst 45–99 record.


1998 St. Louis Rams season
Despite all of this, the Rams showed signs of life during the season when they beat playoff teams such as the New York Jets (who would make the AFC Championship game during the season) and the New England Patriots (who would make a wild card). Some skeptics claim that those two wins helped them build signs of strong life into next season, when they won Super Bowl XXXIV against the Tennessee Titans.


1998 St. Petersburg Open
The 1998 St. Petersburg Open was a tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex in Saint Petersburg, Russia and was part of the World Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. The tournament ran from 9 February through 15 February 1998. First-seeded Richard Krajicek won the singles title.


1998 St. Petersburg Open, Finals, Doubles
Nicklas Kulti /  Mikael Tillström defeated  Marius Barnard /  Brent Haygarth 3–6, 6–3, 7–6


1998 St. Petersburg Open – Doubles
Andrei Olhovskiy and Brett Steven were the defending champions but did not compete that year.


1998 St. Petersburg Open – Doubles
Nicklas Kulti and Mikael Tillström won in the final 3–6, 6–3, 7–6 against Marius Barnard and Brent Haygarth.


1998 St. Petersburg Open – Singles
Thomas Johansson was the defending champion but lost in the semifinal 6–4, 6–4 against Richard Krajicek.


1998 St. Petersburg Open – Singles
Richard Krajicek won in the final 6–4, 7–6(7–5) against Marc Rosset.


1998 Sta. Lucia Realtors season
The 1998 Sta.Lucia Realtors season was the sixth season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).


1998 Sta. Lucia Realtors season, Summary
Under new coach Derrick Pumaren, Sta.Lucia won their first four games in the All-Filipino Cup. However, the Realtors lost their last five outings in the eliminations and dropped to five wins and six losses. In the semifinal round, the Realtors won four of their first five games which includes victories over the top two teams, Alaska and San Miguel. The Realtors clinch a playoff spot for a second finals berth via win 7-of-10 semifinals incentive when it defeated Purefoods Carne Norte Beefies, 92-77 on April 14.


1998 Sta. Lucia Realtors season, Summary
Having beaten the Alaska Milkmen twice in the semifinals, the Sta.Lucia Realtors blew a golden opportunity to advance in the finals series for the first time in franchise history when they bowed to the Milkmen, 69-77, in their playoff game on April 21 for the right to face San Miguel Beermen for the All-Filipino Cup crown.


1998 Sta. Lucia Realtors season, Summary
In the Commissioner's Cup, after losing their first game to San Miguel in Urdaneta, Pangasinan, Sta.Lucia import Melvin Cheatum abandoned the team and left quickly, he could only score four points in a brief stint. The Realtors scored their first win in their next game playing all-Filipino. Former Pepsi import and one-time best import awardee Ronnie Coleman is on his third year of duty and was tapped to play for Sta.Lucia. The Realtors ended up last place in the conference.


1998 Sta. Lucia Realtors season, Summary
Sans the duo of Jun Limpot and Dennis Espino, who were members of the national team, the Realtors chalk up only one win in eight outings during the Centennial Cup and their lone victory came after replacing imports Jojo English and Kirk King with the tandem of Andre Perry and Bobby Allen, who played for Sta.Lucia three years ago. With one game left in their Centennial Cup campaign, Allen was replaced by Joseph Temple, who teamed up with Perry for the rest of their games in the Governor's Cup. The Realtors won four of their next seven matches but still fell short and placed last anew.


1998 Sta. Lucia Realtors season, Notable dates
February 3: Jun Limpot scored a game-high 34 points as the Realtors thrashed the Shell Zoom Masters, 85-69.


1998 Sta. Lucia Realtors season, Notable dates
February 15: Sta.Lucia leads by 20 points in the second half and coasted to an 83-72 rout off Pop Cola for its fourth straight win and leadership in the All-Filipino Cup.


1998 Sta. Lucia Realtors season, Notable dates
March 24: Ronnie Magsanoc canned two free throws off Johnny Abarrientos' foul to hold back title favorite Alaska Milkmen, 77-74, for its second win in three starts in the semifinals.


