of nicola bulley. we forces is that of nicole bulley. we have got forces is that of nicola bulley. we have got correspondents on the scene and also speaking to special here on bbc news. do stay with us. more to come. this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. our top stories... police investigating the disappearance of a 45 year—old woman in the northwest of england say they have recovered a body from a river near to where nicola bulley was last seen. the us secretary of state says china is considering supplying weapons and ammunition to russia for its war against ukraine. i have seen them provide non—lethal support to russia for use in ukraine. the concern that we have now is based on information that we have that they are considering providing little support. —— lethal

support. nearly two weeks on from turkey's devastating earthquake, officials say most rescue efforts to find survivors are to end. police in the north of england have found a body near where a woman went missing three weeks ago. 45—year—old nicola bulley was last seen walking her dog near a river in lancashire in the northwest of england onjanuary 27th. 25 minutes after she was last seen, her mobile phone, was found on a bench, still connected to a work teams call. her springer spanial was found waiting nearby. lancashire police said they were called at 11.36 local time

to reports of a body in the river wyre less than a kilometre from where she was last seen. a police statement on twitter said, "an underwater search team and specialist officers have subsequently attended the scene, entered the water and have sadly recovered a body." our reporter yunus muller is in the village where nicola bulley went missing. have you got you? it is very windy, and we have had a couple of technical problems. can you hear me? i can, yes. take us through the developments we have had so far today, please. in developments we have had so far today. please-— developments we have had so far today, please. in recent days, what i've noticed — today, please. in recent days, what i've noticed is _ today, please. in recent days, what i've noticed is that _ today, please. in recent days, what i've noticed is that police _ today, please. in recent days, what i've noticed is that police activity i i've noticed is that police activity has mainly been on land. we have

seen mounted police on horses, we have seen officers patrolling, but any activity in terms of searches has been concentrated away from here, further down the estuary into microbrewery. read more day today, the helicopter was hovering above st michael's on wyre, and then that helicopter and fats came quite low down, quite close to the river, just a few hundred yards over my shoulder. we then noticed a police diver going into the water, and shortly afterwards, followed by a number of officers arriving on scene, including the senior investigating officer, and then there was a tent that was erected quite close to the area. that would close by was also cordoned off. we then had that police statement which told us that an underwater search team with special officers had subsequently attended the scene,

entered the water and sadly recovered a body. they received those reports at around 11:30am. they said that no formal identification has been carried out, so they are unable to say posited as nicola bulley, who hit the have been searching for for more than three weeks. they are currently treating the death as unexplained, and the procedures to identify the body are ongoing. as you would expect, they had been in touch with nicola bulley�*s family, including her partner, paulansell. bulley�*s family, including her partner, paul ansell. they said that nikola's family have been informed on developments, and our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times. ., ., ,. , , of times. you have described events u . of times. you have described events u- until of times. you have described events up until nova _ of times. you have described events up until nova we — of times. you have described events up until now. we have _ of times. you have described events up until now. we have got _ of times. you have described events up until now. we have got pictures | up until now. we have got pictures of the alexander lukashenko, that we have heard so much about. i wonder if you could describe the geography for us. ~ ., if you could describe the geography for us. ~ . ., ., ,

if you could describe the geography for us. ~ . . ., , ., for us. what we have had is that hu . e for us. what we have had is that huge missing — for us. what we have had is that huge missing persons _ for us. what we have had is that. huge missing persons investigation, and that started when nicola bulley, and that started when nicola bulley, a mother of two young children, she had just dropped those children off at school, and was on a riverside walk when she disappeared. her family said that she just simply vanish, as far as they were concerned, and they were extremely concerned, and they were extremely concerned about her whereabouts and where she could possibly. we have had this issue to search. from the beginning, herfamily wanted beginning, her family wanted lancashire beginning, herfamily wanted lancashire police to be open—minded about what may have happened. the police were working on this theory that she went into the water, there were no obvious signs of a fall. a few people had seen her, but there was a ten minute window where they weren't sure what had happened, but they were convinced that she hadn't left that field are close to the river. and that bench, where her phone was fun. still connected to it teams call, and close by was a

harness, which belong to her dog. it was a member of the public and found that the dog wandering close by. the immediately, of course, a lot of the school, and the police come and then we had this should search. police have been searching the river, further down into the nursery, we have had a private searching that have had a private searching that have been called in. they were called in by nichola a's family, who perhaps felt that that he might be able to bring alec�*s level of expertise that lancashire police me not sad. but they searched the same areas, and we still had nothing, no trace of her. and then issued a number of appeals. what be hard but lots of information coming into the police. the scene at around 1500 pieces of information came in to them. i looked through hundreds of hours of cctv recordings, and of

