2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Summary
The West Indies became the first side to qualify for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, after they beat Scotland by five runs by the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method in the Super Sixes. Tournament hosts Zimbabwe lost their final match in the Super Sixes to the United Arab Emirates, meaning they would need Afghanistan and Ireland's match to end as tie to allow them to progress to the Cricket World Cup. However, Afghanistan beat Ireland by five wickets in the final Super Six match, therefore joining the West Indies in the tournament final and also qualifying for the Cricket World Cup.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Summary
In the final, Afghanistan's Rashid Khan became the fastest and youngest bowler to take 100 wickets in ODIs when he dismissed Shai Hope. He took 44 matches to take his 100th dismissal, breaking the previous record of 52 matches, set by Mitchell Starc of Australia.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Teams
It was decided before the 2015 Cricket World Cup that the number of participating teams at the 2019 Cricket World Cup would be reduced to ten. A new World Cup qualification structure was introduced in which the host nation of the World Cup and the top seven other teams in the ICC ODI Championship on 30 September 2017 would qualify directly for the World Cup, with the remaining two spots being decided by the World Cup qualifying tournament.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Teams
Following recent success, Afghanistan and Ireland were promoted into the ICC ODI Championship in 2015 taking the number of teams in the ICC ODI Championship to twelve. Afghanistan and Ireland were granted Test status in 2017 making them the 11th and 12th Test-playing nations, meaning that at least two Test-playing nations would miss the World Cup for the first time.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Teams
The bottom four teams in the ICC ODI Championship ranking will be joined by the top four teams from the 2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship and the two finalists of the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Two for the qualifying tournament. Therefore, at most two associate teams could qualify for the World Cup, or none if beaten by the Test playing nations.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Teams, ICC ODI Championship
The bottom four teams (9th to 12th places) in the ICC ODI Championship, as at 30 September 2017, did not receive automatic World Cup qualification and are required to play in the 2018 World Cup Qualifier. Qualification by this route was finalised after the West Indies lost the first match of their ODI series against England in September 2017, meaning they were unable to catch any of the teams above them in the rankings by the cut-off date. Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, below the West Indies in the rankings, were confirmed as having to play in the qualification tournament before this date.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Teams, WCL Championship
The top four teams from the 2015–17 ICC World Cricket League Championship qualified for the 2018 World Cup Qualifier. After the conclusion of the sixth round of fixtures in the championship, both the Netherlands and Papua New Guinea had qualified. Following the first fixtures in round seven, they were joined by Scotland and Hong Kong. The Netherlands ended up winning the tournament, with Scotland finishing second followed by Hong Kong in third and Papua New Guinea fourth.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Teams, WCL Division Two
The top two teams from the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Two qualified for the 2018 World Cup Qualifier. Nepal and the United Arab Emirates placed first and second in the round-robin stage, thus claiming the final places in the Qualifier. The United Arab Emirates won the final of the Division Two tournament to go into Group A, with Nepal placed in Group B.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Tournament format
Initially, the teams were split into two groups of five; these groups played on a round-robin basis. Two points were awarded for a win, one point for a no result and no points for a loss. The top three teams in each group went forward to a Super Six round. The results between the progressing teams were carried forward, including the corresponding points and net run rate, while the results against the teams that finished in the bottom two places in each group were discarded. Each team then played the qualifiers from the other group. The remaining four teams (that finish in the bottom two places in each group)  played-off for positions 7–10. The bottom two Associate Member teams, excluding the Netherlands, were relegated to the ICC World Cricket League Division Two.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Tournament format
The top two teams at the end of the Super Six stage earned qualification to the 2019 World Cup, and also contested the final to determine the winner of the tournament. If the final ended as a tie, then a Super Over would have been played to decide the winner. In the event of a no result, the tournament's winner would have been the side that finished highest in the Super Sixes.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Squads
Prior to the tournament, Stephan Myburgh was ruled out of the Netherlands squad due to injury and was replaced by Bas de Leede. Zimbabwe initially named Ryan Burl and Tarisai Musakanda in their squad, but they were replaced by Sean Williams and Cephas Zhuwao.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Squads
Afghanistan's captain Asghar Stanikzai missed the start of the tournament, after having his appendix removed. Rashid Khan captained Afghanistan in Stanikzai's absence. Stanikzai was eventually ruled out of the start of the tournament and was replaced by Afsar Zazai. Stanikzai returned to the squad, after he was declared fit to play, ahead of Afghanistan's final two Super Six matches. Stanikzai's replacement, Afsar Zazai, was ruled out of the last two matches due to injury. Following Afghanistan's match with Zimbabwe, Mohammad Shahzad was suspended for the final two group matches after being found guilty of damaging part of the ground.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Squads
Zimbabwe's Brian Vitori was suspended from bowling, following the match with Nepal. He was replaced by Richard Ngarava. Sheldon Cottrell was replaced in the West Indies squad by Keemo Paul, after Cottrell injured himself during the match against the United Arab Emirates. Ahead of Hong Kong's group match with Scotland, Ahsan Abbasi suffered an injury and was ruled out of the tournament. He was replaced by Kinchit Shah.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Warm-up matches
Ten non-ODI warm-up matches were played on 27 February and 1 March.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Group stage
The ICC confirmed the fixtures for the tournament in January 2018. All the matches were recorded as ODIs, except those that involved the Netherlands and Nepal, as they did not have ODI status at the start of the tournament. On 8 March 2018, the venues for the final two games in Group B were switched, due to the anticipated attendance for Zimbabwe's last group match. On 13 March 2018, the ICC confirmed all the umpires for the Super Sixes and playoff matches.


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Final standings
These were the final standings at the end of the tournament:


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Final standings
Note: Remaining teams already had ODI status until at least 2022


2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier warm-up matches
Ten non-ODI warm-up matches for the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier were played on 27 February and 1 March 2018.


2018 Critérium du Dauphiné
The 2018 Critérium du Dauphiné was a road cycling stage race that took place between 3 and 10 June 2018 in France. It was the 70th edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné and the twenty-third event of the 2018 UCI World Tour.


2018 Critérium du Dauphiné
The race was won by a British rider from Team Sky, as Geraint Thomas won his first Dauphiné GC.


2018 Critérium du Dauphiné, Teams
As the Critérium du Dauphiné was a UCI World Tour event, all eighteen UCI WorldTeams were invited automatically and obliged to enter a team in the race. Four UCI Professional Continental teams competed, completing the 22-team peloton.


2018 Critérium du Dauphiné, Classification leadership table
In the Critérium du Dauphiné, four different jerseys were awarded. The most important was the general classification, which was calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage. Time bonuses were awarded to the first three finishers on all stages except for the individual time trial: the stage winner won a ten-second bonus, with six and four seconds for the second and third riders respectively. The rider with the least accumulated time is the race leader, identified by a yellow jersey with a blue bar; the winner of this classification was considered the winner of the race.


2018 Critérium du Dauphiné, Classification leadership table
Additionally, there was a points classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the classification, cyclists received points for finishing in the top 10 in a stage. More points were awarded on the flatter stages in the opening half of the race.


2018 Critérium du Dauphiné, Classification leadership table
There was also a mountains classification, the leadership of which was marked by a blue jersey with white polka dots. In the mountains classification, points towards the classification were won by reaching the top of a climb before other cyclists. Each climb was categorised as either hors, first, second, third, or fourth-category, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs. Hors-category climbs awarded the most points; the first ten riders were able to accrue points, compared with the first six on first-category climbs, the first four on second-category, the first two on third-category and only the first for fourth-category.


2018 Critérium du Dauphiné, Classification leadership table
The fourth jersey represented the young rider classification, marked by a white jersey. This was decided the same way as the general classification, but only riders born on or after 1 January 1993 were eligible to be ranked in the classification. There was also a team classification, in which the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added together; the leading team at the end of the race was the team with the lowest total time.


2018 Croatia Open Umag
The 2018 Croatia Open Umag  (also known as the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag for sponsorship reasons) was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 29th edition of the Croatia Open, and part of the ATP World Tour 250 Series of the 2018 ATP World Tour. It took place at the International Tennis Center in Umag, Croatia, from 15 July through 22 July 2018.


2018 Croatia Open Umag, ATP singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2018 Croatia Open Umag, ATP doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following pairs received wildcards into the doubles main draw:


2018 Croatia Open Umag – Doubles
Guillermo Durán and Andrés Molteni were the defending champions, but Durán chose not to participate and Molteni chose to compete in Båstad instead.


2018 Croatia Open Umag – Doubles
Robin Haase and Matwé Middelkoop won the title, defeating Roman Jebavý and Jiří Veselý in the final, 6–4, 6–4.


2018 Croatia Open Umag – Singles
Andrey Rublev was the defending champion, but lost in the quarterfinals to Robin Haase. This was Rublev's first tournament back on tour after missing three months due to a stress fracture in his back.


2018 Croatia Open Umag – Singles
Marco Cecchinato won the title, defeating Guido Pella in the final, 6–2, 7–6(7–4).


2018 Croatia Open Umag – Singles, Seeds
The top four seeds receive a bye into the second round.


2018 Croatian Football Cup Final
The 2018 Croatian Cup Final between Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split was played on 23 May 2018 at Stadion HNK Cibalia in Vinkovci. This was the first meeting of the two most popular Croatian clubs in the final since 2009. Dinamo Zagreb secured a domestic double after winning both the cup and the 2017–18 Croatian First Football League.


2018 Croatian Football Cup Final, Match details
Assistant referees:Borut Križarić (Čakovec)Dalibor Conjar (Osijek) Fourth official:Goran Pataki (Đakovo)Additional assistant referees:


2018 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks season
The 2018 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks season was the 52nd in the club's history. Coached by Shane Flanagan and captained by Paul Gallen and Wade Graham, they competed in the National Rugby League's 2018 Telstra Premiership.


