- February 11
- Saratov Airlines Flight 703 crashes shortly after take-off from Moscow, Russia, killing 71 people on board. [1309]
- February 14
- Jacob Zuma resigns as President of South Africa after nine years in power. [1309]
- February 18
- Iran Aseman Airlines Flight 3704 crashes in the Zagros Mountains, en route from Tehran to Yasuj. All 65 passengers and crew members perish. [1309]
- March 4
- Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and daughter Yulia are poisoned by the Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England. [1309]
- March 9
- President of the United States Donald Trump accepts an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a meeting in May to discuss the denuclearisation of North Korea. [1309]
- March 11
- The government of the People's Republic of China approves a constitutional change that removes term limits for its leaders, granting Xi Jinping the status of "President for Life". Xi is also the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (paramount leader). [1309]
- March 12
- Flight BS211 crashes in Nepal, killing 51 on board. [1309]
- March 14
- In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle France and her driver Anderson Pedro Gomes are shot and killed in her car. [1300.11]
- March 15
- Toys "R" Us announces it will close and sell all of its 800+ stores in the USA. [1300.12]
- March 18
- First incident of a self-driving car hitting and killing a pedestrian, in Temp, Arizona. [1300.12]
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- City of Afria in northern Syria is taken by militias backed by Turkey, from Kurdish militias backed by the USA. [1300.17]
- In the Russian presidential election, Vladimir Putin is elected for a fourth term. [1300.36] [1309]
- March 19
- The world's last male northern white rhinoceros dies in Kenya, making the subspecies functionally extinct. [1309]
- March 23
- An Islamic terrorist attack in Carcassonne and Trèbes, France, kills five people, including the perpetrator. [1301.9] [1309]
- March 24
- In over 900 cities internationally, people participate in demonstrations against gun violence and mass shootings, calling for stronger gun control in the "March for Our Lives". [1309]
- March 25
- Qantas launches direct non-stop Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights between Perth Airport and Heathrow Airport, making it the first commercial non-stop service between Australia and the United Kingdom. [1309]
- At least 64 people die in a fire at a shopping and entertainment complex in the Russian city of Kemerovo. [1309]
- March 26
- More than 100 Russian diplomats are expelled by more than 20 countries in the wake of the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal. [1309]
- March 28
- North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un meets Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping, leaving the country for the first time since assuming office in 2011. [1309]
- At least 78 people die in a fire in the police headquarters of Valencia, Venezuela. [1309]
- April 5
- Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is given an arrest warrant after a vote by the Supreme Court voted 6-5 in favor of denying his habeas corpus, due to corruption and other scandals. [1309]
- April 6
- A semi-truck collides with a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos ice hockey junior team in Saskatchewan, Canada, killing 16 and injuring 13 people. [1309]
- April 8
- At least 70 people are reported killed and hundreds suffering injuries after a sarin chemical attack in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta. [1309]
- April 11
- 257 people are killed after an Ilyushin Il-76 belonging to the Algerian Air Force crashes near Algiers. [1309]
- April 14
- The United States, the United Kingdom and France order the bombing of Syrian military bases in response to the sarin attack allegedly by the Bashar al-Assad regime on civilians in Ghouta. [1309]
- April 18
- In Nicaragua, protests begin against announced reforms of Social Security which would decrease retirement pension benefits. An estimated number of 34 protesters are killed by police. [1309]
- Cinemas open in Saudi Arabia for the first time since 1983 with the American film Black Panther chosen as the first to be screened. [1309]
- April 19
- Swaziland changes its English name, officially becoming the Kingdom of Eswatini. [1309]
- Miguel Díaz-Canel is sworn in as President of Cuba, marking the first time since 1959 that Cuba has had a president other than Fidel or Raúl Castro. [1309]
- April 23
- 25-year-old Alek Minassian drives rented van down Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada, killing 10, injuring 16. Seven minutes after the start, the driver is in police custody. [1308.37] [1309]
- April 27
- North Korean President Kim Jong-un crosses into South Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in, becoming the first North Korean leader to cross the Demilitarized Zone since its creation in 1953. [1309]
- April 30
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses Iran of not holding up its end of the Iran nuclear deal after presenting a cache of over 100,000 documents detailing the extent of Iran's nuclear program. Iran denounces Netanyahu's presentation as "propaganda". [1309]
- May 3
- The lower Puna eruption causes destruction of structures and forces many citizens of Hawaii to evacuate as lava floods the land. [1309]
