Hundreds of Flights Delayed After Fiber Line Cut

They signed a statement about AI.

So this is not just one country acting alone.

No, it is a wider group.

The statement says AI must remain under human direction.

It also says it must stay under oversight and control.

That sounds like a clear warning, not just a polite idea.

Yes. The leaders worry about speed.

They say AI is growing very fast.

It could pass our ability to manage new risks.

What kinds of risks are they talking about?

The statement mentions AI systems going around safety rules.

It also mentions systems reaching other systems without permission.

So they want the rules to be open, not secret.

Yes. It calls for transparent safety plans from companies.

It also wants governments to make common standards.

That is a big step. Did Australia say why it joined?

The Australian leader said AI can help people.

He said it can support the economy.

He also said it can help science and medicine.

That is a careful balance.

Use the tool, but keep control.

Yes. He said humans need to stay at the centre.

He also said Australia played a central role.

So the message is both global and practical. What should we watch next?

The next steps are about real rules.

Leaders may try to turn this statement into standards.

Thanks, Owen.

A cut fibre line has caused big flight delays and cancellations.

Now we go to Ella, our LinguaWire correspondent for transport.

Thanks, Daniel. Hundreds of flights were hit.

A Verizon fibre cable was cut during construction in New Jersey.

So one damaged cable caused trouble far away.

It did.

Officials say the cut broke a backup feed.

That feed carried key data for air traffic controllers.

That is a lot of places for one problem.

How big were the delays and cancellations?

Yes, and the numbers were large.

More than 600 Newark flights were canceled by Monday evening.

Nearly 100 more were delayed.

And Philadelphia was affected too?

Very much so.

More than 200 Philadelphia flights were canceled.

More than 400 were delayed.

Diversion sounds stressful, especially after a long flight.

It was.

Officials said nearly 100 planes had to divert.

Some had already flown for hours from Europe.

That must have been hard for passengers and crews.

Yes. The Federal Aviation Administration halted flights for a time.

Flights were bound for Newark and Philadelphia.

Later, flights began to resume after repairs.

So the system was coming back, but not fully normal yet.

Right.

The problem began with an initial circuit failure.

Then the backup fibre had a break too.

That left controllers with less data than they needed.

And who said the cable was cut?

NJ Transit said a construction crew accidentally severed the cable.

They were working near a rail project.

Verizon also said contractors dug up and cut the cable.

So investigators are still looking at the work site.

Yes, and repairs are the key now.

Big delays can spread for hours.

Thanks, Ella.

Let’s look at three useful words from the second story.

cable

A cable is a thick wire or line. In the story, it carried key data. Example: The cable runs under the street.

backup

A backup is a second system or plan. In the story, the backup feed helped after the cut. Example: Keep a backup on your phone.

divert

To divert means to send something another way. In the story, planes were diverted to other airports. Example: The bus had to divert because of road work.

Now let’s look at one grammar point.

were canceled

We use this pattern when the action is more important than who does it.

It is made with be and a past participle.

The flights were canceled by Monday evening.

The cable was cut during construction.

Repeat after me: were canceled