BBC News Briefing

8 September, 2025

Alex has short, dark blond bobbed hair and blue eyes and is smiling. She is wearing a pink jumper over a dark grey high-necked top

Alex Binley

Hello. A New Zealand father who went on the run for years with his three children has been shot dead and the siblings rescued, police say. In Egypt, the government argues that turning one of the world's most sacred sites into a luxury resort will help boost the economy. And finally, take a look at last night's breathtaking Blood Moon.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Missing NZ children found and fugitive dad shot dead by police after years on run

A blading man has short dark hair and beard stubble. He is standing infront of a building which looks to be made of white, wooden boards. He is wearing a dark-coloured fleece. The image is not very sharp.

Tom Phillips evaded capture despite a nationwide search and multiple sightings over the years. Credit: NZ Police

A New Zealand father who went on the run with his children in the wilderness for almost four years has been shot dead, authorities have said. Tom Phillips was killed in a shoot-out following a police chase, after officers were called to a robbery in PioPio on the North Island, early on Monday. A police officer was also seriously injured. One of the children was with Phillips and was unharmed, and helped police find their siblings. Authorities believe Phillips disappeared with Ember, nine, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, due to a custody battle. The children's mother said she was "saddened" by the events but also "deeply relieved" the "ordeal has come to an end".

More on this

Timeline: These are the key dates in a case that first began in September 2021.

Questions remain: With Phillips' death, unanswered questions remain, writes Vandhna Bhan who covered the case when it began.

Video: Less than two weeks ago, police released CCTV believed to show Phillips and a child breaking into a shop.

WORLD HEADLINES

A woman in a brown jacket with a brown ponytail with her wrists in handcuffs. Her left wrist is being held by a gloved hand on a tattooed arm emerging from behind a pillar

Triple murderer gets life over toxic mushroom meal

There will be no chance of release for Erin Patterson for 33 years after she killed three family members with a beef wellington.

More from court >

A number of armed police officers stand next to a white bus with a purple and green stripe on it, which also has red and white tape across the front of it

Six killed in Jerusalem shooting, paramedics say

Police said two gunmen opened fire on people waiting at a bus stop on the northern outskirts of the city.

Live updates >

Flames can be seen in the windows of a tall beige and brown building. Smoke billows from the windows

Trump threatens tougher sanctions on Russia

It comes after Moscow carried out its heaviest bombardment yet on Ukraine, hitting the main government building.

What Trump said >

An older man with short grey, thinning hair wears a navy blue suit and is walking in front of a stone-coloured building. His face is turned to look at the camera. A younger man in a black suit with brown hair appears to be holding an umbrella above him

Can anything break France political deadlock?

France looks set to throw out yet another prime minister, after François Bayrou called a confidence vote in himself.

Correspondent analysis >

A designed composite image of Irish rangers on the outside deck of the cargo ship, MV Matthew, with coastline in the background, and two small bags of cocaine powder on the right. The colour scheme is partly green and orange to signify the Irish flag.

Drugs bust reveals battles on cocaine 'superhighway'

The BBC follows the dramatic interception of one audacious operation to smuggle tonnes of cocaine into Europe.

More on investigation >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Tube strike: The London Underground is almost at a standstill as workers stage industrial action over calls for a 32-hour week.

Soldier's suicide: An ex-sergeant major has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage soldier who took her own life.

Analysis: Reform UK are breathing down the government's neck after a week of turmoil, writes political presenter Laura Kuenssberg.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

One of the world's most sacred places is being turned into a luxury mega-resort

The St Catherine's Monastery as seen from the outside. It is a walled structure with several buildings inside, with the monastery's gardens attached to one side, which are green with some trees inside. The surrounding area is rocky with the ground sloping up behind the monastery at the foot of a mountain

The site is also home to St Catherine's Monastery, the world's oldest continuously used Christian monastery. Credit: Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Mount Sinai in Egypt is at the heart of an unholy row over plans to build a tourism mega-project in the place where it's said Moses received the Ten Commandments, and God spoke to the prophet from the burning bush. It's also home to a Bedouin community who have had their homes demolished with little or no compensation. Yet the Egyptian government says the scheme is part of its plans to reinvigorate the flagging economy.