- The separatist group ETA officially announces its final dissolution after 40 years of conflict and more than 800 deaths in Spain. [1309]
- May 8
- U.S. President Donald Trump announces his intention to withdraw the United States from the Iranian nuclear agreement. [1309]
- (to May 12) The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 is held in Lisbon, Portugal, and is won by Israeli entrant Netta Barzilai with the song "Toy". [1309]
- May 9
- The opposition-led Pakatan Harapan coalition, led by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, secures a parliamentary majority in the Malaysian Parliament, ending the 61-year rule of the Barisan Nasional coalition since independence in 1957. [1309]
- May 16
- The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, pardons Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim who is immediately released. [1309]
- May 18
- Cubana de Aviación Flight 972 crashes shortly after take-off near José Martí International Airport in Havana, killing 112 and leaving only one survivor. [1309]
- May 19
- The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is held at St George's Chapel, England, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion. [1309]
- May 20
- The Venezuelan presidential election is held with incumbent President Nicolás Maduro reelected with 67.8% of the vote and the lowest turnout in Venezuela's modern democratic history since the 1958 coup d'état. The elections are denounced as a "sham" by several Latin American countries, the United States, Canada, the Organization of American States and the European Union. [1309]
- May 24
- Foreign journalists report that tunnels in the Punggye-ri nuclear test site have been destroyed by the North Korean government in a move to reduce regional tensions. [1309]
- May 25
- A constitutional referendum on whether to repeal the ban on abortion in Ireland takes place, with a win of 66.4% to 33.6% for the repeal side. [1309]
- The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) goes into effect, imposing strict privacy controls for European citizens worldwide. [1309]
- May 29
- Canadian government announces it is buying Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project from Texas-based Kinder Morgan. [1307.32]
- May 31
- The U.S. announces that it will extend its tariffs on imported steel (25%) and aluminium (10%) to include the EU, Mexico and Canada, starting at midnight. [1309]
- June 3
- At least 109 people are killed and hundreds wounded by the eruption of Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala's deadliest volcano for over a century. [1309]
- June 8
- (to June 9) The 44th G7 summit is held in Canada. United States' President Donald Trump pushes for the reinstatement of the G8 (to include Russia). He also proposes the elimination of tariffs. [1309]
- June 12
- Greece and the Republic of Macedonia reach a deal to end a 27-year naming dispute between both countries, which would result in Macedonia being officially renamed the Republic of North Macedonia. [1309]
- The 2018 North Korea-United States summit is held in Singapore. It is the first summit between a United States President and the North Korean leader. [1309]
- June 14
- (to July 15) The 2018 FIFA World Cup is held in Russia and is won by France. [1309]
- June 16
- Seventeen people die in Caracas, Venezuela following the El Paraíso stampede after a tear gas canister is detonated in a crowded club. [1309]
- June 19
- Canada becomes the first major industrialised country to legalise cannabis for recreational use. The Bill which legalises cannabis is set to take effect on October 17. [1309]
- The United States announces it will withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council. [1309]
- June 24
- Saudi Arabia allows women to drive automobiles. [1309]
- July 5
- Lithuania becomes the 36th member of the OECD. [1309]
- July 6
- Former Aum Shinrikyo leader Shoko Asahara and six other main members of Aum Shinrikyo, who led the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, are executed by hanging. [1309]
- U.S. tariffs on US$34 billion of Chinese goods come into effect, as President Donald Trump suggests the final total could reach $550 billion. China accuses the U.S. of starting the "largest trade war in economic history" and announces immediate retaliatory tariffs. [1309]
- July 9
- Eritrea and Ethiopia officially declare an end to their twenty-year conflict. [1309]
- July 10
- Twelve boys and their football coach are successfully rescued from the flooded Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Thailand, following a 17-day ordeal. [1309]
- July 11
- (to July 12) The 2018 Brussels NATO summit is held in Belgium. [1309]
- July 17
- The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement is signed, the world's largest bilateral free trade deal, creating an open trade zone covering nearly one-third of global GDP. [1309]
- July 26
- The share price of Facebook drops by almost 20 percent after the company warns investors that user growth has slowed following the data leak scandal. Over $109 billion is wiped from its market value, the largest single day loss in corporate history. [1309]
- Heavy wildfires in Greece leave 87 dead and more than a hundred buildings destroyed. [1309]
- July 27
