Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Feb.2

A Syrian opposition delegation spokesman on Monday said they had received "positive response" during their first formal talks with UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura for Syria late Monday afternoon.

Salem al-Meslet, spokesman for the opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), told reporters after the meeting that the main focus of their first meeting was on humanitarian issues. (UN-Syria-Talks)

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KABUL -- The death toll from Monday's suicide bombing against a police station has risen to 20 with 29 others injured, an official said.

"With deepest regret, we lost 20 of our countrymen in a suicide attack today, these attacks won't deter our determination to fight terrorists," Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman, Sediq Sediqqi, said on his twitter account. (Afghanistan-Attack)

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BEIRUT -- Five Czech citizens who were kidnapped in the Bekaa region of Lebanon in July 2015 were freed Monday, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

"The five Czechs who were abducted in July on the Kifraya road in western Bekaa were released this evening," the NNA said. (Lebanon-Czechs-Kidnapping)

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KIEV -- The number of people killed by severe flu in Ukraine during the ongoing cold season has more than doubled since last week and now stands at 171, the country's Health Ministry said Monday.

The figure, which was up from 83 cases reported on Jan. 26, includes two children under 17, the ministry said in a statement on its website. (Ukraine-Flu) Endi