2018 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks season, Representative honours
The following players have played a first grade representative match in 2018. (C) = Captain


2018 CrossFit Games
The 2018 CrossFit Games were the 12th CrossFit Games and held on August 1–5, 2018, at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. The men's competition was won by Mathew Fraser, the women's by Tia-Clair Toomey, and CrossFit Mayhem Freedom won the Affiliate Cup.


2018 CrossFit Games
A record number of entries was reported for this year's Open, with over 415,000 athletes registering to compete. The Regionals were adjusted this year to reflect the growth of the sport worldwide. Both Fraser and Toomey dominated the Games, with Fraser extending his record margin of victory to 220 over the runner-up Patrick Vellner.


2018 CrossFit Games, Qualification
The 2018 CrossFit season was a high point in terms of participation; it recorded the highest number of athletes, at over 415,000, who registered to compete in the Open. Across all age divisions, 429,157 took part in and completed at least one workout. There were six scored event in five weeks (the second workout was split into two scored events – 18.2 and 18.2a). The Open took place from February 22 through March 26. Mat Fraser and Cassidy Lance-Mcwherter were the respective man and woman winner of the Open. Fraser's points total of 97 was 343 points lower than that of the second place finisher Alex Vigneault, the biggest margin of victory in the Open's history.


2018 CrossFit Games, Qualification
The Regionals were adjusted this year to reflect the growth of the sport worldwide; the number of Regionals was increased from eight to nine, and athletes from 18 regions were funnelled into the nine Regionals. Latin America that was previously merged with a US Regional was given its own Regional, while Regionals in the US were reorganized down to five, and Europe was split into two (Europe and Meridian). The number of qualifiers to the Games, however, remained the same: 40 men, 40 women and 40 teams. The Regionals took place over three weekends from May 18 through June 3, 2018. The Regionals were streamed live on CBSSports.com.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Wednesday, August 1, 2018, Event 1: Crit
Athletes competed in a criterium race on bicycles with all competing athletes on the track simultaneously. Patrick Vellner crashed in the event, and finished in 35th place. The event was won by Adrian Mundwiler the men's heat and Kristin Holte for the women's heat.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Wednesday, August 1, 2018, Event 2: 30 Muscle-ups
The athletes performed 30 muscle-ups on gymnastic rings as fast as possible. The event was won by Logan Collins and Kristi Eramo.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Wednesday, August 1, 2018, Event 3: CrossFit Total
Athletes had four minutes to make three attempts at each lift for the heaviest weight. The winning score was the cumulative total of the three heaviest weights in each lift. The event was won by Royce Dunne for the men and by Tia-Clair Toomey for the women.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Wednesday, August 1, 2018, Event 4: Marathon Row
The competitors used a Concept-2 rowing machine to accumulate 42,195 meters, the distance of a marathon, as fast as possible. The event was won by Lukas Esslinger with a time of 2 hours, 43 minutes, 50 seconds and Margaux Alvarez at 3 hours, 0 minutes, 42 seconds.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Friday, August 3, 2018, Event 5: The Battleground
Competitors started by dragging "Rescue Randy", a weighted rescue training mannequin, across the stadium. After the drag, they climbed two 20-foot (6.1-meter) ropes, each with a different diameter. They then ran a course with eight obstacles consisting of cargo net climbs, wall climbs, monkey bars, rope swings, and log balances. The competitors then returned to the rope climbs and dummy drag.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Friday, August 3, 2018, Event 5: The Battleground
At the event, both Mat Fraser and Patrick Vellner fell off the cargo net, with Vellner bruising his lungs and required medical attention after the race. The event was won by Cole Sager and Laura Horváth.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Friday, August 3, 2018, Event 6: Clean and Jerk Speed Ladder
The event consists of three rounds of five progressively heavier clean and jerks. The men start at 245 pounds (111 kilograms) and the women start at 155 pounds (70 kilograms). The top 20 athletes to finish the five lifts in quarterfinal round with a one-minute time cap move on to the semifinal round. With a two-minute cap and five heavier barbells, the top five competitors move on to the final round. The final round has the five athletes progress through five heavier weights as fast as possible, or as heaviest weight they can lift in the three-minute time cap. The event was won by Nicholas Urankar and Amanda Barnhart.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Friday, August 3, 2018, Event 7: Fibonacci
A repeat of the final event of the previous year, with only a change to women's event to make it match the number of movements as the men. The previous year, Logan Collins was the only man to finish the event (with a time of 5:29:09), while 27 women finished with the lower quantity of handstand push-ups. The parallettes are 14 inches (36 centimeters) for the men and 8 inches (20 centimeters) for the women. The men use 203-pound (92-kilogram) kettlebells for the deadlifts and 53-pound (24-kilogram) kettlebells for the lunges. The women use 124-pound (56-kilogram) kettlebells for the deadlifts and 35-pound (16-kilogram) kettlebells for the lunges. All must be done with a six-minute time cap.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Friday, August 3, 2018, Event 7: Fibonacci
The event was won by Mat Fraser, who had taken second in the event the previous year, and Katrín Davíðsdóttir. Four men finished the 2018 event, including previous finisher Logan Collins, and 23 women finished the updated version of the event.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Saturday, August 4, 2018, Event 8: Madison Triplus
The event was won by Dean Linder-Leighton and Tia-Clair Toomey.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Saturday, August 4, 2018, Event 9: Chaos
This event was designed so that the athletes did not know the quantity or movement going into each station. On the SkiErg, burpees, and squats, the athletes were told to move to the next station only when they reached the specified quantity. They were told the quantity of box jumps once they reached the box. The men, who went second on the event, were sequestered so that they could not find out the movements.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Saturday, August 4, 2018, Event 9: Chaos
The quantities varied between the men's and women's event. The men had 35 calories on the SkiErg, a machine built by Concept2 similar to their rowing machines but meant to simulate a cross-country skiing motion, and the women had 30. The burpees had 30 repetitions for the men and 25 for the women, as well as a higher target for the men. For the dumbbell overhead squats, the men had 45 while the women had 40 repetitions with a 50-pound (23-kilogram) and 35-pound (16-kilogram) dumbbell respectively. On the single-leg squats, the men had 40 while the women had 45. Both sexes had 25 box jumps, but the height for the women was 36 inches (91 centimeters) while the men had 42-inch (110-centimeter) tall boxes. The tumbler was a sand-filled barrel, 400 pounds (180 kilograms) and 300 pounds (140 kilograms) for the men and women respectively, attached to straps.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Saturday, August 4, 2018, Event 9: Chaos
The event was won by Patrick Vellner and Katrín Davíðsdóttir.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Saturday, August 4, 2018, Events 10 and 11: Bicouplet 1 and 2
Each heat performed events 10 and 11 back-to-back with a short rest in between. The order of the two events was voted on by fans to decide if Bicouplet 1 or 2 would be performed first with Bicouplet 2 becoming chosen as event 10. The snatch weight for Bicouplet 2 was 135 pounds (61 kilograms) for men and 85 pounds (39 kilograms) for women. The snatch weight for Bicouplet 1 was 85 pounds (39 kilograms) for men and 55 pounds (25 kilograms) for women.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Saturday, August 4, 2018, Events 10 and 11: Bicouplet 1 and 2
Event 10, Bicouplet 2, was won by Willy Georges and Camille Leblanc-Bazinet . Event 11, Bicouplet 1, was won by Rasmus Andersen and Kara Saunders.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Sunday, August 5, 2018, Event 12: Two-Stroke Pull
The event was won by Lukas Högberg and Laura Horváth.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Sunday, August 5, 2018, Event 13: Handstand Walk
As fast as possible, each competitor performed 50 double-unders with a heavy jump rope and then navigated an obstacle course while walking on their hands. The obstacles consisted of a pylon slalom, up and down a ramp, up and down stairs, and finished with a handstand walk across a set of parallel bars. Each individual obstacle had to be done without falling.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Sunday, August 5, 2018, Event 13: Handstand Walk
The event was won by Cody Anderson and Brooke Wells.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Sunday, August 5, 2018, Event 14: Aeneas
The event was a "chipper," a workout involving multiple exercises done sequentially without returning (as in "chipping away" at the number of repetitions) for the fastest time or as far as possible in the eight-minute time cap. The athletes started with climbing the peg board before moving on the thrusters, a CrossFit movement that is a combination of a front squat and push press in one continuous motion. After the thrusters the competitors picked up a yoke loaded with 425 pounds (193 kilograms) for the men or 345 pounds (156 kilograms) for the women.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Sunday, August 5, 2018, Event 14: Aeneas
After 33 feet of carrying the yoke, the athletes had to stop and load their yokes to 565 pounds (256 kilograms) or 405 pounds (184 kilograms) for the men or women respectively. After another 33 feet, they loaded the yokes to 665 pounds (302 kilograms) or 445 pounds (202 kilograms) before carrying it another 33 feet to the finish line.


2018 CrossFit Games, Individual, Sunday, August 5, 2018, Event 14: Aeneas
Having already secured first place overall in the 2018 Games, Mathew Fraser also finished first for this event. The women's event was won by Laura Horváth, the 2018 Games second-place finisher overall, while first place Games finisher Tia-Clair Toomey finished second in the event.


2018 Croydon London Borough Council election
The 2018 Croydon Council election took place on 3 May 2018 to elect members of Croydon Council in England. This was on the same day as other London local elections.


2018 Croydon London Borough Council election
This election was the first fought on new ward boundaries in Croydon. The total number of seats remains the same, however the number of wards has increased by four, from 24 to 28.


2018 Croydon London Borough Council election, Campaign
The Conservative Party released their manifesto first, on 2 April, entitled "A Council that's on your side". The manifesto included policies such as planning committee reform, an immediate pause on the council's building company, Brick by Brick, and active Fly-Tip patrols.