- The longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century occurs, and Mars makes its closest approach to Earth since 2003. [1309] [1587.8]
- August 1
- The Kivu Ebola outbreak begins in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (It becomes the second-deadliest outbreak of the Ebola virus on November 29, surpassed only by the 2013 West African Ebola virus epidemic.) [1309]
- August 2
- Apple Inc. becomes the world's first public company to achieve a market capitalization of $1 trillion. [1309]
- August 7
- The United States reimposes sanctions on Iran. [1309]
- August 10
- (to August 20) Heavy rainfall causes severe floods in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the worst flood to hit the state in a century. [1309]
- August 12
- The five littoral states - Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan - sign the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea, ending the 20-year long dispute over the Caspian Sea's legal status. [1309]
- August 14
- Part of the Morandi Bridge collapses after a violent storm in Genoa, Italy, causing 43 fatalities. Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio and transport minister Danilo Toninelli blame private company Autostrade per l'Italia. [1309] [1655.5]
- August 23
- Ecuador withdraws from ALBA. [1309]
- August 24
- Scott Morrison succeeds Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister of Australia following a Liberal Party leadership ballot. [1309]
- August 26
- An Esports tournament is held in Jacksonville, Florida, a qualifying round for EA's Madden 19 Classic. A competitor is eliminated, then pulls out a handgun and starts shooting, killing three, including himself. [1492.15]
- September 2
- A fire destroys the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. [1309]
- September 6
- The Supreme Court of India decriminalises homosexuality. [1309]
- September 20
- The MV Nyerere capsizes on Lake Victoria, killing at least 228 passengers. [1309]
- September 22
- An attack at a military parade kills at least 29 people in Ahvaz, Iran. [1309]
- September 28
- A magnitude 7.5 earthquake hits Sulawesi, Indonesia, causing a tsunami that kills at least 2,256 people and injures more than 10,679 others. [1309]
- October 2
- Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi is murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, triggering a diplomatic crisis for Saudi Arabia. [1309]
- October 8
- The IPCC releases its Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C, warning that "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society" are needed to ensure that global warming is kept below 1.5 degrees Celcius. [1309]
- October 10
- Hurricane Michael makes landfall at Mexico Beach, Florida, with winds of 155 mph and a minimum pressure of 919 mbar. It is the most intense hurricane to hit the mainland United States since Camille in 1969. [1309]
- October 16
- Canada legalises the sale and use of cannabis, becoming the second country in the world to do so, after Uruguay in 2013. [1309]
- October 19
- At least 59 people are killed and at least 100 injured when a train runs through a crowd at a Hindu festival in Punjab, India. [1309]
- October 20
- US President Donald Trump announces that the US will "terminate" the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty over alleged Russian violations. [1309]
- 700,000 people march through central London demanding a second referendum on the final Brexit deal. [1309]
- October 23
- The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the world's longest sea crossing bridge, is opened by Chinese President Xi Jinping. [1309]
- October 27
- Michael D. Higgins is officially declared President of Ireland after receiving 822,566 first preference votes. [1309]
- October 28
- Jair Bolsonaro is elected as the next President of Brazil, with 55% of the vote. [1309]
- October 29
- Lion Air Flight 610 crashes off the coast of Java, with 189 passengers on board. [1309]
- November 4
- New Caledonia holds an independence referendum, with 56.4% voting against independence versus 43.6% in favour. [1309]
- November 26
- Scientist He Jiankui of Shenzhen, People's Republic of China, announces he had altered genes of a human embryo to create the first designer baby, by deleting a gene that makes humans susceptible to HIV. [1320.32] (November 28 [1309])
- November 27
- Ukraine declares martial law after an armed incident in which Russia seized three Ukrainian ships in the disputed Kerch Strait two days earlier. [1309]
- December 1
- (to December 8) France experiences its worst civil unrest since the protests of 1968 due to the yellow vests movement. Protests in Paris morph into riots, with hundreds of people injured and thousands arrested; over 100 cars are burned, the Arc de Triomphe is vandalized and numerous other tourist sites are closed, both in the capital and elsewhere in the country. [1309]
- December 7
- The U.N.'s International Telecommunication Union reports that, by the end of 2018, 51.2 percent of the world's population are now using the Internet. [1309]
- December 15
- At the Katowice Climate Change Conference, nearly 200 nations agree to rules on implementing the 2015 Paris agreement. [1309]
- December 22
- A tsunami hits the Sunda Strait, Indonesia, killing at least 430 people and injuring nearly 1,500. [1309]
- December 24
- Burundi moves its capital from Bujumbura to Gitega. [1309]
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