The Wire

The European Union has toughened its stance on Syria by freezing assets from the Central Bank and banning the trade of precious metals. The new economic sanctions come as some in the global community slam the Syrian referendum held over the weekend as a scam.

The Syrian government claims that 90 percent of voters support a new constitution which the regime celebrates as a nod to democracy. But critics say that the reform actually highlights President Assad’s reluctance to hand over power and they’re outraged by the killing of over a hundred civilians in the city of Homs in recent days.