:00:19. > :00:23.At least 39 migrants have drowned trying to reach Europe -
:00:24. > :00:25.in the sea between Turkey and Greece.
:00:26. > :00:32.Coastguards said they were trying to reach the island of Lesbos,
:00:33. > :00:35.where tens of thousands of refugees, including many Syrians
:00:36. > :00:38.have arrived in recent weeks.
:00:39. > :00:41.This latest tragedy comes as members of the main group opposing
:00:42. > :00:44.the Syrian President flew to Geneva to join UN talks aimed at ending
:00:45. > :00:47.They had originally boycotted the process.
:00:48. > :00:50.More on that in a moment - but first Mark Lowen reports
:00:51. > :00:59.on the latest boat disaster off the Turkish coast.
:01:00. > :01:02.What remains of a death trap for the desperate.
:01:03. > :01:04.It carried 120 but was meant for far fewer.
:01:05. > :01:06.Dozens on-board drowned when the vessel capsized off
:01:07. > :01:08.Turkey's western coast, just miles from the Greek
:01:09. > :01:20.Most of the pictures are too graphic to show.
:01:21. > :01:22.Among those who died were five children.
:01:23. > :01:36.Don't you have a conscience, he's asked.
:01:37. > :01:42.I was on board, I had six relatives there too.
:01:43. > :01:48.Typically the migrant tasked with driving the boat is caught.
:01:49. > :01:51.The big smuggling bosses are never found.
:01:52. > :01:55.Over 50,000 have already made the journey to Greece this month.
:01:56. > :02:02.Here, Italian coastguards spot a group off
:02:03. > :02:10.Scuba divers are sent in for the rescue.
:02:11. > :02:15.pulled in, scared but alive.
:02:16. > :02:17.Strong winds and freezing seas are still not deterring those
:02:18. > :02:19.who risk their lives dreaming of a new one.
:02:20. > :02:24.Meanwhile, Britain has welcomed the decision by the main Syrian
:02:25. > :02:27.opposition groups to take part in peace talks in Geneva.
:02:28. > :02:30.Today came another stark reminder of the situation inside Syria -
:02:31. > :02:33.with the reported death of 16 people from starvation in the besieged
:02:34. > :02:45.Syria's war has lasted five long years.
:02:46. > :02:47.At least 250,000 Syrians have been killed, 13 million driven
:02:48. > :02:51.from their homes, the sieges are causing starvation.
:02:52. > :02:58.Now, after months of trying and a lot of false starts,
:02:59. > :03:01.the UN has persuaded the Syrian government and the opposition
:03:02. > :03:04.TRANSLATION: The Syrian people are waiting for rapid
:03:05. > :03:14.and effective results, especially regarding the human
:03:15. > :03:24.results, especially regarding the humanitarian
:03:25. > :03:30.crisis and the delivery of aid supplies to besieged areas.
:03:31. > :03:33.We also need to solve pending issues like detainees,
:03:34. > :03:37.These issues are becoming our top priority and we have
:03:38. > :03:39.The goals for these talks are very ambitious.
:03:40. > :03:42.A ceasefire, a transitional government and a new constitution,
:03:43. > :03:46.Previous attempts to bring peace to Syria have collapsed in failure.
:03:47. > :03:49.The UN is hoping that this time the tranquil surroundings of Geneva
:03:50. > :03:53.But even if these talks are successful they won't be quick.
:03:54. > :03:55.We are being told to expect six months of painstaking negotiation.
:03:56. > :03:57.And even as the talks inched towards their start,
:03:58. > :04:00.reports came of more deaths from hunger in the besieged
:04:01. > :04:31.We know that in many of the besieged areas people are living off leaves,
:04:32. > :04:50.expectancy has fallen from just over 70 years old to just over 50.
:04:51. > :04:53.Far-right demonstrators clashed with anti-fascist groups over
:04:54. > :05:04.Earlier, Maidstone service station was closed when coaches on the way
:05:05. > :05:11.New research suggests a treatment for brain tumours -
:05:12. > :05:14.known as proton beam therapy - may be as effective as conventional
:05:15. > :05:15.radiotherapy - but with fewer side effects.
:05:16. > :05:21.The treatment was at the centre of a high profile medical dispute
:05:22. > :05:23.in 2014, when the parents of five-year-old Ashya King
:05:24. > :05:25.removed him from hospital against doctors'
:05:26. > :05:27.advice - and took him abroad for treatment.