1998 Sta. Lucia Realtors season, Notable dates
March 27: The Realtors bested San Miguel Beermen for the first time in the season, 78-70, with Jack Santiago filled in Magsanoc's shoes nicely as he scored a career high 18 points.


1998 Stanford Cardinal football team
The 1998 Stanford Cardinal football team represented Stanford University in the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was led by head coach Tyrone Willingham.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1998 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1997–98 season, and the culmination of the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Western Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals. It was the 105th year of the Stanley Cup being contested. The series was the Capitals' first appearance in a Stanley Cup Finals since the franchise's inception in 1974.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals
The Red Wings won the series for the second year in a row, four games to none, to capture their ninth Stanley Cup in team history. This was the fourth consecutive Stanley Cup Finals that concluded with a sweep, as well as the last time it has ever happened. This was also the last time until 2002 that a Stanley Cup Finals ended after an NBA Finals in the same season had concluded.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals
Detroit coach Scotty Bowman won his eighth Stanley Cup in that capacity (having previously done so with the Montreal Canadiens in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979, the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992, and the Wings the previous year), tying him with former Canadiens coach Toe Blake for the record of most Cups won by a coach (which he would break when he helped the Red Wings win the 2002 Cup).


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Motivation to win a second straight title
Just six days after sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1997 Finals, Red Wings defenceman Vladimir Konstantinov and masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov sustained serious brain injuries when the limousine in which they were riding crashed. Viacheslav Fetisov was also in the limousine but was not seriously injured. The Red Wings subsequently dedicated their 1997–98 season to the two injured members and wore a patch on their jerseys bearing the players' initials. When the Red Wings were presented with the Stanley Cup, they wheeled Konstantinov onto the ice and placed the Cup in his lap. They also took him for a victory lap around the rink.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
Detroit advanced to the Finals by defeating the Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Stars in six games each.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
Washington defeated the Boston Bruins 4–2, the Ottawa Senators 4–1, and the Buffalo Sabres 4–2.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries
In this series, Capitals head coach Ron Wilson became the first person to head coach in both an Olympics and a Stanley Cup Finals in the same year, having coached team USA at the Nagano Olympics. Peter Laviolette would join him in this feat in 2006 while with the Carolina Hurricanes during their championship season, having coached the American ice hockey team during the Torino Olympics.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game one
At home, Detroit took an early lead in the first period and scored two goals within two minutes and 14 seconds of each other. The Red Wings were able to hold off a Washington assault and take the first game of the series with a score of 2–1.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game two
It looked as if the Capitals were to tie the series with a 4–2 lead in the third period, but after a Detroit goal to make it 4–3, Capitals forward Esa Tikkanen had ascoring opportunity midway through the third period that would have likely put Detroit away before the venue changed back to Washington's MCI Center, and also would have changed the entire dynamic of the series, but he missed the open net shot. Detroit then rallied late in the third period to tie the game and send it into overtime. Kris Draper scored with four minutes left in the first overtime to give the Red Wings a 5–4 victory and a 2–0 lead in the series.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game three
Detroit scored in the first 35 seconds to take an early lead which held up until the third period. The Capitals tied the game midway through the third period, but Sergei Fedorov scored to give the Wings a three games to none lead in the series.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game four
In game four, Detroit was dominant throughout to win the game by a score of 4–1 and sweep the series. Steve Yzerman was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. When the Cup was awarded, Vladimir Konstantinov was brought onto the ice in his wheelchair and joined the celebration with his team.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Team rosters
Bolded years under Finals appearance indicates year won Stanley Cup.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The 1998 Stanley Cup was presented to Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman following the Red Wings 4–1 win over the Capitals in game four


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The following Red Wings players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving, Stanley Cup engravings
Included on the team picture, but left off the Stanley Cup


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Broadcasting
In Canada, the series was televised on CBC. In the United States, Fox broadcast game one while ESPN televised games two through  four. Had the series extended, games five and seven would have been broadcast on Fox, and ESPN would have aired game six.