2018 Croydon London Borough Council election, Campaign
The Labour manifesto was launched on 7 April, with many street stalls in district centres around the borough. The Labour manifesto was called "Labour's plan for Croydon". It heavily echoed the party's 2014 manifesto, 'Ambitious for Croydon', and largely reflected a continuation of existing council policies.


2018 Croydon London Borough Council election, Campaign
The Liberal Democrat manifesto was released shortly after, with campaigns that included a People’s Vote on Brexit, campaigning to stop the axing of local bus routes, the restoration of community policing and an extension of the night Overground to Crystal Palace.


2018 Crozet, Virginia train crash
The Crozet, Virginia train crash was a railway accident that occurred on January 31, 2018. A chartered Amtrak train named Congressional Special Train 923, following the route normally used by the Amtrak Cardinal and carrying a group of politicians and lawmakers from the Republican Party, collided with a garbage truck at a level crossing at Lanetown Road in Crozet, Virginia, 12 miles (19 km) west of Charlottesville, Virginia. The train was chartered by Republican lawmakers for transportation from Washington Union Station to an annual retreat at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Several politicians brought their spouses and children with them for the trip; no members of the general public were passengers.


2018 Crozet, Virginia train crash, Crash
About 11:16 a.m. EST (16:16 UTC), Amtrak Congressional Special Train 923 struck the left rear of a garbage truck operated by Time Disposal at a railroad crossing at Lanetown Road near Crozet, Virginia. This caused the truck to rotate counterclockwise and collide with a railroad signal structure next to the tracks. The body of the garbage truck separated from the cab, and the truck's two passengers were ejected. The crossing is protected by flasher lights and gates, which were operating at the time of collision.


2018 Crozet, Virginia train crash, Crash
According to a witness, the train sounded a prolonged warning with its horn as the truck was trying to cross the track. According to an Albemarle County Police Department statement, 28-year-old truck passenger Christopher Foley died; he had mistakenly been identified by some as the driver. Another passenger was airlifted in critical condition, and the truck driver was taken to the hospital in serious condition. Three train passengers and three Amtrak crewmembers reported minor injuries.


2018 Crozet, Virginia train crash, Crash
Several politicians on the train made statements on the scene to media outlets. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky described the incident as "...loud and surprising. Some minor bumps and bruises in this car. We saw debris go by the left side of the train. The part of the truck we can see was decimated. Very relieved when the train came to a stop and still on the tracks."


2018 Crozet, Virginia train crash, Crash
Six injured people were taken to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. The hospital reported that one of the injured was in critical condition. One member of Congress, Representative Jason Lewis of Minnesota, was taken to the hospital with a concussion. He was treated and released, rejoining the group at the retreat in the early evening. Representative Roger Marshall, M.D., of Kansas, a passenger on the train, administered first aid and CPR to the injured, as did other passengers and local residents with medical training.


2018 Crozet, Virginia train crash, Crash
At 1:15 p.m. EST, the partially derailed lead locomotive, Amtrak P42DC heritage unit #145, was removed from the train to allow the investigation to continue. The remainder of the train was then moved back to Charlottesville Union Station, where the passengers were transferred to waiting buses to continue their trip to the Greenbrier. #145 was repaired and put back into service following the incident.


2018 Crozet, Virginia train crash, Investigation and criminal charges
The crash was investigated by multiple agencies, with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) serving as the lead investigative agency. The Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Albemarle County Police Department, Amtrak and the Buckingham Branch Railroad, who operates the rail line for CSX Transportation, assisted the NTSB in the investigation.


2018 Crozet, Virginia train crash, Investigation and criminal charges
On February 21, 2018, the NTSB published a preliminary report on the accident. It said the train was traveling about 61 miles per hour (98 km/h) when the engineer engaged the emergency brakes. Witnesses said the gates were already down when the truck entered the crossing. According to the lead locomotive's front-facing camera, by the time the crossing came into view, the truck was already inside the crossing.


2018 Crozet, Virginia train crash, Investigation and criminal charges
After completing their investigation, the Albemarle County Police Department announced on June 8, 2018, that the driver of the garbage truck, Dana William Naylor Jr., had been indicted by an Albemarle County grand jury on one count of involuntary manslaughter for the death of truck passenger Christopher Foley. Naylor was also charged with one count of maiming while driving under the influence for causing permanent physical injury to Dennis Eddy, who was also a passenger in the truck. The substance that Naylor was accused of being under the influence of was not named in the announcement, although the NTSB later revealed that he had marijuana and anti-seizure medication in his blood. Naylor was ultimately acquitted on both the DUI maiming and involuntary manslaughter charges in February 2019.


2018 Cruzeiro Esporte Clube season
The 2018 season was the 97th in the Cruzeiro Esporte Clube's existence. Along with the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the club also competed in the Campeonato Mineiro, the Copa do Brasil and the Copa Libertadores.


2018 Cruzeiro Esporte Clube season
On 17 October, Cruzeiro won their 6th Copa do Brasil title after defeating Corinthians 2–1 at Arena Corinthians, becoming the biggest champions of the tournament history and the first to win it twice in a row.


2018 Cruzeiro Esporte Clube season, Competitions, Copa do Brasil
As Cruzeiro participated in the 2018 Copa Libertadores, the club entered the Copa do Brasil in the round of 16, whose draw was held on 20 April.


2018 Cruzeiro Esporte Clube season, Competitions, Copa Libertadores
The group stage draw for the 2018 Copa Libertadores was made on 20 December 2017. Cruzeiro were drawn into Group E with Universidad de Chile, Racing and Vasco da Gama.


2018 Cruzeiro Esporte Clube season, Competitions, Copa Libertadores, Knockout stage
The draw for the knockout stages of the Copa Libertadores was held on 4 June.


2018 Cuban parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Cuba on 11 March 2018 to elect members of the National Assembly of People's Power. Prior to the elections, President Raúl Castro declared he would not be seeking a new term, and a new President of the Council of State will be elected by the National Assembly. His deputy, Miguel Díaz-Canel, was subsequently elected as the new president. However, Castro remained the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the most senior position in the country.


2018 Cuban parliamentary election, Electoral system
All Cuban citizens who are over the age of 18 years, and possess full political rights for at least five years prior to the election are eligible to partake within the election. 50% of candidates must be nominated by people from the municipality and elected by direct vote in local assemblies, where people decide who they consider to have the qualities to best represent them. The other 50% of candidates are  proposed by nominating assemblies which comprise representatives of workers, youth, women, students, and farmers, as well as members of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. The final list of candidates, which corresponds to the number of seats to be filled, is drawn up by the National Candidature Commission taking into account criteria such as candidates' merit, patriotism, ethical values, and revolutionary history.


2018 Cuban parliamentary election, Electoral system
Voter requirements are set within article 132 of the Cuban constitution. All voters must be Cuban citizens who have reached the age of 16 years, who have not been declared mentally disabled by a court, and who have not committed a crime. The electoral system is designed to give the winner of the election a majority. To be declared elected, one candidate must obtain more than 50% of the valid votes cast in the constituency in which they are running. If this is not attained, the seat in question remains vacant unless the Council of State decides to hold a second round of voting.


2018 Cuban parliamentary election, Results
On 12 March, the Cuba National Election Commission (CNE) released preliminary results. In a press conference, the CNE reported that all 605 candidates had been elected as Deputies to the National Assembly. Selective votes refer to voters who voted for either their National Assembly Deputy, or their Provincial Representative, but not both.


2018 Cupa României Final
The 2018 Cupa României Final was the final match of the 2017–18 Cupa României and the 80th final of the Cupa României, Romania's premier football cup competition. It was played on 27 May 2018 between Hermannstadt and Universitatea Craiova.


2018 Cupa României Final
Hermannstadt reached their first ever cup final in the third year of the club's existence. They are the 14th team, and the first in 36 years, to reach the final while not playing in the top league.


2018 Cupa României Final
This was be the first final for Universitatea since 1991, and the first for a team from Craiova in 18 years.


2018 Cupa României Final
The winner qualified for the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League. They also earned the right to play against 2017–18 Liga I champions for the 2018 Supercupa României.


2018 Cupa României Final
The game was be hosted by the Arena Națională stadium in Bucharest.


2018 Cure Bowl
The 2018 Cure Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 15, 2018, with kickoff scheduled for 1:30 p.m. EST. It was the fourth edition of the Cure Bowl, and one of the 2018–19 bowl games concluding the 2018 FBS football season. Sponsored by automotive retailer AutoNation, the game was officially known as the AutoNation Cure Bowl.


2018 Cure Bowl, Teams
The game was played between the Tulane Green Wave from the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns from the Sun Belt Conference. Both teams made their first appearance in a Cure Bowl. This game was the 27th all time meeting against the Ragin' Cajuns and the Green Wave, with Tulane leading the series 22–4; this was their second meeting in a bowl.


2018 Cure Bowl, Teams, Louisiana
Louisiana won the Sun Belt West Division title, earning a berth in the inaugural Sun Belt Championship, where they lost to Appalachian State. The Ragin' Cajuns entered the bowl with a 7–6 record (5–3 in conference).


2018 Cure Bowl, Teams, Tulane
Tulane received and accepted a bid to the Cure Bowl on December 2. The Green Wave, who were co-champions of the West Division of the AAC, entered the bowl with a 6–6 record (5–3 in conference).


2018 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic
The 2018 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic was held from October 5 to 8 at the Calgary Curling Club in Calgary, Alberta. The event was a triple knockout format, and the purse for the event was CAD$50,000, with the winning team receiving $13,000.


2018 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic
Kerri Einarson from Gimli defeated the reigning Canadian champion Jennifer Jones rink from Winnipeg in the final. The win gave Einarson and her team their 4th World Curling Tour win of the 2018-19 curling season.


