U.N. Estimates 60,000 Killed in Syria

As the civil war in Syria nears its two-year anniversary, the United Nations estimates that more than 60,000 people have been killed, with monthly casualty figures steadily increasing, reports Yahoo! News. The death toll, based on reporting by seven different sources, is a third more than the figure of 45,000 given by activists opposed to the regime of President Bashar Assad -- the first time that the U.N.'s estimates are higher. "The number of casualties is much higher than we expected, and is truly shocking," said Navi Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.