President Donald Trump issued a statement on Sunday saying that the executive order signed on Friday banning immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries was not a "Muslim ban." "To be clear, this is not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting," he wrote. "This is not about religion – this is about terror and keeping our country safe." Trump also defended the executive order by saying the seven countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) "are the same countries previously identified by the Obama administration as sources of terror." 

Three Chinese tourists on board a boat which sank off Malaysia's Sabah state in northern Borneo were confirmed dead early Monday after being rescued. The three tourists were among 25 other people who have been rescued so far, with five Chinese tourists and a Malaysian crew member still missing. The boat was carrying 31 people, 28 of them China tourists, when it sank. President Xi Jinping has called for all-out efforts to rescue the tourists, and Premier Li Keqiang also urged the search and rescue staff to ensure that not a single Chinese national is left unaccounted for.

Roger Federer won the Australian Open final in a thrilling five-set match against Rafael Nadal that cemented the 35-year-old Swiss legend’s place in the record books. The 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 victory gave Federer his 18th Grand Slam title – the most by any man – and he also became the first man to win five or more titles at three different Grand Slam events. He has now won five Australian Opens, five US Opens and seven Wimbledon titles. Federer has also set a record for Grand Slam titles won over the age of 30.

Syrian government forces on Sunday confirmed they had recaptured the Wadi Barada valley, a critical water source for nearby Damascus. “Our armed forces... have accomplished their mission by restoring security and stability in the region of Wadi Barada”, the army said in a statement carried by state television. It is thought that over five million inhabitants of Damascus have been without water since December. Syrian authorities have said that rebel fighters can choose to stay if they hand over their weapons or will be given safe passage if they leave to the northern province of Idlib. The first batch of 160 rebels and their families are thought to have already left. 

A man has died in hospital after he was mauled by a tiger in a zoo in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo on Sunday afternoon. The attack occurred around 2 p.m. BJT at the Tiger Hill enclosure in Ningbo Youngor Zoo and lasted over an hour. The tiger was shot dead by police and the zoo evacuated as a result of the incident. The man killed had entered the site without a ticket, the zoo's management committee said in a Weibo post, citing a tourist traveling with the victim. The same tourist also said the man ignored warnings and climbed over a three-meter fence into the tiger enclosure before being attacked. Further investigation is underway.

Socialist Benoit Hamon comfortably beat the former Prime Minister Manuel Valls to become the French Socialist Party’s nomination in the presidential elections in three months’ time. Hamon, the ex-education minister, is viewed as the most left-leaning of the potential Socialist Party candidates with a raft of policies including a universal income for all citizens, legalization of cannabis and repealing recent laws which gave workers fewer rights when being hired or fired. Current polls however do not predict that he will be able to beat the three leading candidates: Conservative Francois Fillon, right-wing Marine Le Pen, and centrist Emmanuel Macron.

The sale of fireworks in Beijing for Lunar New Year celebrations decreased 4.9 percent year on year, the sixth consecutive decline, according to the fireworks office of the municipal government. The authorities attributed the decline to growing public awareness of air quality. Beijing had ordered the suspension of fireworks sales in case of serious air pollution alerts.

The LA Lakers are the top team in NBA merchandise sales in China, according to new data released by NBAStore.cn and other online flagship stores in the country, according to NBA China. Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s jersey topped Jersey sales in China during his retirement tour while the jersey of two-time MVP Stephen Curry was the second-most popular in sales. Michael Jordan’s jersey came in third, proving that he is still one of the most popular players despite having retired over a decade ago.