2018 Currie Cup First Division
The 2018 Currie Cup First Division was the second tier of the 2018 Currie Cup, the 80th edition of the annual South African rugby union competition organised by the South African Rugby Union. It was played between 24 August and 19 October 2018 and featured seven of the eight teams that played in 2017, following Namibian side  Welwitschias' withdrawal.


2018 Currie Cup First Division
The competition was won by the  SWD Eagles, who beat the  Falcons 36–27 in the final played on 19 October 2018.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Competition rules and information
There were seven participating teams in the 2018 Currie Cup First Division. They played each other once during the pool stage, either at home or away. Teams receive four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points were awarded to teams that scored four or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lost a match by seven points or less. Teams were ranked by log points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Competition rules and information
The top four teams in the pool stage qualified for the semifinals, which were followed by a final.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Competition rules and information, Financial crisis and withdrawal of Welwitschias
The start of the 2018 Currie Cup First Division was marred by financial problems following the South African Rugby Union's announcement that First Division teams' budgets would be cut by 52%. The  Griffons announced that they would reduce player contracts to 8-month contracts and the  Leopards intimated that they might forfeit away matches to save on travel costs. and there were serious concerns about the participation of teams like the  Border Bulldogs and  Eastern Province Elephants.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Competition rules and information, Financial crisis and withdrawal of Welwitschias
Namibian side  Welwitschias were informed that they would have to pay the travel costs for teams travelling to games in Windhoek, but — after initial reports indicated that they raised the money with the help of World Rugby — they could not raise the required funds and announced their withdrawal from the competition.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Teams
The teams that played in the 2018 Currie Cup First Division are:


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Standings
The final log for the 2018 Currie Cup First Division was:


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Standings
The top four teams qualified for the semifinals. The top team qualified for the promotion play-off. Points breakdown:* 4 points for a win* 2 points for a draw* 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less* 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Round-by-round
The table below shows a team's progression throughout the season. For each round, each team's cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Matches
The following matches were played in the 2018 Currie Cup First Division:


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round One
The 2018 Currie Cup First Division season kicked off with an away victory for the  Leopards in George, beating home side  SWD Eagles 27–25 in a close affair. The other two matches of the round was far more comprehensive; the  Boland Cavaliers scored ten converted tries in their 70–12 victory over the  Eastern Province Elephants in Robertson, with Zandré Jordaan, Tapiwa Tsomondo and Valentino Wellman scoring two each, and the  Falcons also scored ten tries in their 66–27 victory over the  Border Bulldogs in Kempton Park, where Friedle Olivier and Etienne Taljaard scored braces.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Two
The  Falcons moved to the top of the log after a 56–52 victory over defending champions the  Griffons. For the second match in succession, Friedle Olivier and Etienne Taljaard each scored two tries for the Falcons, while a hat-trick from prop Danie van der Merwe was not enough for the team from Welkom.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Two
The  Leopards kept in touch with the Falcons, securing their second win of the competition after beating the  Boland Cavaliers 35–12 in Potchefstroom, while the  SWD Eagles outscored the  Border Bulldogs 37–22 in East London, with three players – Ruben Schoeman and Marlo Weich for the SWD Eagles and Sonwabiso Mqalo for the Border Bulldogs – getting two tries in the match.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Three
A bye for leaders the  Falcons saw the  Leopards take over top spot in the competition following their 28–21 bonus point victory over the  Eastern Province Elephants in Port Elizabeth. Defending champions the  Griffons suffered their second loss in a row, being beaten 7–32 by a  SWD Eagles side for whom Marlo Weich scored two tries for the second match in a row, moving into second place on the log in the process. The weekend's other match saw the  Border Bulldogs beat the  Boland Cavaliers 24–17 in Bredasdorp in their first victory of the season.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Four
A fourth different team moved to the top of the log in as many weeks as the  SWD Eagles moved into top spot following a 36–34 victory over the  Falcons in a match that saw the teams share 12 tries. The  Boland Cavaliers kept up the pressure by also securing a narrow away win, beating the  Griffons 48–45 in Welkom, with Charlie Mayeza scoring two tries and Elgar Watts contributing 15 points in the match for the visitors, while a hat-trick for Japie Nel and a brace for Cody Basson was in vain for the home side. The  Border Bulldogs emerged victorious in the Eastern Cape derby, with doubles from Sonwabiso Mqalo and Sipho Nofemele helping their team to a 39–26 win over the  Eastern Province Elephants.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Five
The  Leopards returned to the top of the log after beating the  Border Bulldogs 47–22, with fullback Gerhard Nortier scoring two tries for the team from Potchefstroom. The  Boland Cavaliers moved into third place following a low-scoring 20–7 win over the  Falcons in Lambert's Bay, while the  Griffons won the match between the two winless teams, beating the  Eastern Province Elephants 35–22 with wing Rodney Damons scoring a hat-trick for the winning team.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Six
The  SWD Eagles moved back to the top of the log following a 54–28 victory over the  Boland Cavaliers, securing a semifinal spot in the process. Seven different players scored tries for the home side, with fly-half Divan Nel contributing 19 points with the boot, while a brace from loose forward Tapiwa Tsomondo was in vain for the away side. Round Five log leaders the  Leopards suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 29–40 to the  Griffons in Welkom, but also secured a play-off spot.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Six
Three players scored two tries each in the match — Tertius Maarman and Barend Potgieter for the Griffons and Gerhard Nortier for the Leopards — as the Griffons maintained their play-off push by moving up to fifth spot. The biggest victory of the round came in Kempton Park, where the  Falcons ran in 15 tries in a 101–29 victory over the  Eastern Province Elephants to secure the third semifinal place. Winger Etienne Taljaard scored four tries for the Falcons, with Coert Cronjé, Thabo Mabuza and Friedle Olivier getting two each, while scrumhalf Anrich Richter converted 11 of his side's tries.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Seven
In the first match of the weekend, the  Falcons leap-frogged the  Leopards into second place on the log after winning the match between the teams 41–35, securing a home semifinal against the same opposition. Anrich Richter contributed 18 points for the home team, while a hat-trick for visiting winger Dean Stokes proved futile. The  SWD Eagles secured top spot after a 36–7 win over bottom-of-the-log  Eastern Province Elephants, with winger Adri Jacobs scoring two tries, and being awarded to penalty tries in the match. The final place in the play-offs was clinched by the  Griffons, who beat the  Border Bulldogs 40–7 with hooker Anrich Alberts getting a hat-trick, and in the processed moved into fourth spot ahead of the  Boland Cavaliers who was not in action in this round.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Play-offs, Title play-offs, Semifinals
Two home victories saw the  SWD Eagles and  Falcons progress to the final. The Falcons convincingly beat the  Leopards in Kempton Park, with four tries from loose forward Martin Sithole and 17 points from scrum-half Anrich Richter helping them to a 59–19 victory. It was a lower-scoring affair in George, where the  SWD Eagles won 22–6 against the  Griffons, with 17 of the home side's points coming from the boot of fly-half Divan Nel.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Play-offs, Title play-offs, Final
The  SWD Eagles won their third Currie Cup First Division title — following on from wins in 2002 and 2007 — by beating the  Falcons 36–27 in George, despite being 15–27 down as half-time. Eighth man Wayne Wilschut scored a hat-trick of tries for the home team, with Wynand Grassmann and Marlo Weich getting one each, and Divan Nel kicking 11 points. For the Falcons, Etienne Taljaard scored two more tries to finish as the competition's top try-scorer with 13 tries, while Anrich Richter scored a try and 12 points with the boot to finish as the top points scorer with 105.


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Honours
The honour roll for the 2018 Currie Cup First Division was as follows:


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Players
The squads and player appearance and scoring statistics for the 2018 Currie Cup First Division are as follows:


2018 Currie Cup First Division, Referees
The following referees officiated matches in the 2018 Currie Cup First Division:


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division
The 2018 Currie Cup Premier Division was the top tier of the 2018 Currie Cup, the 80th edition of the annual South African rugby union competition organised by the South African Rugby Union. It was played between 17 August and 27 October 2018 and featured the same seven teams as in 2017.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division
The competition was won by the  Sharks, who beat  Western Province 17–12 in the final played on 27 October 2018.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Competition rules and information
There were seven participating teams in the 2018 Currie Cup Premier Division. They played each other once during the pool stage, either at home or away. Teams received four points for a win and two points for a draw. Bonus points were awarded to teams that scored four or more tries in a game, as well as to teams that lost a match by seven points or less. Teams were ranked by log points, then points difference (points scored less points conceded).