course, they also visited more than 300 premises and spoke to a lot of people. they carried out the stewards investigation at a level of resources that you just don't find on a missing persons investigation. they said it was unprecedented, so they were doing what they can to find nicola, and that we have this development, of course. we don't know the identity of the person fine. the set identification is still taking place, but nicola's family have been informed. it looks very quiet. — family have been informed. it looks very quiet. very _ family have been informed. it looks very quiet, very peaceful— very quiet, very peaceful countryside scene behind you there. earlier, we were showing scenes of police activity. there were fans, robert rhodes cordoned off, and i believe that there was a white forensic tent spirits up. —— there were rhodes cordoned off. are there

still areas still cordoned off? the road has still areas still cordoned off? tue: road has recently still areas still cordoned off? tte: road has recently reopened, still areas still cordoned off? "tte: road has recently reopened, the still areas still cordoned off? tte: road has recently reopened, the road quite close to where police were quick searching, for that police diver went in. it is considerably less activity now. it feels as if they have carried out those investigations, those inquiries, that they needed to do, and now they have obviously recovered, sadly, they say, they have recovered a body, and it will be concentrating on trying to identify key letters. 0bviously, on trying to identify key letters. obviously, we don't know how long that kind of procedure will take, but once they have been able to identify who that is, they will of course let us know, and then hopefully let's nicola bulley�*s family not as welcome as to who that person is. —— let the family know as well. this will be extremely distressing time the family. they

have had to go over quite a lot, over the past few weeks, not only the disappearance of nicola bulley, but we had that reaction, that huge reaction to her going missing, and there were so many people have come to this village to find out for themselves what may have happened to nicola. we have seen a lot of people here who arrived in have done that when filming and put forward various theories about what has happened, and so there has been a lot of speculation here about nicola. in fact, before we went on are just now, i was speaking to someone who had just arrived, and i asked him why he was here, and he said, it is a mother with young children who has disappeared, and she wanted to find out for himself what perhaps may have happened. but it's that kind of speculation, but also those seniors and people have been putting up, people have been going into derelict

properties, filming what they feel has happened and putting that active on social media. that prompted lancashire police earlier this week to put out that news conference, revealed those details, which has provoked so much reaction from so many people. they revealed that from the very beginning they felt that nicola was high risk, they told us that she had a specific vulnerabilities. this book about those difficulties, those struggles come up with alcohol and the menopause, and that of course has provoked a huge reaction from a number of politicians and groups, who felt that kind of detail of her private life, the question is whether that was necessary. we have got the information commissioner who has asked for an explanation. we had the home secretary, the prime minister, asking for an explanation. it is that kind of detail but has put to lancashire police under a lot of scrutiny, and we have heard from

a lot of people who have criticised the force. they were trying to give us a better understanding of what happens, and wanted to put an end to the speculation, but was not only damaging to its own investigation but also quite distressing for the family, and the force of said that that was conjecture, and they wanted it to stop. but clearly then we had that huge backlash.— it to stop. but clearly then we had that huge backlash. thank you very much for that. _ that huge backlash. thank you very much for that. speaking _ that huge backlash. thank you very much for that. speaking tours - that huge backlash. thank you very much for that. speaking tours from around the area per 45—year—old went missing three weeks ago. i'm joined now by the former chief superintendent of the london metropolitan police dal baba. thank you for coming back to us here on bbc news. i'vejust been having a look at that new kit missing persons unit on the website, and i believe thatis

unit on the website, and i believe that is done through the national crime agency. is that correct? tt is crime agency. is that correct? it is centralised? _ crime agency. is that correct? it is centralised? that's _ crime agency. is that correct? te 3 centralised? that's correct. crime agency. is that correct? it is centralised? that's correct. at - crime agency. is that correct? it is | centralised? that's correct. at what oint do centralised? that's correct. at what point do the — centralised? that's correct. at what point do the police _ centralised? that's correct. at what point do the police take _ centralised? that's correct. at what point do the police take a _ centralised? that's correct. at what point do the police take a missing l point do the police take a missing person seriously?— point do the police take a missing person seriously? when somebody is re orted person seriously? when somebody is reported missing. — person seriously? when somebody is reported missing, the _ person seriously? when somebody is reported missing, the police - person seriously? when somebody is reported missing, the police assess i reported missing, the police assess the information immediately, and either as a high risk, medium risk or a low risk. 0n either as a high risk, medium risk or a low risk. on this occasion, given the information that the police were given by the family, the assessed nicola is a high—risk person, and that then means that the senior officer assesses it and makes a decision about resources and what is going to happen next. we know that lancashire police took this very seriously and had a detective superintendent placed in charge, one of the most senior officers in lancashire, and that officer is well respected for the work that she does, and she basically set about setting the strategy, working out water main working hypothesis would be. she asked for resources, and

