Midday Report

Specialty dairy company Synlait Milk is in a trading halt at its own request as it races to arrange the repayment of a $130 million loan.

Anan Zaki has the Business news.

"You can't paint over love" - that's the message from Auckland's Karangahape Road Business Association after an attack on the street's rainbow crossing.

Police say a group of three people poured white paint on the rainbow crossing in the early hours of the morning, and they have launched an investigation.

It follows a similar incident in Gisborne earlier this week by members of the Destiny Church. Business Association general manager Jamey Holloway says it's a petty and cowardly attack on the street's culture.

Holloway spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Teachers and principals around Aotearoa are doing it tough in the classroom as they struggle with changing and worsening student behaviour.

An Education Review Office report says disruptive and violent behaviour in schools has reached critical levels, with teachers reporting daily instances of fighting, abuse and vandalism.

It says up to 50 percent of teachers cite rising violence as a reason why they would consider leaving the profession.

It's calling for national action and a co-ordinated approach to try and rein in the growing tide of disruptive behaviour.

The Education Minister Erica Stanford turned down a request to come on the programme.

Marlborough Boys High School tumuaki principal John Kendal spoke to Charlotte Cook.

A group of mothers turned up at parliament today to urge MPs to take stronger action on vaping.

Vape Free Kids appeared before the Health Select Committee with a 13,000 signature strong petition, calling on Parliament to take tougher legislation on retailers, and remove vapes from dairies and service stations.

Co-founder and mum Charyl Robinson spoke to Charlotte Cook.

A fresh snapshot of erosion prone land shows more than half of the country's most erodible areas are located in the North Island despite the North Island only making up 43 percent of total land area.

Stats NZ has been analysing changes to the country's erodible land and long-term soil erosion. 

Stats NZ environment and agricultural manager Stuart Jones spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Farmers spending less is having flow-on effects in the regions, and it's been especially tough in Southland where some businesses have had to close down due to the economic downturn.

Sally Murphy has the rural news.

The All Whites goal scoring frustrations have continued as they were beaten in a penalty shoot-out by Tunisia in the play-off for third at the FIFA series tournament in Egypt.

Barry Guy has sports.

Fish farmer New Zealand King Salmon's full year profit has leapt higher on reduced fish deaths as its recovery continues.

Anan Zaki has the business news.

Four government agencies are being accused of knowingly allowing abuse of children and women to happen at Gloriavale.

A new documentary Escaping Utopia which has been screening on TVNZ this week has once again turned the spotlight on the religious community.

Barrister Brian Henry has filed proceedings against Oranga Tamariki, the Department of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Social Development and Labour Inspectorate, and is calling for the West Coast commune to be shut down.

He describes the subjugation of girls, who are denied an education, and are "enslaved to a male sexualised community".

Chief Children's Commissioner leading Mana Mokopuna - the Children and Young People's Commission Dr Claire Achmad spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Six people are still unaccounted for after a container ship ploughed into a bridge in the US city of Baltimore.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsed into the Patapsco River sending people and cars plunging into the freezing water below.

In a video of the incident, the Singaporean owned ship appears to lose power twice as it approached the bridge and issued a mayday call.

New Zealander Scott Preston is a former journalist who has been living in Baltimore for 11 years.

He says the loss of the bridge will have huge impacts for years to come.

Preston spoke to Charlotte Cook.