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Competition rules and information
The top four teams in the pool stage qualified for the semifinals, which were followed by a final.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Teams
The teams that played in the 2018 Currie Cup Premier Division are:


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Standings
The final log for the 2018 Currie Cup Premier Division was:


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Standings
The top four teams qualified for the semifinals. Points breakdown:* 4 points for a win* 2 points for a draw* 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less* 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Round-by-round
The table below shows a team's progression throughout the season. For each round, each team's cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches
The following matches were played in the 2018 Currie Cup Premier Division:


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round One
The 2018 Currie Cup kicked off with a match between the two teams that finished in the bottom two spots in 2017; the  Pumas and  Griquas in Nelspruit. The  Pumas won the match 42–19, with fly-half Chris Smith having a Currie Cup debut to remember, scoring 22 points in his side's victory. In the other match, the  Blue Bulls beat the  Free State Cheetahs 34–12 in Bloemfontein, with their fly-half Manie Libbok scoring 17 points, including his team's opening try.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Two
The three teams that has byes in Round One all secured home victories in Round Two. Defending champions  Western Province got their title defense underway with a 32–0 victory over the  Free State Cheetahs, while the  Sharks beat the  Blue Bulls 26–10 in Durban; both teams scored four tries in their victories to secure a bonus point. The highest-scoring match of the round was the Friday evening match between the  Golden Lions and  Griquas, with the team from Johannesburg winning 62–41. Winger Courtnall Skosan scored a hat-trick and Hacjivah Dayimani got a brace as the Golden Lions ran in nine tries, with fly-half Shaun Reynolds kicking 17 points. Griquas fly-half George Whitehead scored 16 points for the losing team, who scored five tries of their own.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Three
Round Three saw the  Golden Lions,  Sharks and  Western Province all winning their away games to make it two wins out of two. Western Province remain top on points differential after a 57–28 victory over the Pumas, with Sergeal Petersen scoring two of his side's eight tries, and winger SP Marais contributing 22 points through one try, seven conversions and a penalty.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Three
The other two matches were closer affairs, with both home teams getting a bonus point for a loss by less than seven points; Louis Fouché scored two tries and 17 points in the  Free State Cheetahs' 29–33 loss to a  Sharks side for whom captain Chiliboy Ralepelle also scored a brace, while Ruan Steenkamp had a memorable match for the  Blue Bulls, scoring a hat-trick before getting sin-binned, but ended on the losing side against the  Golden Lions, whose eighth man Hacjivah Dayimani scored two tries to secure a 38–35 win for the team from Johannesburg in the trans-Jukskei derby.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Four
The  Golden Lions and the  Sharks both maintained their perfect record, making it three bonus point wins out of three. The Sharks secured a 28–12 victory over the  Pumas in the Friday night game, while the Golden Lions scored seven tries in a 47–14 victory over the  Free State Cheetahs, with fly-half Shaun Reynolds scoring 22 points through two tries and six conversion, with winger Sylvian Mahuza also scoring two tries. The highest-scoring game of the weekend saw the  Blue Bulls move up to third after a 45–40 victory over  Griquas. Two tries from Griquas centre André Swarts was not enough as the side from Pretoria scored seven tries to secure the win. A bye weekend saw  Western Province drop from first to fourth on the log.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Five
In the biggest match of the weekend, two previously-unbeaten sides in the  Golden Lions and  Western Province met in Johannesburg. The side from Cape Town secured a 65–38 win, scoring nine tries in the process with Dillyn Leyds and Sergeal Petersen scoring two each, while SP Marais contributed 25 of his side's points through one try, seven conversions and two penalties. The result saw Western Province move up to third on the log, one place behind the Golden Lions.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Five
The  Blue Bulls moved to the top of the log following a 39–29 win over the  Pumas in Pretoria, with Jade Stighling contributing two tries. In the weekend's other match, 17 points from George Whitehead and two tries from lock FP Pelser saw  Griquas move up to fifth spot by beating the  Free State Cheetahs 52–24, a result which confirmed that the team from Bloemfontein won't take part in the semifinals.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Six
The  Sharks and  Western Province both maintained their perfect starts to the season, each winning their fourth consecutive match ahead of their meeting in Round Seven. Western Province secured a 38–12 victory over  Griquas, with wing Sergeal Petersen scoring two of his side's six tries to move joint-top of the try-scoring charts. Loose-forward Dan du Preez also scored a brace, for the Sharks in their 37–21 victory over a  Golden Lions side that lost their second match in a row, with Sharks fly-half Robert du Preez scoring 17 points with the boot.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Six
In the other match of the weekend, Ryan Nell scored two tries as the  Pumas picked up their second win of the season, beating the  Free State Cheetahs 42–14 to condemn the team from Bloemfontein to a winless season, having lost all six of their matches. The Sharks and Western Province mathematically assured their semifinal berths, while the Blue Bulls, Golden Lions and Pumas remained in the race for the other two spots.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Seven
The only match of the round saw the top two sides, the  Sharks and  Western Province meet in Cape Town. The home side won the match 50–28 with SP Marais contributing 20 of his side's points, securing a home semi-final in the process.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Eight
Round Eight saw a full round of three matches being played, with the first of these finalising the semifinal lineup; the  Golden Lions beat the  Pumas 33–21 in Mbombela — with both Corné Fourie and Courtnall Skosan scoring a brace of tries — to end the latter's involvement in the competition and ensuring the Golden Lions and the  Blue Bulls advanced to the knockout stage. The  Sharks clinched a home semifinal by easily beating  Griquas in Kimberley, with wingers Lwazi Mvovo and Leolin Zas each scoring two tries in a 41–11 win.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Pool stage, Matches, Round Eight
The final match of the round between the  Blue Bulls and  Western Province lasted just 40 minutes; after a delayed start in the match due to lightning, some play was possible before the match was abandoned at half-time due to ever-worsening weather conditions. Western Province were leading 34–7, and this was declared the final result of the match following the abandonment.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Play-offs, Title play-offs, Semifinals
The semifinal matches went according to form, with the top two teams from the pool stage and home semifinalists  Sharks and  Western Province both winning. Dan du Preez and S'busiso Nkosi each scored two tries in the Sharks' 33–24 victory over the  Golden Lions, for whom Courtnall Skosan also scored a brace.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Play-offs, Title play-offs, Semifinals
Western Province and the  Blue Bulls met for the second week in a row, but unlike the Round Eight match that saw Western Province win in a 40-minute match, this encounter finished 32–all during normal time, with the Blue Bulls' Dylan Sage scoring a try after the final hooter to level the scores and send the match into extra time. Western Province recovered and retained their lead to win 35–32 after extra time, thanks to a penalty from SP Marais, who scored 30 of his side's points in the victory.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Play-offs, Title play-offs, Final
The  Sharks won their first title since 2013 after beating  Western Province 17–12 in Cape Town. The only points in the first half came from the boot of Western Province kicker SP Marais, who slotted penalties in the 19th and 35th minutes to secure a 6–0 half-time lead for the home side. A try for Sharks hooker Akker van der Merwe, converted by fly-half Robert du Preez, saw the Sharks take a 7–6 lead shortly after the interval.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Play-offs, Title play-offs, Final
A Marais penalty in the 49th minute restored Western Province's lead, but Du Preez responded in kind two minutes later to restore the Sharks' lead. The decisive score came in the 70th minute, when Sharks flank Tyler Paul scored a try — again converted by Du Preez — to make the scoreline 17–9. A penalty from Damian Willemse wasn't enough for the home side, and the Sharks secured the eighth Currie Cup title in their history.


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Honours
The honour roll for the 2018 Currie Cup Premier Division was as follows:


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Players
The squads and player appearance and scoring statistics for the 2018 Currie Cup Premier Division are as follows:


2018 Currie Cup Premier Division, Referees
The following referees officiated matches in the 2018 Currie Cup Premier Division:


2018 Curtis Cup
The 40th Curtis Cup Match was played from June 8–10, 2018 at Quaker Ridge Golf Club, Scarsdale, New York. The United States dominated the match, winning by 17 matches to 3 including all 8 of the singles matches.


2018 Curtis Cup, Format
The contest was a three-day competition, with three foursomes and three fourball matches on each of the first two days, and eight singles matches on the final day, a total of 20 points.


2018 Curtis Cup, Format
Each of the 20 matches is worth one point in the larger team competition. If a match is all square after the 18th hole, extra holes are not played. Rather, each side earns 1⁄2 a point toward their team total. The team that accumulates at least 101⁄2 points wins the competition. In the event of a tie, the current holder retains the Cup.


2018 Curtis Cup, Teams
Eight players for the USA and Great Britain & Ireland participated in the event plus one non-playing captain for each team.


2018 Curtis Cup, Teams
The American team was selected by the USGA’s International Team Selection Committee.


2018 Curtis Cup, Teams
Two members of the Great Britain & Ireland team were selected automatically, the top two in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) as of April 25, 2018. The remaining six were picked by the R&A Women's Selection Committee. Leona Maguire, second in the world rankings, ruled herself out, as she intended to turn professional before the event.


2018 Curtis Cup, Teams
Note: "Rank" is the World Amateur Golf Ranking as of the start of the Cup.


2018 Cypriot presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Cyprus on 28 January 2018. As no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, a run-off was held on 4 February between the top two candidates, incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades of the Democratic Rally (DISY) and Stavros Malas of the Progressive Party of Working People. Anastasiades emerged as the winner with 55.99% of the vote.


2018 Cypriot presidential election, Electoral system
The President of Cyprus is elected using the two-round system; if no candidate gets a majority in the first round of voting, a run-off is held between the top two candidates.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup
The 2018 Cyprus Cup was the eleventh edition of the Cyprus Cup, an invitational women's football tournament held annually in Cyprus. It took place from 28 February to 7 March 2018.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup
Spain won the title for the first time after defeating Italy 2–0 in the final.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup, Format
The twelve invited teams were split into three groups to play a round-robin tournament.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup, Format
Points awarded in the group stage follow the standard formula of three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for a loss. In the case of two teams being tied on the same number of points in a group, their head-to-head result determine the higher place.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup, Format
1st place match: Winners of Groups A and B. 3rd place match: Winner of Group C and best runner-up from Groups A and B. 5th place match: Runner-up in Group C and second-best runner-up from Groups A and B. 7th place match: Third-place teams in Groups A and B. 9th place match: Third-place team in Group C and best fourth-place team from Groups A and B. 11th place match: Fourth-place team in Group C and second-best fourth-place team from Groups A and B.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup, Group stage
The groups and schedule were announced on 18 January 2018.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup squads
This article lists the squads for the 2018 Cyprus Women's Cup, the 11th edition of the Cyprus Women's Cup. The cup consisted of a series of friendly games, and was held in Cyprus from 28 February to 7 March 2018. The twelve national teams involved in the tournament registered a squad of 23 players.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup squads
The age listed for each player is on 28 February 2018, the first day of the tournament. The numbers of caps and goals listed for each player do not include any matches played after the start of tournament. The club listed is the club for which the player last played a competitive match prior to the tournament. The nationality for each club reflects the national association (not the league) to which the club is affiliated. A flag is included for coaches that are of a different nationality than their own national team.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup squads, Group A, Finland
The squad was announced on 13 February 2018. Mimmi Nurmela was added to the squad on 20 February 2018. Linda Nyman replaced Tia Hälinen on 23 February 2018.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup squads, Group B, Czech Republic
The squad was announced on 13 February 2018. On 25 February 2018, Lucie Kladrubská replaced Petra Bertholdová.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup squads, Group C, Hungary
An initial 24-player squad was announced on 21 February 2018. A week later, on 28 February 2018, the final 23-player squad was announced, with Ágnes Nagy not travelling with the team to Cyprus.


