UPDATE 1-EXPLAINER-What do new U.S. sanctions mean for Syria? <!-- no image --> <div>The toughest U.S. sanctions yet on Syria take effect this week, increasing the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad as he grapples with a deepening economic crisis after a decade of war.<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?a=rVn2GRD4YIA:UsaO8Po9lec:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></a> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?a=rVn2GRD4YIA:UsaO8Po9lec:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?i=rVn2GRD4YIA:UsaO8Po9lec:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></a> <a href="http://feeds.reuters.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?a=rVn2GRD4YIA:UsaO8Po9lec:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/reuters/UKBankingFinancial?i=rVn2GRD4YIA:UsaO8Po9lec:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/reuters/UKBankingFinancial/~4/rVn2GRD4YIA" height="1" width="1" alt=""></div> Posted by Reuters