let's speak now to adam fleming in brussels and also to james landale, who's here. secretary? it is unprecedented, the system of the british government giving advice is recent, since 1990 and it has never said no nonessential travel anywhere in the world and it did it because partly it is reflecting advice given by the government about making sure of social distancing and the health reasons, but also because the government wants to ensure they do not have large numbers of vulnerable british people trapped overseas and they said they do not want the number to get higher. what the government is not doing is yet advising those overseas automatically to rush back. they are saying if you want to come back, you can but it is a fast moving situation. the government reflecting the fact that it is chaotic with borders going up and travel restrictions being imposed and they said it will be hard for the british government to get involved in repatriating those overseas finding themselves in difficulty. also speak and, adam, stringent measures expected, too, from the european un

erdogan and vladamir putin of russia, appears to be largely holding. 0ur diplomatic correspondent james landales much of idlib has looked like — a ghost town. as people fled the russian—backed offensive by syrian forces, determined to seize the last remaining hold out of rebels supported by turkey. but this morning, look at this — people returning to the streets of idlib after a ceasefire brokered by russia and turkey. there was reports of some clashes, but the skies appeared empty of war planes. the people here have long learned to be sceptical of ceasefires. translation: this agreement will not hold. because in the past there have been many agreements that the regime has not respected. i'm not hopeful, and i'm not expecting anything from it. those people don't respect any commitments. the ceasefire came into force last night, establishing a security corridor, with joint patrols by turkish and russian forces. eu foreign ministers meeting to discuss the crisis said the ceasefire was good news. it is a good will, let's see how it works, it isa good will, let's see how it works, it is a precondit

the ceasefire appears to be largely holding. james landale reports.s of idlib city after a ceasefire brokered by russia and turkey. there were reports of some sporadic clashes to the south, but for the first time in weeks, the skies appeared empty of russian and turkish warplanes. the people here have long learned to be sceptical of ceasefires. translation: this agreement 10096 will not hold, because in the past they have been many agreements at they have been many agreements at the regime has not respected. i'm not at all hopeful regarding this agreement, and i'm not expecting anything from it. those people don't expect any commitments. the ceasefire came into report last night, establishing a security corridor buffer zone along the front line, withjoint corridor buffer zone along the front line, with joint patrols corridor buffer zone along the front line, withjoint patrols by corridor buffer zone along the front line, with joint patrols by turkish and russian forces. eu foreign ministers and officials meeting to discuss the crisis at the ceasefire

there isa correspondent james landale. team in budapest has died after contracting coronavirus. steven dick, 37, was serving as the deputy head of mission. he died in hungary on tuesday 24th march. steven dick's parents paid tribute to their son, saying... steven dick's parents paid tribute to theirson, saying... he steven dick's parents paid tribute to their son, saying... he was a much loved son, grandson and nephew, he was kind, funny and generous. it was always his dream to work for the foreign office and commonwealth office and he was very happy representing our country overseas. we are devastated by his loss and we ask for privacy at this tragic time. very sad news indeed. nick, ijust wa nt to very sad news indeed. nick, ijust want to move on to some figures that we've had out this afternoon, we are still waiting for the daily update of uk figures of the number of cases andindeed of uk figures of the number of cases and indeed the number of deaths, but we have had an update from italy, can you talk us through this? y

it is from our diplomatic correspondent james landale, who it is from our diplomatic correspondentjamesovernment in peru to allow three internal flights to ta ke peru to allow three internal flights to take britons who have been left stranded there in the area of cusco, to ta ke stranded there in the area of cusco, to take them from there to the capital lima. the next flight will give priority to the most vulnerable. earlier today 170 britons arrived home from lima, after authorities persuaded the peruvian authorities to open its airspace temporarily. about 1000 british nationals have registered with the embassy in lima, seeking to return home. the country has closed its borders, but the foreign office has asked the peruvian government for permission to get three more flights of britain's, who have been stranded in the country as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, to get them out of the country. that news in the last couple of minutes to us here. the prime minister will be holding his daily downing street press conference shortly, where we expect the chancellor, self—employed people.

understood the rules we might be able to work with them but we don't. 0ur diplomatic correspondent james landaleritons to rethink our stuck abroad? the foreign office doesn't know how many britons are abroad. they do not keep a register. it is too difficult to know about the foreign secretary estimates between 300,000 up to about1 million people who are normally based in the uk who are travelling at the moment and they have been advised to come home. that gives you advised to come home. that gives you a sense of the scale of the problem that the foreign office is facing. it is simply impossible to get support to every single one of those people. the vast majority are going to have to find their own way home and the foreign secretary made it clear how difficult that is because he said 80 countries in the last three days have imposed travel restrictions, shutting flights and borders and things like that, so it isa borders and things like that, so it is a hugely difficult problem. we have heard criticism of the uk government. howjustified is it? clearly, a lot of tourists are finding it frustrating

james landale, our diplomatic correspondent, thank you.orrespondent kevin connolly. we keep hearing in the uk we are two weeks behind what is happening in much of mainland europe, and unprecedented changes there we heard from the french president last night. yes, we heard repeatedly from emmanuel macron that france is at war with the disease, i think he used the phrase six times. he announced powerful economic measures. he wanted to send a message to french people that they had to obey all of the social restrictions but also to say that the french was on their side, that they would get through this and by extension of the european countries would get through it. the firepower was there to deal with the consequences. certainly walking around brussels today, people are obeying the social restrictions. it is extraordinarily quiet. people are working from home, video conferencing. in fact, as we begin our video here the leaders of the european union are having a summit by video conference to coordinate measures. it emmanuel macron spoke for ev

advised all british travellers to return to the uk now.0ur diplomatic correspondentjames landale is here. jamestary warned against all essential travel. in other words, to britons here in the uk, don't go overseas. what he's done now is going a step further and said all of those britons that are currently travelling overseas should now come back. essentially, the foreign office were waiting to assess just how difficult it was going to become to travel, but they have now concluded that there is a very tight window now before borders are closed airports have closed, flights are suspended. some britons are already finding it difficult to get back, they are now saying if you can, get ona they are now saying if you can, get on a commercial flight and come home. an indication that they are expecting for the controls over the next 48 hours or so. you mentioned some of the difficulties, peru, for example, the lockdown happened there, and britons are trapped there. have the foreign office had anything in terms of how they plan to actually help people who are currently abroad ? to actually help people wh