2018 Cyprus Women's Cup squads, Group C, South Africa
The squad was announced on 2 February 2018. On 25 February 2018, Kholosa Biyana withdrew and was replaced by Zanele Nhlapo.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute
The 2018 Cyprus gas dispute is a diplomatic dispute involving the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus (in partnership with Greece and Egypt) in the eastern Mediterranean, which began on February 6, 2018. The dispute followed remarks made by Turkey's foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, rejecting a 2003 Cypriot-Egyptian maritime border demarcation deal and announcing the Turkish government's intention to carry out gas exploration in the region. Tensions in the region further escalated on February 9, when the Turkish Navy blocked a drill ship operated by Italian oil company Eni S.p.A., licensed by the government of the Republic of Cyprus, from exploring gas reserves off the island.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute
Çavuşoğlu said during his interview with the Greek newspaper Kathimerini that Turkish Cypriots have "undeniable rights" to the Cypriot EEZ. Egypt's Foreign Ministry reacted by warning Turkey not to contest the 2013 deal and Egyptian economic interests in the region, adding that any attempts to do so would be confronted. The Cypriot government officials have emphasised that any future benefits are for all Cypriots, including the Turkish Cypriots, but only after a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute
On February 16, Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi stated that the Turkish blockade of its drill ship, Saipem 12000, was out of Eni's hands and that the issue was being discussed by involved parties. In November 2018, the partnership of the Cypriot government and US company ExxonMobil successfully began carrying out hydrocarbon exploration, escorted by US Navy ships, with Turkey remaining passive.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute, Background
In the early 1970s, the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) gave oil companies permission to search the island's waters for hydrocarbons, and the first exploration started in 1977. Earlier, in 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, leaving in its wake an unresolved ethnic dispute and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) occupying the northern part of the island, which is only recognized by Turkey.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute, Background
In 2002, the Turkish Navy prevented Northern Alliance, a ship operated by a RoC-commissioned Norwegian company, from exploring the Cypriot EEZ. In 2003, the governments of Cyprus and Egypt signed maritime border agreement delineating their respective EEZs. Cyprus also signed a similar agreement with the government of Lebanon in January 2007. Later that same month, the RoC defined thirteen zones (named "Blocks") in its EEZ, and invited tenders for eleven of them in the following months. Turkey, a non-signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, claims Block 3 of the Cypriot EEZ as part of its continental shelf.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute, Background
In November 2008, a Turkish Navy vessel was involved in a standoff with two ships operated by Norwegian company Petroleum Geo-Services, a day before the Turkish Petroleum Corporation was given Ankara's permission to explore waters claimed by the Cypriot government. Three days later, the RoC found Malene Ostervold, a Norwegian-flagged ship commissioned by Turkey, surveying the region's waters. Ankara believes the Turkish Cypriot community should be allowed to benefit from the island's offshore resources. In 2014, Turkey deployed two warships to the Cypriot EEZ and started conducting seismic surveys in the region.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute, Background
Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades responded by suspending unification talks with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart, Derviş Eroğlu. During a trilateral summit with Cyprus in Cairo, Egypt and Greece expressed their disapproval of the Turkish moves. They also outlined plans for energy cooperation in the eastern Mediterranean. Ankara responded by stating that the Turkish Navy would apply the rules of engagement should it encounter any warship in the region.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute, Background
In 2015, the Zohr Field was discovered by Eni in the Egyptian EEZ, setting off a gas exploration race in the eastern Mediterranean. Zohr also revived the Cypriot gas industry's potential to be part of regional projects, such as a gas pipeline to Europe. Other initiatives include a pipeline to Egypt's decommissioned liquefaction plants and shipping the produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Egyptian terminals to foreign markets.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute, Timeline
The 2018 Cyprus gas dispute began on February 6, 2018. The dispute followed remarks made by Turkey's foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, rejecting a 2003 Cypriot-Egyptian maritime border demarcation deal and announcing the Turkish government's intention to carry out gas exploration in the region. Tensions in the region further escalated on February 9, when the Turkish Navy blocked a drill ship operated by Italian oil company Eni S.p.A., licensed by the government of the Republic of Cyprus, from exploring gas reserves off the island.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute, Timeline
Çavuşoğlu said during his interview with Kathimerini that Turkish Cypriots represented by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (only recognized by Turkey), have "undeniable rights" to the Cypriot EEZ. Egypt's Foreign Ministry reacted by warning Turkey not to contest the 2013 deal and Egyptian economic interests in the region, adding that any attempts to do so would be confronted. The Cypriot government officials have emphasised that any future benefits are for all Cypriots, including the Turkish Cypriots, but only after a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. On February 16, Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi stated that the Turkish blockade of its drill ship, Saipem 12000, was out of Eni's hands and that the issue was being discussed by involved parties.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute, Timeline
On November 16, the partnership of the Cypriot government and US company ExxonMobil successfully began carrying out hydrocarbon exploration, escorted by US Navy ships, with Turkey remaining passive. The Turkish Foreign Ministry responded with a statement in which its spokesman, Hami Aksoy, vowed that Turkey would begin drilling operations of its own in Cypriot waters.


2018 Cyprus gas dispute, Timeline
Meral Aksener, a prominent opposition leader and head of the İyi Party, addressed the Turkish parliament calling for a repeated invasion of Cyprus saying "You should know that if need be 'Ayşe will go on holiday again'", a reference to the code phrase that was used as a signal for the 1974 invasion. She additionally said that "Cyprus is Turkish and will remain Turkish".


2018 Cyprus gas dispute, Timeline
In July 2019, the European Council adopted the following conclusions on the Turkish drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean:


2018 Czech Athletics Championships
The 2018 Czech Athletics Championships (Czech: Mistrovství České republiky v atletice 2018) was the 26th edition of the national outdoor track and field championships for the Czech Republic. It was held on 28 and 29 July at the Municipal Stadium Sletiště in Kladno. The host club for the competition was AC Tepo Kladno. The same venue is used for the annual TNT – Fortuna Meeting combined events meeting.


2018 Czech Athletics Championships
Several events were held separately from the main track and field competition. The 10,000 metres took place in Brno on 28 April, the marathon championships were held within the annual Prague Marathon on 6 May, and the 20 kilometres race walk championships were held within the annual Poděbrady Race Walking meet in Poděbrady on 7 April. The men's 50 kilometres race walk was cancelled.


2018 Czech Lion Awards
2018 Czech Lion Awards ceremony was held on 23 March 2019. Nominations were announced on 22 January 2019. Toman has received highest number of nominations. Nominations for television categories were announced on 25 February 2019.


2018 Czech Lion Awards
Václav Kopta was announced as host of the ceremony on 6 December 2018. Visual style of the ceremony was presented to public on 6 December 2018. It was created by Dynamo design.


2018 Czech Lion Awards
Winter Flies has won highest number of awards including Best film.


2018 Czech Open (table tennis)
The 2018 Czech Open was the tenth event of the 2018 ITTF World Tour. The event was organised by the Czech Table Tennis Association, under the authority of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). It took place from 23 to 26 August in Olomouc, Czech Republic.


2018 Czech Pirate Party leadership election
The Czech Pirate Party leadership election of 2018 was held on 6 January 2018. It will be held after successful 2017 legislative election. The incumbent leader Ivan Bartoš ran for another term. Bartoš was the only candidate and was reelected by winning 276 votes. Only 17 members voted against him.


2018 Czech Pirate Party leadership election, Background
Czech Pirate Party became the third largest party in the Czech Republic after 2017 legislative election. Party's statutes state that next leadership election should be held no later than 3 months after legislative election. The incumbent leader Ivan Bartoš announced he will seek another term and asked for nomination of Liberec region organisation.


2018 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2018 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix was the tenth round of the 2018 MotoGP season. It was held at the Masaryk Circuit in Brno on 5 August 2018. Fabio Di Giannantonio took his first career victory in the Moto3 race.


2018 Czech Senate election
Senate elections were held in the Czech Republic on 5 and 6 October 2018 alongside municipal elections, with a second round held on 12 and 13 October 2018. The Conservative Civic Democratic Party (ODS) won the election with 10 seats. Governing parties ANO 2011 and the Czech Social Democratic Party were heavily defeated, winning only 1 seat each. The Communist Party lost its last seat in the Senate when Václav Homolka failed to be re-elected, meaning the party would be without representation in the Senate for the first time in the history of Czech Republic. The election was considered the first major win for the opposition to Andrej Babiš' Cabinet. Commentators including Josef Kopecký also noted ODS confirmed their position as the main opposition party, ahead of the Czech Pirate Party.


2018 Czech Senate election, Electoral system
One-third of the 81-member Senate is elected every two years, giving Senators six year terms. Members of the Senate are elected in single-member constituencies using the two-round system.


2018 Czech Senate election, Campaign
The Senate election campaign ran parallel to the campaign for the municipal elections.


