Free Republic

Four major state-owned Chinese oil companies have suspended their purchases of seaborne Russian oil in response to the new sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on Rosneft and Lukoil, according to a Reuters report, citing anonymous trade sources. The suspension, if confirmed, would put Russia under major economic pressure to end its war on Ukraine. China is a key strategic partner of Russia. Beijing's large-scale oil purchases have aided Moscow through punishing Western sanctions related to its invasion of Ukraine. The four oil firms involved are PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC, and Zhenhua Oil, per Reuters.

NEWSWEEK POLL: Bush's Approval Rating Slips to New Low (48%); Fifty Percent of Voters Say They Don't Want to See Him Re-Elected (45% Do); Kerry Strengthens Lead to 48 Percent, 35 Points Ahead of Nearest Rival Dean; Wins in Match-Up With Bush (50% To 45%) Fifty-Eight Percent Say Gay Marriage Should Not Be Legal; Majority Says Issue of Gay Marriage Very Important (22%) or Somewhat Important (32%) in Determining Their Vote for President NEW YORK, Feb. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- President George W. Bush's approval rating has slipped to 48 percent, the lowest level since February 2001, according to the Newsweek...