1. Police invade drug slum

    More than 3,000 police and soldiers backed by armored* personnel carriers raced into Brazil’s biggest slum* before dawn on Sunday, quickly gaining control of a shantytown* ruled for decades by a heavily armed drug gang.

    It was the most ambitious operation yet in an effort to increase security before Rio hosts the final matches of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics.

    2. New Italian government

    Economist Mario Monti accepted the monumental* task on Sunday of trying to form a new government that can rescue Italy from financial ruin, expressing confidence that the nation can beat the crisis if its people pull together.

    His selection came a day after Silvio Berlusconi reluctantly resigned as premier, bowing out after world markets pummeled* Italy’s borrowing ability, reflecting a loss of faith in the 75-year-old media mogul’s* leadership. Berlusconi quit after the Italian parliament approved new reform measures demanded by the European Union and central bank officials -- but even those are not considered enough to right Italy’s ailing* economy.

    3. Accidental blast

    An accidental explosion at a Revolutionary Guard ammunition depot* west of Tehran killed at least 17 soldiers on Saturday, Iranian officials said.

    The explosion occurred while military personnel were transporting munitions* at a base, said Guard spokesman Gen. Ramazan Sharif. The site is located outside Bidganeh village, 40 kilometers southwest of the capital. The Guard is Iran’s most powerful military force.

    At least 17 Guard members were killed, state TV reported. The broadcast said 16 other soldiers were injured and hospitalized.

    4. Latest Turkey quake

    The death toll from a 5.6-magnitude* earthquake that struck eastern Turkey rose to 40 on Saturday, the prime minister’s emergency unit said.

    Thirty people were pulled out alive from the debris of the quake, said a statement issued on its Web site.

    The tremor hit the eastern province of Van just three weeks after a 7.2-magnitude quake hit the same region, killing more than 600 people.

    5. Media allowed into nuke plant

    Media allowed into Japan’s tsunami-damaged* nuclear power plant for the first time on Saturday saw a striking scene of devastation: twisted and overturned* trucks, crumbling* reactor* buildings and piles of rubble* virtually untouched since the wave struck more than eight months ago.

    Representatives of the Japanese and international media were allowed into the plant with the government’s chief official in charge of the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. The tour was intended to demonstrate how much the situation at the plant has stabilized since the March 11 tsunami.

    6. Russia Mars probe

    Efforts to resume contact with a Russian space mission to Mars stuck in Earth orbit after launch have failed and the probe* must be considered lost, Interfax news agency reported on Saturday. The source said Russia’s space agency would announce the failure of the mission in the next few days.

    7. Athlete of the Year

    Jamaican runner Usain Bolt won a record-tying third Athlete of the Year award on Saturday despite losing his dominance of the 100 meters in 2011.

    Joining Bolt was Australian Sally Pearson, who clinched her first trophy for a nearly flawless season in the 100 hurdles.

 (SD-Agencies)