Good morning and welcome to Kid News! I'm Tori, it's Friday, February 10th, 2023.

And we begin with some school kids in New Zealand getting a huge surprise this week when

one of the world's biggest pop stars turned up to give an unexpected performance. Ed Sheeran

is currently performing in that country as part of his world mathematics tour. He explained

to the BBC that he had a day off in Auckland and I thought we'd come to some schools and

give some kids a surprise with a free gig. He played a few songs, posed for pictures,

and then gave a short speech where he encouraged kids to follow their own journey in life,

explaining that even though he wasn't good at some subjects in school, he found music

and decided to stick with it.

A lot of assistance is pouring into the areas of Turkey and Syria after a series of powerful

earthquake struck the region this week. The US Geological Survey said the biggest had

a magnitude of 7.8 and was felt a thousand miles away. Many buildings collapsed and rescuers

are working round the clock. Damage roads are making these efforts more difficult as well as

freezing temperatures and snowfall. In Turkey, many mosques have opened up as shelters for people

who have lost their homes. This region sits on several fault lines, making it one of the most

earthquake-prone parts of the world. But it's been about 80 years since a tremor this big

hit the area. In other kid news notes, a new update on repairs at the 13th century Notre-Dame

Cathedral in Paris. It's estimated that work on the sharp spire that was badly damaged in a

fire almost four years ago will be completed by the end of next year. There have been hope the

rooftop work would be finished by next summer, in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics in the French

capital, but the project's taking more time than expected and won't meet that goal.

How heavy is your backpack? A recent survey in Japan found that more than 90% of children ages 6-12

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