Watch: Fake kidnapping, the Lauren Dickason trial and could inflation fall?

Don’t have time to read the headlines? Get up to date by watching the Focus Morning Bulletin above, with Cheree Kinnear

Fake kidnapping

A foreign student has been caught up in an elaborate financial scam, forced to fake his own kidnapping and convince his family to send money to offshore criminals.

Police say the man was instructed to spend 10 days in the hotel and make videos of himself to send to relatives begging for them to wire funds to safeguard his life.

Police have described the scenario as “essentially a hostage situation”.

Detectives from Auckland City’s financial crime unit say more victims have come forward in the last month.

Lauren Dickason trial

The father of three children killed by their mother in Timaru will be cross-examined by the defence today.

Lauren Dickason is on trial at the High Court in Christchurch, charged with murdering her daughters in 2021.

She admits killing the girls but is mounting a defence of insanity and infanticide.

Husband Graham Dickason spoke to the court from South Africa about his wife’s depression - and struggles with fertility and motherhood.

Further testimony is expected from him today, about his life with his wife.

Landslide fears

There’s been calls for assurances alternative routes will be available for heavy traffic - if the new Pūhoi-Warkworth motorway is forced to close.

An active landslide has caused cracks in concrete barriers and may be moving sections of land under the $880 million road.

Waka Kotahi forecasts works will be completed in October, and says they don’t anticipate any closures.

But Rodney Local Board’s Geoff Upson says they must ensure there’s access through the old section of State Highway 1, just in case.

Inflation fall

Economists are expecting a fall in New Zealand’s inflation rate today.

The latest Consumers Price Index figures will be released this morning.

The March figure had inflation at 6.7 per cent.

Herald business editor-at-large Liam Dann says economists are predicting a decent fall.

If it’s under 6 per cent, it’d be the first time since December 2021.

Businessmen calculate income and return on investment. Interest rate and dividend concept, income tax raising, investment and savings, plan your spending

Covid iso rules

The Prime Minister has kept the possibility for a Covid-19 isolation rule change open.

The Act Party is calling for the seven-day isolation period if someone gets Covid to end before the Women’s Fifa World Cup.

At the post-cabinet press conference earlier this week, Chris Hipkins responded to questions about whether it should be ditched.

He says last time they looked at it, they were starting to reach the end of the process.