2018 Czech Senate election, Campaign
ANO 2011 launched their campaign on 3 September 2018. Babiš said that ANO was offering many highly qualified candidates, including Ivan Pilný and Eva Syková.


2018 Czech Senate election, Campaign
The Czech Social Democratic Party launched their campaign on 5 September 2018, focused on social issues.


2018 Czech Senate election, Campaign
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) launched their campaign on 7 September 2018. Petr Fiala stated that the election would be a conflict of two worlds, with ODS representing the world of experienced candidates and ANO 2011 representing the world of repeated restarts.


2018 Czech Senate election, Results
The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) was the most successful party in the first round, with 11 candidates proceeding to the second round. ANO 2011 had 10 candidates proceeding.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum
From 21 May 2018 to 14 June 2018 the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) held a referendum to determine whether it should join the minority government of Andrej Babiš with potential confidence and supply from the Communist Party.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum
17,683 party members were eligible to vote and the referendum was deemed to be valid if the turnout reached at least 25%. A decision not to join the government would possibly trigger a snap election.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Background
ČSSD won the 2013 legislative election with 20% of the vote and formed a coalition government with ANO 2011 and Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party. Support for ČSSD fell during its time in government. The party suffered heavy losses in the 2017 election and finished in sixth place with 7% of the vote. In a subsequent leadership election, the main issue was whether ČSSD should join the new coalition government or be in opposition. Milan Chovanec argued that the party should be in opposition, while Jan Hamáček and Jiří Zimola supported joining the coalition. Chovanec was eliminated in the first round of voting. Hamáček then defeated Zimola and became the new leader, and started negotiations with ANO 2011. Zimola became deputy leader. The new cabinet of ANO 2011 and ČSSD would be supported by the Communist Party.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Background
Former Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka expressed his opposition to joining the coalition, saying that the previous coalition with ANO damaged ČSSD. He also expressed the view that, as ANO 2011 was already working with the Communists and the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy, he only needed ČSSD to legitimise his government. Sobotka eventually decided to leave politics, citing his opposition to coalition talks with ANO.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Background
Hamáček demanded 5 seats for ČSSD in the new cabinet, including the Interior Minister and Justice Minister roles. Babiš offered the party only four cabinet positions, and refused to give ČSSD the Ministry of the Interior. Hamáček announced on 27 March 2018 that the party would hold a referendum of the membership to decide whether the party would be part of the coalition.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Background
ČSSD persisted in its demands and suggested that it could walk away from coalition talks. Babiš eventually agreed to give ČSSD five seats, but refused to give up Ministry of the Interior. ČSSD then ended the coalition talks.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Background
Babiš then stated that a coalition of ANO, Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) and the Communists was the only option remaining. However, ANO announced on 13 April 2018 that it would recommence talks with ČSSD. The Social Democrats agreed to continue with coalition talks when ANO agreed to give ČSSD five seats including the Ministry of the Interior, though the final decision would still be decided in a referendum.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Background
Coalition talks concluded on 7 May 2018, with Hamáček and Babiš finalising the coalition agreement. ANO ratified the deal on 11 May 2018. ČSSD announced that members of the party would vote on the agreement between 21 May and 14 June 2018.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Procedure
The voting took place at meetings of the party's local branches, with voting being deemed valid if the turnout was at least 25%. If the turnout was less than 25%, then the Central Executive Committee of ČSSD would decide whether the party joined the government. Branch meetings could allow voting only if 40% of members were present at the meeting. If the quorum was not met then voting would not take place and members of the organisation could not participate in the referendum.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Campaign
ČSSD Senators, led by Milan Štěch, expressed their opposition to ČSSD participation in the new government on 25 April 2018. Štěch noted that ČSSD had promised not to participate in a government led by someone facing criminal charges. Štěch also announced that opponents of the coalition would campaign against ratification of the coalition agreement. Jiří Zimola criticised the Senators, saying they had misused their media attention.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Campaign
Party leader Jan Hamáček originally refused to publish the names of the potential ČSSD ministers. Many prominent party members wanted to know the names of future ministers before voting. The party leadership eventually agreed to publish the names of the ministers before the referendum, and they did so on 18 May 2018.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Campaign
Hamáček started the campaign on 14 May 2018 with a visit to the local party in Liberec. He then visited Pardubice, Hradec Králové, Jihlava and Teplice. Hamáček stated that both sides had a lot of support within the party. Jiří Zimola also started campaigning in favour of the coalition agreement. Roman Onderka visited some Moravian regions but did not endorse either side. Opponents of the coalition plans also started campaigning. Hamáček stated that he was not trying to convince members to vote to join the government, but to inform them about the agreement with ANO 2011. Hamáček met members of the Prague branch on 16 May 2018, and subsequently stated that the majority of ČSSD members in Prague supported participation in the new government.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Campaign
ČSSD senators led by Milan Štěch started sending letters to ČSSD members on 18 May 2018. They warned against participation in a government led by Andrej Babiš and argued that previous cooperation with Andrej Babiš had led the party to be marginalised. The Ústí nad Labem regional branch expressed its opposition to ČSSD participation in the new government. The Plzeň regional branch also recommended that its members oppose participation in the government. However, the Central Bohemian branch expressed support for joining the government.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Campaign
Both campaign went quiet towards the end of the referendum. In the end 60% of members voted in favour of joining the government.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Voting
Voting began on 20 May 2018. 37 of 46 ČSSD members in Dejvice participated in referendum. 29 voted for participation in the government while eight voted against. The Bohumín branch voted against participation. 16% of ČSSD members in Bohumín voted for participation. Voting in Opava and Orlová was close, but a majority voted against participation.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Voting
One third of the party's branches had voted by 25 February 2018. Turnout was around 70%. Prague, Central Bohemia, Pardubice and South Bohemian regions voted in support of government participation. It was reported on 28 May 2018 that 70% of voters supported government participation. It was reported on 31 May 2018 that 59.5% of voters had supported government participation so far. By 11 June 2018, 85% of party's organisations had voted. Lidové noviny reported that 60% of voters had supported government participation while 40% voted against.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party government referendum, Voting
Voting concluded on 14 June 2018, with 58.5% having voted in favour and 40.2% against. The official result was published on 15 June 2018.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election
A leadership election for the Czech Social Democratic Party (ČSSD) was held in 2018 following the 2017 legislative election. Jan Hamáček was elected the new leader of the party, defeating Jiří Zimola in the second round.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Background
In the previous leadership election, held in 2017, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka was reelected as the party's leader and expressed his intention to remain in the position until 2019, when the next leader would be elected. Poor results in opinion polls led to Sobotka's resignation on 14 June 2017. Minister of Internal Affairs Milan Chovanec became acting leader of the party while Lubomír Zaorálek became the electoral leader for the 2017 legislative election. Chovanec announced on 29 July that the leadership election would be held in 2018, most likely in Spring. He mentioned March as a possible date. Lubomír Zaorálek announced his intention to participate in the election.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Background
ČSSD suffered a heavy defeat in the 2017 election, coming sixth with 7% of the vote. Zaorálek stated that he did not intend to step down as party leader, but some prominent members of the party including Jaroslav Foldyna and Michal Hašek called for a change of leadership.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Campaign
On 22 October 2017 Chovanec announced that party's meeting would be held on 7 April 2018. Milan Chovanec and Jan Hamáček were mentioned by commentators as potential main candidates. Chovanec was reported to be planning his candidacy. Zaorálek announced that he would not run for party leader due to the poor result in the legislative election. Chovanec stated on 28 October that the election should be direct and suggested that the new leader could be an independent. He also stated that he would not run for the position.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Campaign
Regional branches of the party were dissatisfied that the election would be held in April and wanted it to be held sooner. On 3 November 2017, it was announced the election would be held on 18 February 2018. Jaroslav Foldyna and Jiří Zimola were mentioned as possible candidates. Roman Onderka received support from the South Moravian branch for running for any position in the party's management. Some prominent members of the organisation stated that Onderka should consider running for leadership of the party.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Campaign
ČSSD decided to allow independent politicians to run for the position, enabling Vysočina governor Běhounek to stand. Běhounek announced he would run for the position if some members of the party returned to prominent leadership positions, including Jiří Zimola, Michal Hašek and Jeroným Tejc. These individuals stated that they did not intend to return to these positions. Tejc even left the party, saying there was a lack of responsibility for the disastrous result in 2017 legislative election. Běhounek was criticised for his ties with Hašek.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Campaign
On 20 December 2017, Milan Chovanec stated that he might run for the position of leader, and would announce his decision on 18 January 2018. On 8 January 2018, Jan Hamáček attended a conference of Mladá Boleslav ČSSD. He announced his candidacy at the meeting, saying that ČSSD had to fight for its survival, and that the party had to focus on its traditional voters. Hamáček received his nomination for the candidacy at the conference. On 9 January 2018, Miroslav Krejčík announced his candidacy. Mayor of Olomouc Staněk announced his candidacy on 11 January 2018. He received nominations from three district branches.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Campaign
On 11 January 2018, Milan Chovanec received nominations from the Plzeň-city and Tachov branches of ČSSD. He stated that he had not yet decided if he would run, but was considering it. On 12 January 2018, the Ostrava district branch nominated Miroslav Krejčík and Jiří Zimola. Chovanec accepted the nomination and announced his candidacy on 28 January 2018. Chovanec is a supporter of Czech president Miloš Zeman and was present at Zeman's electoral headquarters when Zeman was re-elected for a second term on 27 January 2018. Chovanec received nominations from the Zlín and Plzeň regional branches.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Campaign
Chovanec and Hamáček were considered front-runners of the election at that time. Jiří Zimola also announced his candidacy on 28 January 2018. Zimola is a member of a platform called "Let's Save ČSSD" and a supporter of Miloš Zeman. He is also considered an ally of Andrej Babiš and ANO 2011. Hamáček on the other hand is supported by a faction that opposes Zeman and supported Jiří Drahoš during the presidential election.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Campaign
Hamáček received nominations from five regions (Prague, Central Bohemia, Karlovy Vary, Hradec Králové and Liberec). Chovanec received nominations from 3 regions (Plzeň, Ústí nad Labem and Zlín). The other candidates received nominations from one region each; Zimola was nominated by South Bohemia, Staněk by Olomouc region, Krejčík by South Bohemia, and Žatecká by Liberec region. Jukl did not receive a nomination from any region. Vysočina and Pardubice regions did not nominate any candidate. Hamáček was considered to be the front runner due to his greater number of nominations.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Campaign
The question of whether ČSSD should join a coalition with ANO 2011 became the main issue of the campaign; Hamáček and Zimola support joining the coalition while Chovanec is opposed. Jan Jukl, Romana Žatecká and Jiří Sokol are also against the coalition with ANO. Chovanec made his opinion public in a letter to party members warning them that participation in the coalition government would hurt the party. He also criticised his rivals Hamáček and Zimola. Hamáček later published his own letter in which he criticised Chovanec and argued that the party should negotiate with ANO.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Campaign
Hamáček was considered the front-runner due to his high number of nominations. His main rival was believed to be Milan Chovanec, with Jiří Zimola considered the third strongest candidate. Mladá fronta DNES speculated that Miroslav Krejčík could be the dark horse of the election. Chovanec succeeded in convincing delegates from North Moravia to support him.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Voting
The election was held on 18 February 2018. President Miloš Zeman attended the party meeting and suggested that the party should join a coalition with ANO 2011, but he did not endorse any particular candidate. Zeman also warned the party against excluding different opinions within the party. The election was preceded by a debate between the delegates. Michal Picl argued against a coalition with ANO. Kateřina Valachová said that ČSSD should be confident and find its own equivalent to Robert Fico. Jan Mládek criticised Bohuslav Sobotka's leadership and said that Sobotka had only tried to keep his position, and had not presented a program to the voters. He added that the party should elect a candidate with strong ideas. Lubomír Zaorálek said that the new leader should have empathy.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Voting
The candidates then made their nomination speeches. Jiří Sokol withdrew his candidacy. Hamáček stated that he wanted to unify the party. He talked about engaging in discussions with the party membership, and said he would open the party for the people and build a welfare state, and that ČSSD should support justice for people. Hamáček also expressed the view that the party should negotiate with ANO 2011 about joining the government. Chovanec said he knew he wasn't a perfect candidate, and is different from Emmanuel Macron or Robert Fico.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Voting
He said that ČSSD should not join a coalition with ANO, but should focus on issues of interest to the people, such as executions. Chovanec concluded by saying that he was offering his experience and skills but did not want anything back. Jan Jukl opposed a coalition with ANO, and said that the party should return to trustworthy politics. Miroslav Krejčík talked about the situation in the party before the 2017 legislative election, saying that he and the party's supporters had not understood the party leadership or their strategy, and the party was unable to communicate with voters.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Voting
He added that relaunching the party was not enough. Staněk said he wanted to return ČSSD to trustworthiness. Zimola's supporters gave pink glasses to delegates, and during his speech Zimola said these glasses were to represent the current party leadership's view of the party's situation, and that they could not see the party's problems. He said that the party was supporting many things their supporters did not agree with, and the party should refocus on problems relevant to its base. He said that the people wanted to take back the state that capitalist elites had stolen from them. He received a lot of applause for his speech.