then start the process from there. are there enough resources to help look for missing people? t are there enough resources to help look for missing people?— look for missing people? i think we have had massive _ look for missing people? i think we have had massive cutbacks - look for missing people? i think we have had massive cutbacks in - have had massive cutbacks in policing in the uk. we have lost 20,000 police officers and 18,500 police staff, but we are in the process of recruiting the police officers back, but when a missing person is assessed as high, it then requires the police are to put resources into that, so they will appoint a family liaison officer who will work directly with the family. they will have a team of detectives, experience individuals. they may bring and the local neighbourhood seems to work with them, and then they will go across lancashire police to identify sufficient people to work with if necessary, they can go to neighbouring forces and asked for additional resources. we go to neighbouring forces and asked for additional resources.— for additional resources. we have stressed that _ for additional resources. we have stressed that the _ for additional resources. we have stressed that the body _ for additional resources. we have stressed that the body that - for additional resources. we have stressed that the body that has . for additional resources. we have i stressed that the body that has been recovered from the alexander lukashenko has not been identified

as that of nicola bulley, but typically, what would happen next? —— from the river wyre. the typically, what would happen next? -- from the river wyre.— -- from the river wyre. the family as soon officer _ -- from the river wyre. the family as soon officer would _ -- from the river wyre. the family as soon officer would visit - -- from the river wyre. the family as soon officer would visit the - -- from the river wyre. the family as soon officer would visit the farm and expand what had happened. 0ften, close family want to get together, so we know that nicola's parents have expressed a huge amount of distress about the fact that she has gone missing. you have a situation with the parents, the daughters are quite young, at primary school, they will be there, the partner will be there. there may be other people, other friends, there. there may be other people, otherfriends, otherfamilies there. there may be other people, other friends, other families that will be gathered together, and the family will then have the information given to them. paul ansell would be that men contact, but given how close a family they have been, a tight—knit family, the partner may decide you want other

people present, and then they will have the briefing around the family liaison officer. i think one element of this for the family as an officer may seek to protect the farm is, because of the unprecedented trolling of family members, i think a corresponding mention people turning up to their own investigation, you may have a situation where the officer may say, let me deal with any social media. already, there are people making very unpleasant comments on social media runs nicola and the potential of this body being identified. as you stress a number of times, there is no formal identification at this stage. is no formal identification at this state. ., , is no formal identification at this state. . , ., . stage. the family liaison officer have now had _ stage. the family liaison officer have now had to _ stage. the family liaison officer have now had to take _ stage. the family liaison officer have now had to take on - stage. the family liaison officer have now had to take on this i stage. the family liaison officer. have now had to take on this role stage. the family liaison officer- have now had to take on this role of policing social media. how difficult is that, when you are trying to calm a family in distress, and how

helpful are the social media companies themselves? tiara helpful are the social media companies themselves? two police officers aet companies themselves? two police officers get help? _ companies themselves? two police officers get help? no, _ companies themselves? two police officers get help? no, i— companies themselves? two police officers get help? no, i think - companies themselves? two police officers get help? no, i think it - companies themselves? two police officers get help? no, i think it is l officers get help? no, i think it is a very valid _ officers get help? no, i think it is a very valid point, _ officers get help? no, i think it is a very valid point, because - officers get help? no, i think it is a very valid point, because this . officers get help? no, i think it is a very valid point, because this is unprecedented, a lot of the normal investigation the police would have done is that they would have control of it, but you haven't got control of it, but you haven't got control of social media. i think they have to bear responsibility but have allowed tiktok, conspiracy theories to be shared across social media. so, i think in the cold light of day, the police will have to look at what they need to be doing if they have a situation like this, and remember that the genre of true crime series now is so widespread that people feel, having watched a serious, that they are experts. people will come along to the scene and actually not realise that they are causing a huge injury, because