1998 Stanley Cup Finals, Aftermath
The following season, the Red Wings would reach the Western Conference Semifinals, only to be ousted by the Colorado Avalanche in six games. The Red Wings would not return to the Stanley Cup Finals until four years later, when they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in five games. The Washington Capitals, however, missed the playoffs the following year. The Capitals would not return to the Stanley Cup Finals until 20 years later, when they would win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history after defeating the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in five games.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL), began on April 22, 1998 following the 1997–98 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions  played a best-of-7 series for the Stanley Cup.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs
The playoffs concluded on June 16 with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Washington Capitals in a four-game sweep to win their second Stanley Cup championship in a row. Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman was named playoff MVP, and awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. The 1997–98 Detroit Red Wings were the last team to defend their Stanley Cup title until the Pittsburgh Penguins successfully defended their Stanley Cup title in 2017.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs
In the Eastern Semis, the Buffalo Sabres made history as they became the first team in NHL history to complete a four-game sweep of the Montreal Canadiens on Montreal ice.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs
For the first time since 1969, the Chicago Blackhawks missed the playoffs. Also, both the Islanders and Rangers missed the playoffs in the same season for the first time.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (1) New Jersey Devils vs. (8) Ottawa Senators
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Montreal Canadiens
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (3) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (6) Buffalo Sabres
This was the second consecutive and fifth overall playoff meeting between these two teams; with Philadelphia winning all four previous series. Philadelphia won last year's Eastern Conference Semifinals in five games.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (4) Washington Capitals vs. (5) Boston Bruins
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 1990 Prince of Wales Conference Final, where Boston won in a four-game sweep.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (1) Dallas Stars vs. (8) San Jose Sharks
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (2) Colorado Avalanche vs. (7) Edmonton Oilers
This was the second consecutive playoff meeting and second postseason match-up between these two teams. Colorado won last year's Western Conference Semifinals in five games.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (3) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Phoenix Coyotes
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 1996 Western Conference Quarterfinals where Detroit defeated the Winnipeg Jets in six games.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (4) St. Louis Blues vs. (5) Los Angeles Kings
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams. Their only previous meeting was in the 1969 Stanley Cup Semifinals, where St. Louis won in a four-game sweep.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (4) St. Louis Blues vs. (5) Los Angeles Kings
Game four was the last playoff game at the Great Western Forum.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (4) Washington Capitals vs. (8) Ottawa Senators
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (6) Buffalo Sabres vs. (7) Montreal Canadiens
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams; with Montreal winning four of the six previous series. They last met in the 1993 Adams Division Finals, where Montreal won in a four-game sweep.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (1) Dallas Stars vs. (7) Edmonton Oilers
This was the second consecutive playoff meeting and the fourth overall playoff match-up between these two teams; with Edmonton winning two of the three previous series. Edmonton won last year's Western Conference Quarterfinals in seven games.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (3) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) St. Louis Blues
This was the third consecutive playoff meeting and the sixth overall playoff match-up between these two teams; with Detroit winning three of the five previous series. Detroit won last year's Western Conference Quarterfinals in six games.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Final, (4) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Buffalo Sabres
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Washington made their second Conference Finals appearance; they last made it to the Conference Finals in 1990 where they lost to the Boston Bruins in a four-game sweep. This was the first conference final for Buffalo since the playoffs went to a conference format starting in 1982. Buffalo last played a semifinal series in 1980 where they lost to the New York Islanders in six games. These teams split their four-game regular season series.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Western Conference Final, (1) Dallas Stars vs. (3) Detroit Red Wings
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams; with Detroit winning both previous series. They last met in the 1995 Western Conference Quarterfinals, where Detroit won in five games. Dallas made their third appearance in the Conference Finals. They last made it to the Conference Finals in 1991, where the Minnesota North Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers in five games. Detroit made their fourth consecutive and sixth overall appearance in the Conference Finals; they defeated the Colorado Avalanche in the previous year in six games. Detroit won this year's five-game regular season series earning eight of ten points.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals
This was the first and to date only playoff meeting between these two teams. Detroit made their twenty-first and second consecutive Finals appearance, while Washington made their first Finals appearance in their twenty-fourth season. Until 2017 this was the last time that the Stanley Cup was successfully defended by the previous year's champion and as of 2021, this is the most recent sweep in the Finals.


1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, Playoff statistics, Goaltenders
This is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage, with at least 420 minutes played. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion are bolded.


1998 Star World Championships
The 1994 Star World Championships were held in Portorož, Slovenia between September 13 and 18, 1998.