:05:28. > :05:38.Back home in Wiltshire, three-year world Alexander, he has a
:05:39. > :05:41.particularly aggressive form of brain tumour and he has just
:05:42. > :05:48.returned from brain tumour and he has just
:05:49. > :05:50.treatment in the United States. We couldn't be happier, especially with
:05:51. > :05:55.Alexander. He took the treatment very well and has had no real
:05:56. > :06:00.side-effects. He enjoyed every day going to the treatment. Everyone
:06:01. > :06:05.there was really friendly and very warm. They were like our friends.
:06:06. > :06:10.Compared with conventional radiotherapy which uses laser
:06:11. > :06:14.technology proton therapy is highly targeted. That causes less damage to
:06:15. > :06:17.surrounding tissue, making it especially suitable for children
:06:18. > :06:23.whose developing organs are delicate. This NHS video shows the
:06:24. > :06:28.highly context technology being developed in London and Manchester.
:06:29. > :06:31.Patients will be treated using humans gantries as tall as a
:06:32. > :06:36.3-storey house and surrounded by concrete 17 feet thick. In London
:06:37. > :06:41.the whole operation will be cited below an existing hospital. The
:06:42. > :06:45.treatment will be available in Britain until 2018, but figures
:06:46. > :06:53.released last year showed that the NHS had helped 400 people receive it
:06:54. > :06:58.abroad. This treatment hit the headlines in 2014, when five-year
:06:59. > :07:02.old Ashya King's parents took their son out of NHS care against doctors'
:07:03. > :07:07.advice to seek proton beam therapy in the Czech Republic. The report
:07:08. > :07:13.published in the Lancet is based on a survey of 59 children who received
:07:14. > :07:16.proton beam therapy. Cancer experts say it confirms the value of the
:07:17. > :07:22.treatment, but they warned that even with greater availability there will
:07:23. > :07:26.still be hard choices to be made. Proton is about double the cost of
:07:27. > :07:30.conventional soap those responsible for paying for health care, not just
:07:31. > :07:35.in the NHS but in all health care systems, are looking closely at this
:07:36. > :07:39.area to know what criteria to use in order to decide whether to give or
:07:40. > :07:49.not proton in therapy. Alexander Buttner Vinson's proton beam therapy
:07:50. > :07:53.has relied on charity rather than at the NHS. There will still be limits
:07:54. > :07:55.on the numbers that can be treated when the facilities are available in
:07:56. > :07:56.this country. Tennis - and Jamie Murray has become
:07:57. > :07:59.the first Briton to win the men's doubles title at the
:08:00. > :08:01.Australian Open in 82 years. Tomorrow, Jamie's brother Andy
:08:02. > :08:04.will make his fifth attempt to win Today the women's final
:08:05. > :08:07.produced a shock result, with the World Number One Serena
:08:08. > :08:10.Williams defeated by her German Angelique Kerber stepped
:08:11. > :08:16.into the Rod Laver Arena It didn't show, as
:08:17. > :08:20.she proved more than Taking the first set
:08:21. > :08:28.6-4 to her delight. This is a bit of a turn
:08:29. > :08:31.up, Kerber, first set. Williams was vying to equal
:08:32. > :08:33.the record of another German, Steffi Graf,
:08:34. > :08:41.by winning her 22nd Grand Slam. And the world number one fought
:08:42. > :08:44.back to level the match. Into a third set and many
:08:45. > :08:46.expected Kerber to cave. Not a bit of it, playing
:08:47. > :08:55.sometimes sublime tennis, she took it 6-4 and with it one
:08:56. > :08:59.of the biggest upsets of any Earlier on the outside court,
:09:00. > :09:06.Britain's Gordon Reid won the men's wheelchair final and the 24-year-old
:09:07. > :09:12.Glaswegian narrowly failed to make just losing out in the men's
:09:13. > :09:16.doubles. But Jamie Murray added
:09:17. > :09:24.to the Scottish spoils, picking up his first Grand Slam
:09:25. > :09:26.title in the main men's doubles, And among the crowd,
:09:27. > :09:29.a keen observer. Andy, you should be
:09:30. > :09:31.in bed, I don't know We will be there to
:09:32. > :09:39.support you tomorrow. So, another great day's tennis
:09:40. > :09:42.here in Melbourne and not a bad one for the Brits in what has been
:09:43. > :09:47.a pretty good tournament for us, and we still, of course,
:09:48. > :09:50.have got Andy Murray on Sunday up against his old nemesis,
:09:51. > :09:52.Novak Djokovic. Jon Donnison, BBC
:09:53. > :09:55.News, in Melbourne.