what you may lose, if there is any forensics, having people trampling through the scene is potentially going to lose that forensic. and i think because of the unprecedented amount of attention to sort out over the past few weeks, you have had some of my ex colleagues talking and not a particular helpful way. i have said all along that i am satisfied of what lancashire police are doing an investigation. i think the senior investigating officer is a hugely respected individual, and she should be allowed to carry on the work that she is doing and the hypothesis that she is doing and the hypothesis that she has. what aspects haven't been helpful that former colleagues may have added?— helpful that former colleagues may have added? ~ . ., ., , have added? what damage could they otentiall have added? what damage could they potentially have _ have added? what damage could they potentially have done? _ have added? what damage could they potentially have done? i _ have added? what damage could they potentially have done? i think - potentially have done? i think --eole potentially have done? i think people should _ potentially have done? i think people should have _ potentially have done? i think people should have said, - potentially have done? i think people should have said, that| people should have said, that lancashire police get on from the job, stop speculating, please don't go to the scene, don't go therefore

selfies. and then former quality have not had all the information are then speculating about what should have been done. i don't have all the information, i don't know, so i'm not going to say to lancashire police, take that bench but she was sitting before forensics, because it may not play any part in the investigation. i'm not going to say to make sure nobody goes into that area, because i don't know but the key areas of the investigation are full stops, there are some come in the cold light of day, dimension social media companies, i think that it a really important area to look at. what do they do come and how much do they feel the conspiracy side of these kind of things? and also the police need to understand, when they are doing the manual, derby needs another chapter on the other and being in derby needs another chapter on the otherand being in a derby needs another chapter on the other and being in a situation where

you are able to manage communications? that is perhaps one of the most difficult areas. trier? of the most difficult areas. very ruickl , of the most difficult areas. very quickly. a _ of the most difficult areas. very quickly. a child _ of the most difficult areas. very quickly, a child is _ of the most difficult areas. very quickly, a child is reported - of the most difficult areas. very quickly, a child is reported missing every two minutes in the uk. that is a child every two minutes. why is this case getting so much more attention?— attention? some children, unfortunately, _ attention? some children, unfortunately, go - attention? some children, unfortunately, go missing| unfortunately, go missing repeatedly. children, regardless of what the searching is committed to high risk. i talked about three categories of investigations, so in answering your question, i don't know. in some ways, when nicola bulley went missing, she was... it seemed to be the perfect family. so i think that captured the public�*s imagination. we also had literally

minutes between when she was last seen two points she was going missing. i think all of those have added to it. i think the social media aspect of it, but you have individuals who are doing investigations have contributed to that. i investigations have contributed to that. ., ., , ., , that. i apologise for interrupting, but we have _ that. i apologise for interrupting, but we have run _ that. i apologise for interrupting, but we have run out _ that. i apologise for interrupting, but we have run out of— that. i apologise for interrupting, but we have run out of time. - that. i apologise for interrupting, but we have run out of time. the | but we have run out of time. the former chief superintendent of the london metropolitan police, thank you very much indeed. and we will be coming back to the story here on bbc news, so do stay with us for that. let us return to other world events taking place at the moment. the us secretary of state, antony blinken, has alleged that china is considering supplying weapons and ammunition to russia, for its war against ukraine. he was speaking to cbs news after meeting china's top diplomat, wang yi, on the sidelines of the international munich security conference in germany. he said he'd warned mr wang of consequences, if material support

was provided to moscow. mr blinken told cbs that chinese firms were already providing non—lethal aid for russia's invasion. james landale reports. for months now, vladimir putin has been wooing china's president so is all that diplomacy about to pay off? so far, china has neither endorsed nor condemned russia's invasion of ukraine, calling instead for a peaceful solution. but the us believes russian forces in ukraine are already getting surveillance and other information from chinese firms. and america's top diplomat now believes that china could be going further and providing weapons. we have seen them provide non—lethal support to russia for use in ukraine. the concern that we have now is based on information we have that they are considering providing lethal support and we've made very clear to them that that would cause a serious problem for us and then in our relationship.

that message was delivered at a security conference in munich where mr blinken met china's foreign minister behind closed doors. he was here to brief european counterparts on china's imminent so—called peace plan for ukraine that some analysts fear could call for the west to stop arming ukraine. translation: china is not a party to this crisis in ukraine _ but we are not standing idly by. nor have we thrown fuel on the fire. we are more opposed to profiting from the fire. what china is doing, as i said earlier, is to urge peace and promote talks. we will stand firmly on the side of peace and on the side of dialogue. until now, china has stayed largely at one remove from the war in ukraine but the fear among western policy—makers here is that that may be about to change,

and there's uncertainty about what it might mean. if china is behind russia here then it is a great power that has and can provide weapons. that is definitely making the conflict and the war bigger. and it would be of concern? definitely. before the war, both men met at the winter olympics and agreed what they called a partnership with no limits. we may find out shortly if that is true. james landale, bbc news, munich. nearly two weeks on from turkey's devastating earthquake, officials have said most rescue efforts to find survivors will end today. search operations have been winding down for days as the chances of finding people fade. more than 116,000 people are known to have been killed by the quake and the aftershocks. earlier, my colleague shaun ley spoke to uk development minister andrew mitchell after he toured a uk—led