1998 Star World Championships, Results
Legend: DNC – Did not come to the starting area; DNF – Did not finish; DNS – Did not start; DSQ – Disqualified; OCS – On the course side of the starting line; RDG – Redress given;


1998 State Farm Evert Cup – Doubles
Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva were the defending champions and won in the final 6–4, 2–6, 6–4 against Alexandra Fusai and Nathalie Tauziat.


1998 State Farm Evert Cup – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated. The top four seeded teams received byes into the second round.


1998 State Farm Evert Cup – Singles
Lindsay Davenport was the defending champion but lost in the final 6–3, 6–4 against Martina Hingis.


1998 State Farm Evert Cup – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top eight seeds received a bye to the second round.


1998 State of Origin series
The 1998 State of Origin series saw the 17th time that the annual three-game series between the Queensland and New South Wales representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. The return of Super League-aligned stars to Origin following the end of the game's crippling civil war meant the stampeding Brisbane Broncos players were back - to the chagrin of the Blues. The series was notable for being the first in which no team won a game at home.


1998 State of Origin series, Game I
Game I was a classic Origin encounter with each side scrambling to gain ascendancy in front of a boisterous Sydney crowd. The Maroons capitalised on mistakes from their opposition to score twice early in the second half before the mercurial Brad Fittler crossed to regain the lead for New South Wales. When Steve Menzies scored close to full-time to give the Blues a 23-18 lead it seemed that they were heading for victory.


1998 State of Origin series, Game I
But with barely a minute remaining and Queensland stuck deep in their own territory, their five-eighth Kevin Walters produced the play of the series as he kicked ahead for replacement back Ben Ikin to regather. The Blues tried desperately to hold on for the few final tackles, but Walters destroyed their hopes by sending centre Tonie Carroll over alongside the posts. Darren Lockyer's conversion on debut after the siren gave Queensland a miracle 24-23 victory. It was a personal triumph for Walters coming only a few months after the death of his wife Kim.


1998 State of Origin series, Game II
In Game II, after falling behind early to a Wendell Sailor try, the Blues took control in the volatile surroundings of Suncorp Stadium. New South Wales centre Paul McGregor, replacing Andrew Ettingshausen in the starting line-up, scored twice and Brad Fittler added a third to give the visitors a commanding 20-6 lead from which the Maroons never recovered.


1998 State of Origin series, Game II
Andrew Johns was superb during the Blues' onslaught while Laurie Daley set up the try that levelled the score following Sailor's third-minute opener. A Tim Brasher try shortly after the break ended any hopes of another come-from-behind Queensland win and the final 26-10 scoreline was a fair reflection of the Blues domination over their opposition.


1998 State of Origin series, Game III
Before the Game III return to the Sydney Football Stadium for the decider there was little warning of the problems the New South Wales team were about to encounter when they were flattened by injury and illness. Six players from the selected squad including props Paul Harragon and Rodney Howe and inspirational hooker Geoff Toovey were forced to withdraw prior to the game.


1998 State of Origin series, Game III
Queensland emerged full of running, tries to Walters, dummying his way over and then Ikin, giving them a 12-4 lead before Allan Langer wrapped up the series with a late try. A Jason Smith field goal rounded out the impressive Queensland 19-4 win.


1998 State of the Union Address
The 1998 State of the Union Address was given by the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, on Tuesday, January 27, 1998, at 9 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 105th United States Congress. It was Clinton's fifth State of the Union Address and his sixth speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Newt Gingrich, accompanied by Al Gore, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.


1998 State of the Union Address
President Clinton discussed the federal budget, taxes and focused on the budget deficit, then at $10 billion. The president also discussed education, foreign relations, science funding, development, space travel and the Internet.


1998 State of the Union Address
In the speech, the president acknowledged the deaths of Representatives Walter Capps and Sonny Bono.


1998 State of the Union Address
The Republican Party response was delivered by Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi.


1998 State of the Union Address
William Daley, the Secretary of Commerce, served as the designated survivor.


1998 Stella Artois Championships
The 1998 Stella Artois Championships was a men's tennis tournament played on grass courts at the Queen's Club in London in the United Kingdom and was part of the World Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. It was the 96th edition of the tournament and was held from 8 June through 15 June 1998. Scott Draper won the singles title.