2018 Czech Social Democratic Party leadership election, Voting
Jiří Zimola and Jan Hamáček advanced to the second round; Zimola received 178 votes while Hamáček received 156. Hamáček won the second round, with 272 votes to Zimola's 224.


2018 Czech municipal elections
Municipal elections were held in the Czech Republic on 5 and 6 October 2018, alongside elections for the Senate.


2018 Czech political crisis
The Czech political crisis in 2018 started, when Seznam News published an interview with the Andrej Babiš Jr., son of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. Babiš Jr. stated that his father's people kidnapped him in Crimea and kept him there.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
Journalists of Seznam News, Sabina Slonková and Jiří Kubík, found Andrej Babiš Jr. in Switzerland, where he lives with his mother. They interviewed him. Babiš Jr. participated in his father's business involving farm Stork's Nest (Čapí hnízdo). He states that he was kidnapped by his father's people in 2016 when Stork's Nest was investigated by European Anti- Fraud Office and then kept in Crimea. He stated that his father's employees threatened him. He noted that he was sent to National Institute of Mental Health. Babiš Jr.'s mental illness was diagnosed by Dita Protopopová, who was at the time member of the Prague 8 Municipal assembly, elected for ANO 2011, as a candidate for mayor. She resigned her mandate, when the interview was published.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
Opposition parties expressed shock with reports that Andrej Babiš had his son get kidnapped. Leader of the Civic Democratic Party Petr Fiala organised meeting with leaders of other opposition parties namely Czech Pirate Party, Freedom and Direct Democracy, Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People's Party, TOP 09 and Mayors and Independents to talk their approach. Opposition then called for Babiš' resignation and decided to cause motion of no confidence. Opposition has 92 MPs of 200. They need 101 MPs to overthrow the government. Leader of Czech Social Democratic Party decided Jan Hamáček didn't rule out that his party might leave coalition government.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
Andrej Babiš, who was at the time in Palermo, stated that his son is mentally ill and called the interview a "disgusting attack" on his family. He stated that he considers it a campaign against his persona. He refused the statement that his son was kidnapped. Severe Parlamentní Listy reported that the interview caused inner turmoil within Babiš' party ANO 2011 as its members were banned to talk about the affair with journalists. Some reports noted that Babiš might be replaced by Richard Brabec as the prime minister. However, Babiš announced on his Facebook page, that he will "Never resign" and that "Everyone would do well to remember that"


2018 Czech political crisis, History
On November 13, ODS, Pirates, KDU-CŠL, TOP 09, and STAN have agreed that they will vote in favor of the no-confidence vote (totaling 70 votes), while ANO will vote against it (78 votes). ČSSD, a junior coalition partner of the ANO-led government, KSČM, a party that provides support for the government, and SPD, an opposition party, who was in favor of the idea of a no-confidence vote, have taken an undecided approach (52 votes). On November 15, Babis and ANO had negotiations with the SPD, KSČM, and the ČSSD.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
SPD leader, Tomio Okamura, said that he and his party will vote against the no-confidence vote, if the ČSSD leaves the coalition. Okamura has said that his party can't join the coalition due to the unresolved case about the kidnapping of his son, but he said he would consider the confidence and supply arrangement with KSČM. Okamura also stated the desire of two concessions, which are the implementation of an SPD-program in the government and the change of certain policies, implemented by the ANO-ČSSD government. Negotiations, will continue before the no confidence vote with Okamura, Filip, and Hamacek.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
On November 15, President Miloš Zeman announced that Babiš will stay in the position of PM no matter the result of the no confidence vote, as he would simply appoint him again. Again with intent of letting him govern without confidence, as he would have let his first cabinet rule indefinitely in case of no coalition with ČSSD. And also called the interview a "disgusting hyenism", citing his personal resentment against Slonková.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
On November 17, Andrej Babiš travelled to Switzerland, to talk to his son and ex-wife. Police and state attorneys "were not afraid" that he might attempt to influence them (it is a crime to influence witnesses in Czech Republic) and did not even propose any countermeasures (such as prohibition to meet them). Police instead focused on a case of flowers put by Babiš as a tribute to Velvet revolution being thrown into a trash bin by a protester, which also attracted considerable attention of Babiš's supporters.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
On November 18, Beata Babišová, mother of Babiš jr. and Ex-wife of Babiš sr. posted a video online, where she asked journalists to "leave her family alone" and also called her son insane. Earlier, Babiš junior claimed that his mother tries to silence him and that his father forces her to do so. But later stopped communicating entirely.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
On November 19, there was a fire in Czech National institute of mental health, where Dita Protopopová worked and where Babiš jr. was originally declared insane, prompting many to theorize whether the fire was set on purpose to destroy evidence.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
On November 20, PM Babiš met with the leadership of Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, who provide his government with confidence. After the event, Babiš left without talking to present journalists and KSČM announced that they will vote against the motion of no confidence.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
On the same day, Dita Protopopová, Babiš's adviser on mental health, key figure on Ministry of Heath regarding psychiatric care reform and mayor candidate for ANO in Prague, who originally declared his son insane, which effectively prevented him from testifying in the case of Čapí hnízdo, left her job at Czech National institute of mental health.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
On November 21, leadership of ČSSD announced that their deputies will leave the chamber for the vote and not take part in it (this counts as voting no, as motion of no confidence requires majority of all deputies to pass). But also announced that they would support a potential self dissolution of Chamber of deputies and therefore, snap elections. This would take 120 out of 200 deputies.


2018 Czech political crisis, History
On November 23, it was announced the opposition had lost the no-confidence vote.


2018 Czech presidential election
Presidential elections were held in the Czech Republic in January 2018. The first round took place on 12 and 13 January. As no candidate won a majority, a run-off election between the top two candidates, Jiří Drahoš and President Miloš Zeman, was held on 26 and 27 January 2018.


2018 Czech presidential election
In the first round, voters chose between nine candidates who qualified for the elections either by gathering 50,000 signatures from the public, 10 signatures from Senators or 20 signatures from members of the Chamber of Deputies (MPs). Incumbent president Miloš Zeman, running for re-election for his second and last term, finished first with 38.57%, followed by former President of the Czech Academy of Sciences Jiří Drahoš, who received 26.60%.


2018 Czech presidential election
In the second round, Miloš Zeman narrowly defeated Drahoš and was elected for a second term in office. Voter turnout was 66.60%, the highest since the 1998 legislative elections.