EU, U.S. Toughen Syria Sanctions as UN Says Death Toll Rises

The European Union and the U.S. toughened sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, while the United Nations said the estimated death toll from his crackdown on dissenters this year exceeds 4,000.

“Trade in Syrian public bonds and the provision of insurance and reinsurance to the Syrian government will be prohibited in the EU,” the 27-nation bloc said yesterday in a statement. “Syrian banks will no more be allowed to open new branches in the Union nor establish joint ventures or correspondent banking relations with European financial institutions.”