1998 Stella Artois Championships, Finals, Doubles
Todd Woodbridge /  Mark Woodforde vs.  Jonas Björkman /  Patrick Rafter


1998 Stella Artois Championships – Doubles
Mark Philippoussis and Patrick Rafter were the defending champions but they competed with different partners that year, Philippoussis with Goran Ivanišević and Rafter with Jonas Björkman.


1998 Stella Artois Championships – Doubles
Ivanišević and Philippoussis lost in the first round to Max Mirnyi and Michael Sell.


1998 Stella Artois Championships – Doubles
Björkman and Rafter were one of the two teams in the final along with Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde.


1998 Stella Artois Championships – Doubles
There was no result for the event due to rain.


1998 Stella Artois Championships – Doubles, Seeds
The top four seeded teams received byes into the second round.


1998 Stella Artois Championships – Singles
Mark Philippoussis was the defending champion but lost in the first round to Jordi Burillo.


1998 Stella Artois Championships – Singles
Scott Draper won in the final 7–6(7–5), 6–4 against Laurence Tieleman and became the lowest ranked player to win in the tournament's history.


1998 Stella Artois Championships – Singles, Seeds
The top eight seeds received a bye to the second round.


1998 Stevenage Borough Council election
Elections to Stevenage Council were held on 7 May 1998. One third of the council was up for election; the seats which were last contested in 1994. The Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.


1998 Stevenage Borough Council election, Election result
All comparisons in seats and vote share are to the corresponding 1994 election.


1998 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards
The 21st Stinkers Bad Movie Awards were released by the Hastings Bad Cinema Society in 1999 to honor the worst films the film industry had to offer in 1998.


1998 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards
According to founders Ray Wright and Mike Lancaster, they were quite surprised by how The Avengers lost to Spice World in the run for Worst Picture. They also stated that while pressured to include Armageddon and Godzilla on the Worst Picture ballot, they ultimately felt that Blues Brothers 2000 was more deserving. They then admitted that if they expanded the Worst Picture category to ten films, they would have added Armaggeddon, Babe: Pig in the City, Godzilla, Krippendorf's Tribe, and Meet the Deedles to the ballot. Lancaster put Lost in Space as the one 1998 film among his five worst movies of the 1990s, alongside It's Pat, Kids, Nothing but Trouble, and Ready to Wear.


1998 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards
Listed as follows are the different categories with their respective winners and nominees, including Worst Picture and its dishonorable mentions, which are films that were considered for Worst Picture but ultimately failed to make the final ballot (37 total). All winners are highlighted.


1998 Stockholm Open
The 1998 Stockholm Open was an ATP men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts and held at the Kungliga tennishallen in Stockholm, Sweden. It was the 30th edition of the event and part of the ATP International Series of the 1998 ATP Tour. The tournament was held from 9 November through 15 November 1998. Unseeded Todd Martin won the singles title.


1998 Stockholm Open, Finals, Doubles
Nicklas Kulti /  Mikael Tillström defeated  Chris Haggard /  Peter Nyborg, 7–5, 3–6, 7–5


1998 Stockholm Open – Doubles
Marc-Kevin Goellner and Richey Reneberg were the defending champions, but did not participate together this year. Goellner partnered Wayne Ferreira, losing in the quarterfinals. Reneberg partnered Jonathan Stark, losing in the semifinals.


1998 Stockholm Open – Doubles
Nicklas Kulti and Mikael Tillström won the title, defeating Chris Haggard and Peter Nyborg 7–5, 3–6, 7–5 in the final.


1998 Stockholm Open – Singles
Jonas Björkman was the defending champion, but lost in the second round this year.


1998 Stockholm Open – Singles
Todd Martin won the tournament, beating Thomas Johansson in the final, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4.


1998 Stockholm municipal election
The Stockholm municipal election of 1998 was held on 15 September 1998, concurrently with the 1998 Swedish general election. Using a party-list proportional representation system to allocate the 101 seats of the Stockholm city council (Stockholms kommunfullmäktige) amongst the various Swedish political parties. Voter turnout was 76.9%.


