World briefs 2/1/16

Dozens killed by bombs in Syria

GENEVA -- A triple bombing killed at least 50 people in a predominantly Shiite suburb south of the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sunday even as a U.N. mediator held his first meeting with members of the main opposition group that seeks progress on humanitarian issues before it will join formal talks on ending the five-year civil war. The attacks were claimed by militants from the Islamic State group, and Syria's delegate to the U.N.-sponsored peace talks said the violence confirmed the connection between "terrorism" and "some political groups" -- a reference to those who oppose President Bashar Assad. The blasts went off in the Damascus suburb of Sayyda Zeinab, about 600 yards from one of the holiest shrines for Shiite Muslims. Syria's state news agency SANA said the attackers detonated a car bomb at a bus stop, and two suicide bombers set off more explosives as rescuers rushed to the area. The golden-domed Shiite shrine itself was not damaged.

Netanyahu warns Gaza militants

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza his country will retaliate with "greater force" than deployed in the 2014 Gaza war if cross-border tunnels are used to attack Israel. Hamas has built a sophisticated network of tunnels to infiltrate Israel to carry out attacks. Israelis living near Gaza have reported hearing tunneling sounds under their homes. "We are operating systematically and calmly against all threats, including those from Hamas, both with defensive and offensive means, and of course in the event we are attacked by tunnels in Gaza we will operate with great force against Hamas, with much greater force than what we used in Operation Protective Edge," Netanyahu said in a speech Sunday night, referring to the 50-day war with Gaza gunmen in 2014 by its military name. "I think that is understood in the region; it's understood in the world. I hope we won't need to do it, but our abilities both defensive and offensive are developing rapidly, and I wouldn't recommend anyone to try us," he said. A senior Hamas leader boasted Friday that Gaza militants dig tunnels and test rockets to attack Israel "every day."

Drone schools spread in China

BEIJING -- Joysticks at their fingertips, the mostly male students packing the classroom lift their virtual helicopters into the air, part of a new cottage industry in China: drone-pilot schools. China already is the world's biggest drone manufacturer, churning out remote-controlled flying machines that range from 3-D urban mappers to tear-gas-spraying models for police. But it lacks qualified pilots to fly them. Young men are flocking to drone schools such as TT Aviation Technology Co., one of more than 40 in China, hoping to land a potentially lucrative job in a new field. TT Aviation offers a two-week intensive course for $1,200 where students learn regulations and how to pilot using simulators and real drones. At the end of the course, they can try to earn the license required by China's Civil Aviation Administration to operate drones that are heavier than 15 pounds and fly higher than 400 feet.

-- From wire reports