WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House’s top economic adviser acknowledged Sunday that U.S. consumers and businesses pay the tariffs that the Trump administration has imposed on billions of dollars of Chinese goods, even as President Trump himself insisted in a tweet, incorrectly, that China pays.

“Yes, I don’t disagree with that,” said Larry Kudlow, the head of the president’s National Economic Council, when Chris Wallace, host of “Fox News Sunday,” asked him, “It’s U.S. businesses and U.S. consumers who pay, correct?”

13 May 2019; DW: After the US army sent forces into the Middle East, Iran has said it won't surrender to political and economic pressure. US President Trump said he wants to hear directly from Iran's leaders and asked them to call him.

The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Major General Hossein Salami, said in a parliament session on Sunday that the United States has started a psychological war in the region, according to a parliamentary spokesman.

13 May 2019; DW: German, French and British foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to find ways to keep the pact alive amid Iran's partial withdrawal. But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is making a surprise visit.

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday that EU member states continue "to fully support the nuclear deal with Iran" ahead of a foreign ministers summit in Brussels.

JERUSALEM (AP) — As host of this year’s Eurovision, Israel has tried to use the hugely popular song contest to present itself as a tolerant and cosmopolitan country that is winning increased acceptance on the world stage. But despite Israel’s best branding efforts, the kitschy festival is clouded in political conflict and controversy.

13 May 2019; MEMO: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to advance a bill which will curtail the power of the country’s Supreme Court, a move which could guarantee his immunity from prosecution for corruption.

13 May 2019; DW: Poland has called off a visit by Israeli officials, claiming they were seeking to force talks on the restitution of Jewish property seized during World War II.

The Polish Foreign Ministry on Monday said it had scrapped the planned visit of an Israeli delegation at short notice, claiming the officials were trying to force through talks on restitution.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning says she’ll refuse to testify on Thursday before a second grand jury investigating WikiLeaks.

But if a judge finds her in contempt of court again, she could wind up back in jail.

Manning spent seven years in prison for leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks. She walked free in May 2017 after President Barack Obama commuted her 35-year sentence.

Tehran, May 13 (AFP/PTI) Iran on Monday called attacks on ships in the Gulf "alarming", after the UAE and Saudi Arabia said several vessels including oil tankers were damaged in acts of sabotage off the Emirati coast.

"The incidents in the Sea of Oman are alarming and regrettable," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said in an English-language statement on the ministry's website, calling for a probe into the attacks and warning of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security.

Beijing, May 13; PTI/GANASHAKTI: China, which is developing its navy at a feverish pace, has commissioned two more guided missile destroyers taking the total of such warships to 20 with more in the pipeline, state-media reported on Monday.

Two Type 052D guided missile destroyers were launched last Friday in Dalian, a coastal city, state-run Global Times reported.

Their commissioning marked the 19th and 20th of launches of their kind, the report said and quoted Chinese analysts as saying that plans are afoot to build more guided missile destroyers.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s president on Sunday vowed to purge his party of “bad and deviant tendencies” as he prepares to appoint a new Cabinet following a victory in national elections.

The 57% share of the vote was the worst-ever election showing for the African National Congress, which has ruled since the harsh apartheid system of racial discrimination ended 25 years ago. The party won 62% of the vote in 2014.

Dubai, May 13 (AP) Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused "significant damage" to the vessels, one of them as it was en route to pick up Saudi oil to take to the US.

Khalid al-Falih's comments came as the US issued a new warning to sailors and the UAE's regional allies condemned the reported sabotage Sunday of four ships off the coast of the port city of Fujairah. The announcement came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the city's port.

13 May 2019; AFP: US President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his tariff policy, insisting again that China will pay billions in duties to the US, after Trump's economic advisor raised eyebrows by saying both sides will suffer.

"We are right where we want to be with China," Trump said on Twitter.

"Remember, they broke the deal with us & tried to renegotiate. We will be taking in Tens of Billions of Dollars in Tariffs from China."