1998 Stockholm municipal election
The results for the Social Democrats were the lowest in decades, and for the first time since the initiation of universal male suffrage in 1911, the Moderates outnumbered the Social Democrats to become the largest party on the Stockholm City Council as a result of this election.


1998 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election
Elections to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 7 May 1998. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


1998 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election
The 1998 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Stratford-on-Avon District Council in Warwickshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


1998 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election, Election result
Before the election the Liberal Democrats ran the council as a minority administration, with the Conservatives the second largest party. The election saw this continue with the Liberal Democrats making one gain in Henley ward from the Conservatives by 10 votes. However the Conservatives also ended the election with an extra seat after the independents lost 2 seats, including in Stratford Alveston. All 3 of the Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Labour group leaders successfully defended their seats in the election, with the Liberal Democrat council leader, Susan Juned holding Alcester with a 77% majority.


1998 Stroud District Council election
The 1998 Stroud Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Stroud District Council in Gloucestershire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


1998 Stroud District Council election, Background
Before the election the Labour party ran the council, but the party had recently lost its one-seat overall majority after a vacancy in a Labour seat. 19 seats were contested in the election with Labour defending 10 seats, the Liberal Democrats 5, Green party 2 and independents 2.


1998 Stroud District Council election, Election result
The results saw no party win a majority on the council after Labour lost 1 seat to the Conservatives and 1 seat to an independent.


1998 Sudan Air Force crash
The 1998 Sudan Air Force crash  was the crash of a Sudan Air Force transport plane at Nasir that killed several of the country's most senior government leaders, including the Vice-President Zubair Mohamed Salih.


1998 Sudan Air Force crash
On the morning of 12 February 1998, a Sudan Air Force Antonov An-26 turboprop attempted to land at Nasir Airport. The craft overshot the end of the runway and slid into the Sobat River. The Sudanese government announced that fog and strong winds had caused the crash. The SPLA's spokesman in Nairobi announced that the crash had not been an accident, but had been caused by an SPLA attack.


1998 Sudan Air Force crash, Casualties
Of the 57 crew and passengers on board, 26 drowned in the river. Among the dead were:


1998 Sudan famine
The famine in Sudan in 1998 was a humanitarian disaster caused mainly by human rights abuses, as well as drought and the failure of the international community to react to the famine risk with adequate speed. The worst affected area was Bahr el Ghazal in southwestern Sudan. In this region over 70,000 people died during the famine.


1998 Sudan famine, Causes
The famine was caused almost entirely by human rights abuse and the war in Southern Sudan. Despite the Sudanese government's claims that only the rebel groups were to blame, drought also played a significant role. Human Rights Watch blamed the following groups:


1998 Sudan famine, Causes
The government and Kuanyin Bol are blamed for their role in destroying the local agriculture during their attempt to take the city of Wau. The SPLA are blamed for their maintenance of slavery and pilfering of aid.


1998 Sudan famine, Causes
This was worsened by the late arrival of the rainy season and a failure to respond to the situation by the international community.


1998 Sudan famine, Effects
The effects on the region were enormous, with the excess mortality estimated at about 70,000 people. Many more are thought to have been displaced, with over 72,000 people reported as migrating from the threatened rural zones to Wau alone from May 1998 to August 1998. Effects on the country included – indirectly – famine as expenditure was concentrated on the materials of war, i.e. weaponry, medical supplies etc., rather than the assistance of agriculture and farming. The situation in Bahr El Ghazal was compounded by a lack of strong government intervention, with the government in the North failing to cooperate with the  government in the South.


1998 Sudan famine, Aftermath
A ceasefire was signed on July 15, 1998, some eight months after the Sudanese government had first warned of a possible famine. After numerous extensions, this ceasefire lasted nearly a year, until April 1999. However, the Baggara militia continued to ignore the ceasefire, reducing the ability of aid agencies to help. Thanks to a good crop and this ceasefire, however, the situation was brought under control by the end of 1998. However, the area has remained in trouble and a number of famine warnings have come since the end of 1998.


1998 Sudanese constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in Sudan on 27 May 1998. A new Constitution of Sudan was approved by 96.7 percent of voters, with turnout reported to be 91.9 percent. It was signed into law on 30 June.


