Major events that left their marks on 2018 (1)

ANKARA (AA) - Here are the main developments of 2018 day by day, and month by month:

JANUARY

Jan. 1

- U.S. President Donald Trump weighs in with his sharp views on the developing situation in Iran where thousands of people were protesting against the government for several days.

Jan. 2

- An extreme cold weather has been suspected in the deaths of at least nine people across the U.S. with temperatures expected to remain exceptionally low.

- Trump threatens to cut aid to Palestine following an embarrassing diplomatic defeat at the United Nations on Jerusalem resolution, calling on U.S. to withdraw its recognition of the city as Israel's capital in December 2017.

Jan. 3

- Turkish banker Hakan Atilla is found guilty by a jury in New York on five charges related to conspiracy and bank fraud but is acquitted of money laundering.

Jan. 4

- At least 14 people are killed and hundreds injured when a passenger train derails and collides with a truck and another vehicle some 190 kilometers (118 miles) from the South African capital.

Jan. 5

- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Paris for a one-day visit. During his stay, Erdogan had a private meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.

- Prominent Turkish actor Munir Ozkul dies at 93. A distinguished Turkish cinema and theater actor, died at his house in Istanbul, his family confirmed.

Jan. 6

- At least 90 students have been detained since protests began in Iran a week earlier.

Jan. 7

- Israeli forces detained 3,617 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2017, according to the Israeli military.

- At least 30 people were killed and 70 others injured in four explosions in Syria’s northern province of Idlib.

Jan. 8

- Sexual harassment campaign dominates 75th Golden Globes The Time's Up campaign, formed weeks ago against systematic sexual harassment both in and outside of the entertainment industry, dominated the 75th Golden Globe Awards.

- The Trump administration moved to end the temporary residencies of 200,000 El Salvadorans who had been living in the U.S. for more than 15 years, following two devastating earthquakes that roiled their home country in 2001.

Jan. 9

- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says it is time to counter PKK terrorists from forming a corridor in northern Syria, along the Turkish border.

Jan. 10

- At least 17 people die following a storm that sends massive mudflows shooting through Santa Barbara in southern California, U.S.

Jan. 11

- EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini voices determination to making sure the nuclear deal with Iran continues to go forward.

Jan. 12

- German Chancellor Angela Merkel clinches a deal with the country's second-largest party to enter formal negotiation for building a coalition government.

- U.S.’ Trump denies using derogatory and vulgar language to describe immigration from Latin American and African countries after widespread condemnation after he reportedly says, "Why are we having all these people from s***hole countries come here?”

Jan. 13

- Turkish football club Medipol Basaksehir confirmes the signing of Turkish midfielder Arda Turan, previously a player for Atletico Madrid, Barcelona.

Jan. 14

- An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hits the coast of Peru.

Jan. 15

- Dolores O’Riordan, lead singer of The Cranberries dies in London aged 46.

- Ten construction workers in central Colombia were killed when a section of the bridge they were working on collapsed.

- At least 25 people are killed in a double suicide bombing in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Jan. 16

- Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic is assassinated in a drive-by shooting in the northern town of Mitrovica in Kosovo.

- The U.S. will suspend $65 million in aid to Palestine, the State Department announces, two weeks after President Donald Trump's criticism about the funding.

Jan. 17

- Turkey’s Erdogan receives Fawzi al-Juneidi, a Palestinian teen who becomes a symbol of Palestinian opposition to the U.S. decision of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Al-Juneidi was arrested on Dec. 7 in the West Bank city of Hebron (Al-Khalil) after being dragged on the ground and blindfolded by heavily armed Israeli soldiers.

- Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho retires from professional football.

Jan. 18

- Global approval of U.S. leadership hits an all-time low as Trump prepares to round out his first year in office, according to a poll.

- At least 52 people are killed in a bus fire in northwestern Kazakhstan.

- Russia makes its first delivery of S-400 missile system components to China under a contract signed in 2014, a source close to Russian system of military cooperation tells journalists.

Jan. 19

- Russia starts withdrawing its military assets ahead of Turkey’s expected operation in Syria’s northwestern city of Afrin.

- Israeli police detains six Turkish nationals who has been visiting Jerusalem’s iconic Al-Aqsa Mosque, eyewitnesses say. The six are released a day after.

Jan. 20

- Turkey launches Operation Olive Branch. A ground operation in Syria's Afrin has "actively" begun, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says. The general staff says the operation only targets terrorists and their shelters, weapons, and material belonging to them.

Jan. 21

- Turkish ground forces start to move into Syria’s Afrin with Free Syrian Army.

Jan. 22

- U.S.’ Trump signs a stopgap-spending bill into law to fund the government through early February, drawing a three-day shutdown to a close.

Jan. 23

- South Africa’s famed Jazz musician and former anti-apartheid activist Hugh Masekela dies aged 78, after a battle with prostate cancer.

- English football's Manchester United is once again world's top club for generating revenue in 2017.

Jan. 24

- At least 34 people are killed and dozens injured in a double car bombing in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi.

Jan. 25

- Turkey has the right to self-defense like all other countries, NATO’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, says as Turkey continues targeting terrorist positions in northern Syria.

- A group of scientists moves the "doomsday clock" 30 seconds closer to midnight Thursday, citing the looming threats of nuclear conflict and climate change. The clock has now advanced to two minutes to midnight, a metaphor for the end of humanity.

Jan. 26

- Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos is booed after he calls the press "nasty", "mean", "vicious", and "fake".

- At least 41 people are killed in a South Korean hospital fire, with fears the death toll could rise further as at least 79 patients and staff are taken to other medical facilities.

Jan. 27

- At least 14 people are killed when gunmen storm a nightclub in northeastern Brazil.

Jan. 28

- Bruno Mars walks away from the 60th Grammy Awards with the album, record, and the song of the year honors, in what is a pointedly political star-studded affair.

Jan. 30

- The U.K. will be worse off in every scenario should it proceed with Brexit, according to a leaked government analysis of the economic impact of leaving the EU.

Jan. 31

- Germany will keep its embassy in Israel's Tel Aviv until a two-state solution between Palestinians and Israelis is found, says Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel.