Editing 1988 (section)

===January===
* January – The cargo ship ''[[Khian Sea waste disposal incident|Khian Sea]]'' deposits 4,000 tons of toxic waste in [[Haiti]] after wandering around the Atlantic for sixteen months.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cunningham|first=William P & Mary A|title=Principles of Environmental Science|year=2004|publisher=McGraw-Hill Further Education|isbn=0-07-291983-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/principlesofenvi0000cunn/page/ Chapter 13, Further Case Studies]|url=https://archive.org/details/principlesofenvi0000cunn/page/}}</ref>
* [[January 1]] – The Soviet Union begins its program of economic restructuring ([[perestroika]]) with legislation initiated by Premier [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] (though Gorbachev had begun minor restructuring in 1985).<ref>{{cite book|author=Abel Aganbegyan|title=Inside Perestroika: The Future of the Soviet Economy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eePZAAAAMAAJ|year=1990|publisher=Harper & Row|isbn=978-0-06-091694-7|page=2}}</ref>
* [[January 7]] – [[Erich Honecker]] visits [[France]], the first such visit by an [[East Germany|East German]] head of state.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Markham |first=James |date=January 9, 1988 |title=France Criticizes East German Chief on Arms |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/09/world/france-criticizes-east-german-chief-on-arms.html |work=New York Times}}</ref>
* [[January 7]]–[[January 8|8]] – In the [[Soviet–Afghan War|Afghan War]], 39 men of the [[Soviet Airborne Troops]] from the [[345th Independent Guards Airborne Regiment]] fight off an attack by 200 to 250 [[Mujahideen]] in the [[Battle for Hill 3234]], later dramatized in the Russian film ''[[The 9th Company]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Infantry|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EAQ7AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA15|year=1990|publisher=U.S. Army Infantry School|page=15|access-date=June 23, 2021|archive-date=December 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207091138/https://books.google.com/books?id=EAQ7AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA15#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[January 13]] – Vice-president [[Lee Teng-hui]] takes over as President of the [[Republic of China]] and Chairman of the [[Kuomintang]] following the death of [[Chiang Ching-kuo]].<ref>{{cite book | last = Tsang | first = Steve | title = In the shadow of China: political developments in Taiwan since 1949 | publisher = University of Hawaii Press | location = Honolulu | year = 1993 | isbn = 978-0-8248-1583-7 | page=127}}</ref>
* [[January 15]] - The United States agrees to withdraw 72 fighter bombers and 3,800 troops from [[Torrejón Air Base|Torrejon]], ending the presence of U.S. forces in [[Spain–United States relations|Spain]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sciolino |first=Elaine |date=January 15, 1988 |title=US to Withdraw 72 Jet Fighters from Spanish Base |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/15/world/us-to-withdraw-72-jet-fighters-from-spanish-base.html |work=New York Times}}</ref>
* [[January 26]] 
** Upon request of Hubert Michon, [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rabat|archbishop of Rabat]], two [[Trappists|Trappist]] monks come to Fez and start a community that will later become the [[Priory of Our Lady of Atlas|Priory of Our Lady of the Atlas]].<ref name="Flachaire">{{cite journal |last1=Flachaire |first1=Jean-Pierre |title=Le monastère Notre Dame de l'Atlas au Maroc |journal=Collectanea Cisterciensia |date=2006 |volume=68 |pages=1–18 |url=https://www.moines-tibhirine.org/images/biblio-texte/historique.pdf |access-date=17 December 2023}}</ref>
** [[Australian Bicentenary]]: Australia celebrates 200 years since the arrival of the first English settlers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mydans |first=Seth |date=January 27, 1988 |title=At Age 200, Australia Makes Merry |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/27/world/at-age-200-australia-makes-merry.html |work=New York Times}}</ref>
* [[January 27]] 
** [[List of sultans of Brunei|Sultan]] [[Hassanal Bolkiah]] of [[Brunei]], one of the world's last remaining [[Absolute monarchy|absolute monarchs]], dissolves the opposition [[Politics of Brunei|National Democratic Party]] and arrests its leaders.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kamm |first=Henry |date=July 14, 1988 |title=Sultan's Wealth is Vast; His Powers, Greater Still |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/14/world/brunei-journal-sultan-s-wealth-is-vast-his-power-greater-still.html |work=New York Times}}</ref>
** [[Chrysler]] announces the closure of two auto plants in [[Kenosha, Wisconsin]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=AP. |date=June 11, 1988 |title=Chrysler Planning Layoffs in Kenosha |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/11/business/chrysler-planning-layoffs-in-kenosha.html |work=New York Times}}</ref>
* [[January 29]] 
** Canada's [[Supreme Court of Canada|Supreme Court]] strikes down that country's restrictive [[Abortion in Canada|abortion]] law.<ref>{{Cite news |last=AP. |date=January 29, 1988 |title=Court in Canada Rules on Abortion |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/29/world/court-in-canada-rules-on-abortion.html |work=New York Times}}</ref>
** [[People's Republic of Bulgaria|Bulgarian]] leader [[Todor Zhivkov]] signals support for moderate reforms; non-Communist (though not anti-Communist) organizations are legalized for the first time.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kamm |first=Henry |date=January 29, 1988 |title=Bulgaria Parley is Foretaste of a Scaling Down of Change |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/29/world/bulgaria-parley-is-foretaste-of-a-scaling-down-of-change.html |work=New York Times}}</ref>