1998 Sugar Bowl
The 1998 Sugar Bowl was played on January 1, 1998. This 64th edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Florida State Seminoles. Ohio State entered the game ranked number 10 in the nation at 10–2, whereas Florida State was ranked at fourth in the nation with a 10–1 mark.


1998 Sugar Bowl
Ohio State scored the first points of the contest with a 40-yard field goal from kicker Dan Stultz, giving the Buckeyes an early 3–0 lead. Later in the first quarter, quarterback Thad Busby threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver E. G. Green, giving the Seminoles a 7–3 lead. In the second quarter, Busby scored on a 9-yard touchdown run increasing the Seminole lead to 14–3.


1998 Sugar Bowl
William McCray also scored for the Seminoles, pounding it in from one yard out, to increase Florida State's lead to 21–3 at halftime. Stultz kicked his second field goal of the game, cutting the margin to 21–6. Ohio State later got a safety on Florida State pulling them within 21–8. Early in the fourth quarter, Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 35-yard field goal, increasing Florida State's lead to 24–8. Quarterback Joe Germaine threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to John Lumpkin. The ensuing two-point conversion failed, and the score was 24–14. Florida State capped the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run from McCray, making the final margin 31–14.


1998 Sugar Bowl
This was another Sugar Bowl appearance for Bobby Bowden and his 'Noles, who would appear in five of them over a nine-year span (3-2). FSU was in the midst of an all-time dominant run that we have arguably never seen before. FSU finished in the final top 4 of the AP and or Coaches Poll in every season from 1987-2000. This was the 11th season in a row in which we saw FSU finish near atop the polls. Ohio State would get back to the Sugar Bowl the following season and win their matchup against Texas A&M. Oddly enough, the Buckeyes would end up finishing second in the final polls, one spot ahead of FSU, who lost in the inaugural BCS national championship game against Tennessee.


1998 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
The 1998 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was the eighth edition of field hockey tournament the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.


1998 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1998 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held February 27–March 3 at the Cajundome at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana.


1998 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
Top-seeded South Alabama defeated hosts Southwestern Louisiana in the championship game, 62–59, to win their fourth overall, and second consecutive, Sun Belt men's basketball tournament.


1998 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The Jaguars, in turn, received an automatic bid to the 1998 NCAA Tournament. No other Sun Belt members earned bids to the tournament.


1998 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
No teams left or joined the Sun Belt before the season, leaving conference membership fixed at ten teams.


1998 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
All teams participated in the tournament, maintaining its ten-team format. With all teams seeded based on regular-season conference records, the top six teams were all placed directly into the quarterfinal round while the four lowest-seeded teams were placed into the preliminary first round.


1998 Sun Bowl
The 1998 Norwest Sun Bowl was played by the TCU Horned Frogs and the USC Trojans. This was the 65th Sun Bowl held and the last sponsored by Norwest Corporation due to next year's game being held by Wells Fargo.


1998 Sun Bowl, Background
Paul Hackett was in his first year (of three) with USC, having led them to a bowl game for the first time since the 1996 Rose Bowl. This would be Hackett's only bowl game with USC.


1998 Sun Bowl, Background
TCU hadn't been to a bowl game since the 1994 Independence Bowl nor won one since the 1957 Cotton Bowl Classic. Despite having only a 6–5 record, they were invited to a bowl game due to the Big Ten not having enough bowl-eligible teams. They were coached by first year Dennis Franchione.


1998 Sun Bowl, Game summary
Basil Mitchell had only 19 carries but ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns as TCU scored on their first three possessions and dominated the time of possession in the first half (having the ball for 20:15). TCU quarterback Patrick Batteaux also had two touchdowns for TCU, both rushing. But Carson Palmer (who had 280 yards passing) threw two touchdowns (one to Billy Miller and the other to Petros Papadakis) that made it 28–16 going into the fourth quarter.


1998 Sun Bowl, Game summary
After stopping TCU on a drive, the Trojans got the ball back and drove to the TCU 20 early in the fourth quarter. But TCU's defense stuffed their offense, as USC kicked a field goal to make 28–19. From that point on, TCU ate up most of the clock as USC did not score again, giving TCU their first bowl win since 1957 in what would be the first of six consecutive bowl appearances.