Here are 10 major events to look forward to in 2018:

– Winter Games –

– February 9, South Korea: Start of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang against the backdrop of tensions with North Korea over its nuclear missile programme. The Games close on February 25.

– The end of the Castro era

– February 24, Cuba: Raul Castro steps aside as president, ending nearly six decades of Castro leadership on the island.

– A fourth term for Putin ? –

– March 18, Russia: Presidential election at which Vladimir Putin will seek a fourth term.

– Voting in Iraq –

– May 15, Iraq: Legislative and provincial elections, the first since the defeat of the Islamic State in the country.

– Royal wedding –

– May 19, Britain: Prince Harry marries US actress Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle.

– Football finals –

– July 15, Russia: The final of football’s 2018 World Cup, which opens on June 14 in Moscow.

– Test for Trump –

– November 6, United States: Midterm elections, the first serious electoral test for President Donald Trump.

– Venezuela votes in crisis –

– December, at a date to be confirmed, Venezuela: Presidential election in the country, which is mired in political and economic crisis.

– Climate, the moment of truth –

– December 3, Poland: Start of the COP24 environmental summit in Katowice, where key decisions are expected on the implementation of the Paris climate accords.

– Delayed voting in DRCongo –

– December 23, Democratic Republic of Congo: Presidential election, two years after the expiry of the term of outgoing President Joseph Kabila.

AFP