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Ballester apologizes to Augusta National for relief in Rae's Creek
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McIlroy, DeChambeau charge but Rose clings to Masters lead
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Langer misses cut to bring 41st and final Masters appearance to a close
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Rose knocking on the door of a major again at the Masters
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DeChambeau finding right balance at Augusta National
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All Black Barrett helps Leinster into Champions Cup semis
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Round-two rebound: Resilient McIlroy right back in the Masters hunt
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Asset flight challenges US safe haven status
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Menendez brothers appear in LA court for resentencing hearing
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McIlroy, DeChambeau charge as Rose clings to Masters lead
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Fed official says 'absolutely' ready to intervene in financial markets
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Slumping Homa happy to be headed into weekend at the Masters
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Morbidelli fastest ahead of cagey MotoGP title rivals in Qatar practise
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Musetti stuns Monte Carlo Masters champion Tsitsipas to reach semis
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Trump defends policy after China hits US with 125% tariffs
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McLarens dominate Bahrain practice, Verstappen rues 'too slow' Red Bull
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Eight birdies rescue Masters rookie McCarty after horror start
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Trump -- oldest elected US president -- undergoes physical
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Rose clings to Masters lead as McIlroy, DeChambeau charge
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Brazil's Bolsonaro hospitalized with abdominal pain, 'stable'
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Canada, US to start trade talks in May: Carney
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Musetti stuns defending champion Tsitsipas at Monte Carlo Masters
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McLaren dominate Bahrain practice as Verstappen struggles
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Dollar plunges, stocks wobble over trade war turmoil
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Trump says tariff policy 'doing really well' despite China retaliation
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African Development Bank chief warns of tariff 'shock wave'
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Jolted by Trump, EU woos new partners from Asia to Latin America
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Brazil's Bolsonaro hospitalized with 'unbearable' abdominal pain
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Moment of reckoning for pandemic agreement talks at WHO
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Declare gender violence in S.Africa a national disaster, campaigners say
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US Fed officials see higher inflation ahead as consumer confidence plunges
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Rose keeps three-shot Masters lead as Aberg, DeChambeau charge
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Brazil's Bolsonaro hospitalized with severe abdominal pain: party
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Trump renews call for end to seasonal clock changes
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Trump tariffs unnerve locals in Irish 'pharma' hub
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UK parliament recalled to 'protect' British Steel's future

EU launches WTO case against China over Lithuania row
The European Union on Thursday launched a case against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for targeting Lithuania over its stance on Taiwan.
The move by Brussels is a further deterioration in ties between China and the bloc, with a long negotiated investment deal already on the rocks after both sides exchanged tit-for-tat sanctions.
The latest spat is over Lithuania, one of the smallest countries in the European Union, which made waves in July when it allowed Taiwan to open a diplomatic outpost in Vilnius.
The move outraged Beijing, which does not recognise Taiwan as a state and considers the self-ruled democratic island a rebellious territory of the mainland.
"Launching a WTO case is not a step we take lightly," said EU trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis in a statement.
"However, after repeated failed attempts to resolve the issue bilaterally, we see no other way forward than to request WTO dispute settlement consultations with China," he added.
By going to the WTO, the EU lent support to accusations by Lithuanian business leaders and officials that the row has resulted in China blocking imports from Lithuania and other economic restrictions.
WTO arbitration is a slow-moving process, however, and any result could take years to come.
- EU finds evidence -
The EU said that it had built up a trove of evidence of Chinese restrictions.
These included "a refusal to clear Lithuanian goods through customs, rejection of import applications from Lithuania, and pressuring EU companies operating out of other EU member states to remove Lithuanian inputs from their supply chains".
Despite the evidence, Dombrovskis said that the bloc would continue to pursue diplomatic solutions to the feud, and has raised the problem with his Chinese counterparts in recent weeks.
The European Commission handles trade policy for the EU's 27 member states and takes the lead on conflicts at the WTO in Geneva.
In November, China downgraded diplomatic ties with Lithuania and stopped issuing visas there in protest at Vilnius's decision to allow Taiwan to open the representative office under its own name.
The United States has signalled its support for the European Union and Lithuania in the fight.
Reports said that Lithuania, at the prodding of Washington, was considering renaming its mission to Taiwan to something less provocative for Beijing.
Under the stewardship of former German chancellor Angela Merkel, the EU has long -pursued friendlier ties with China, but this has also proven harder to defend as Chinese President Xi Jinping's leadership turns more centralised and hard line.
The relationship with Beijing grew even more complicated a year ago when an EU-China investment deal wanted by Germany was put on indefinite standby after both sides exchanged tit-for-tat sanctions over the treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in China.
Spurred on by the latest controversy, the EU is discussing draft regulation that would equip Brussels with new powers to swiftly retaliate against efforts by foreign governments to undermine the European economy and businesses.
H.Seidel--BTB