field hospital in turkoglu in southern turkey, where british and began by asking him what he was seeing on the ground. well, making my way here to a part of turkey, which has been very badly damaged by the earthquake. i drove through a city where all the buildings have been completely flattened and you see the sort of awesome power of these terrible natural disasters, and you see them and the effect it has on people's lives. you see people's possessions strewn amongst the rubble and the sort of utilities like pots and pans upon which people rely on normal life, all of it completely destroyed. and it shows you just how this has touched so many people. it's notjust the enormous numbers of people who've been killed and hurt. it's also the huge number, many millions of people where they are displaced, they've lost as a human catastrophe of extraordinary proportions.

we see behind you people in fatigues. presumably this is a military and a civilian operation, charities involved as well. coordination must be very difficult in these kinds of situations. it's extremely difficult. but i am amazed and in awe of the way in which this has worked so well here. there's something like 150 members of the british team deployed here in two clinics and one mod foreign office hospital, and they have treated thousands and thousands of people over the last week. and you see britain at its best. and of course it mirrors the quite extraordinary generosity of the british people to the disasters emergency committee appeal, which has now raised a staggering £85 million. and that shows both the determination of brits at home to ensure that we really have effect and do our stuff to help the people caught up in this catastrophe.

but also the way, in the front line, british support british doctors, nurses and clinicians, british humanitarian workers, are making a real difference on the ground to people who have suffered so much. it must be frustrating for you then to be in a situation where, you know were it not for changes to the budget and the the rules of distribution that were made when rishi sunak, now prime minister, was chancellor under borisjohnson, you would have more money to distribute for aid and development. well, when it comes to humanitarian expenditure, we have a degree of flexibility within our budget. and what i can tell you is that british taxpayers' money, the money that's being raised by the disasters emergency committee, it will be used to real effect here. and britain is, through its contribution, through its support and expertise, it's really making a difference. we were one of the first people to get through money to the first responders in northern syria, where so many people have been displaced or made homeless. and we were one of the first countries to get money

through to the white helmets, and through our coordination work in the un, through the critical fund that was actually set up by britain, the surf fund of the un, which goes to help people caught through a whole range of mechanisms, britain is having a real humanitarian effect on the ground and as far as the money is concerned, we have enough to do what we want to do at the moment. and i'm very confident through working with others in the international community, we will be able to drive forward what needs to be done in this humanitarian emergency. you are watching bbc news. our home editor mark easton updated us on the current situation.

regarding the location and the retrieval of your body and the river wyre in lancashire, where nicola bulley disappeared three weeks ago. we don't know for certain yet that it is nicola bulley, but i think it would be a reasonable starting point that it is. and if it is nicola bulley, less than one mile from percy disappeared. throughout the three weeks, the police have been saying she is in the devil. they seem very confident from the start, despite some of the family's concerns. —— she is in the river. people will be asking questions to note that harry could be that after all those extensive searches, the police saying that is where she was, this river is not enormous. this is a small stream come in parts. and the fact that this body was not found for three weeks, i think there will be questions about whether the handling of that search was done

properly. and that of course comes on top of a huge focus on the bread that lancashire police have conducted this investigation, their relationships with the family, and of course specifically the revealing of course specifically the revealing of the personal details about nicola bulley and the vulnerabilities that the police knew that she had at the time of her disappearance. so, i think, for lancashire police, there are going to be questions to answer. and this comes at a time, of course, when the policy in general is finding itself under enormous scrutiny. we still have six police forces in england and wales in special measures under the engagement process of the inspectorate. that in itself is a pretty extraordinary state of affairs, and that six does not include lancashire, incidentally. and i'm sure that her majesty is inspector of constabulary is going

to want a long, hard look at this. it is five years since they did an investigation come in 2017. and at that time, interestingly, although the force was given a reasonable bill of health, one of the things that did emerge what it was felt that did emerge what it was felt that they should do more at senior levels to support investigations involving vulnerable people. and indeed, there was also concern about the way that the lancashire police force are protected vulnerable victims. now, ithink force are protected vulnerable victims. now, i think it was in another context, at the time, but i think people will also be aware that that comes very much to the heart of the story— how the police adopt both the story— how the police adopt both the disappearance of eight women, part are they shared more widely, and that ability to deal with the spotlight of attention that suddenly arrived in lancashire.