The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday announced that its&nbsp;NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system— which alerts pilots and crew to advisories and information for flights— has been fully restored and the ground stop has been lifted, hours after it experienced a major technical glitch.

“Normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually across the US&nbsp;following an overnight outage to the Notice to Air Missions system that provides safety info to flight crews. The ground stop has been lifted,”&nbsp;the agency tweeted.&nbsp;

The agency hasn't provided any information as to what caused the outage to occur. “We continue to look into the cause of the initial problem,” the tweet said.&nbsp;

More than 4,300 flights came to a grinding halt on Wednesday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)— which alerts pilots and other flight personnel about hazards or any changes—experienced a major computer outage.

In an advisory issued in the morning, FAA said that it's NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system that&nbsp;alerts pilots and crew to advisories and information for flights had&nbsp;"failed" and&nbsp;it could not give&nbsp;a timeline as to when it would be back.

More than 3,700 flights within, to and out of the U.S. were delayed as of around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the online flight tracker FlightAware. Nearly 560 flights were listed as cancelled.&nbsp;The FAA then ordered&nbsp;airlines to pause all US&nbsp;Departures until 9 a.m. EST.

The White House denied it as a case of a cyberattack, but President Joe Biden directed the Department of Transportation to investigate the cause of the disruption.

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The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and reloading the system now. 
 
Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. 
 
We will provide frequent updates as we make progress.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1613135903010033665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Biden said that he was briefed by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who told him they still had not identified what went wrong.

“I just spoke to Buttigieg. They don’t know what the cause is. But I was on the phone with him about 10 minutes,” Biden said. “I told him to report directly to me when they find out. Air traffic can still land safely, just not take off right now. We don’t know what the cause of it is.”

Buttigieg said in a tweet that he is in touch with the FAA and monitoring the situation.

The outage comes due to failure of the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system&nbsp;that alerts pilots and other personnel about airborne issues and delays at airports across the country.

"The FAA is still working to fully restore the Notice to Air Missions system following an outage. While some functions are beginning to come back on line, National Airspace System operations remain limited," the FAA said in another tweet. 
 
"Technicians are currently working to restore the system," the website&nbsp;showed.

FAA told NBC News that it was working to restore the NOTAM system.&nbsp; 
 
"Operations across the National Airspace System are affected," the FAA said. 
 
"The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now. We will provide frequent updates as we make progress," it said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday announced that its NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system— which alerts pilots and crew to advisories and information for flights— has been fully restored and the ground stop has been lifted, hours after it experienced a major technical glitch.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday announced that its NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system— which alerts pilots and crew to advisories and information for flights— has been fully restored and the ground stop has been lifted, hours after it experienced a major technical glitch. “Normal air traffic operations are resuming gradually across the US following an overnight outage to the Notice to Air Missions system that provides safety info to flight crews. The ground stop has been lifted,” the agency tweeted. The agency hasn't provided any information as to what caused the outage to occur. “We continue to look into the cause of the initial problem,” the tweet said. More than 4,300 flights came to a grinding halt on Wednesday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)— which alerts pilots and other flight personnel about hazards or any changes—experienced a major computer outage. In an advisory issued in the morning, FAA said that it's NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system that alerts pilots and crew to advisories and information for flights had "failed" and it could not give a timeline as to when it would be back. More than 3,700 flights within, to and out of the U.S. were delayed as of around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the online flight tracker FlightAware. Nearly 560 flights were listed as cancelled. The FAA then ordered airlines to pause all US Departures until 9 a.m. EST. The White House denied it as a case of a cyberattack, but President Joe Biden directed the Department of Transportation to investigate the cause of the disruption. The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and reloading the system now. Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. We will provide frequent updates as we make progress. — The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 11, 2023 × Biden said that he was briefed by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who told him they still had not identified what went wrong. “I just spoke to Buttigieg. They don’t know what the cause is. But I was on the phone with him about 10 minutes,” Biden said. “I told him to report directly to me when they find out. Air traffic can still land safely, just not take off right now. We don’t know what the cause of it is.” Buttigieg said in a tweet that he is in touch with the FAA and monitoring the situation. The outage comes due to failure of the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system that alerts pilots and other personnel about airborne issues and delays at airports across the country. "The FAA is still working to fully restore the Notice to Air Missions system following an outage. While some functions are beginning to come back on line, National Airspace System operations remain limited," the FAA said in another tweet. "Technicians are currently working to restore the system," the website showed. FAA told NBC News that it was working to restore the NOTAM system. "Operations across the National Airspace System are affected," the FAA said. "The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now. We will provide frequent updates as we make progress," it said. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

FAA says system restored after more than 4,300 flights grounded due to technical snag

On Wednesday, thousands of flights in the United States were grounded due to what was earlier believed to be a 'technical snag' but further investigation "traced the outage to a damaged database file". As per the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) normal operations were being restored, however, the early morning halt affected the plans of thousands of travellers looking to travel in about 9,000 plus flights.&nbsp;

Here's what happened:

Airlines across the country reported an error that caused them to ground and/or delay domestic flights due to an outage of the NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system.

In a tweet, on Wednesday the FAA said that their "preliminary work has traced the outage to a damaged database file."

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Update 6: We are continuing a thorough review to determine the root cause of the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system outage. Our preliminary work has traced the outage to a damaged database file. At this time, there is no evidence of a cyber attack. (1/2)
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1613317775132336129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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After a while, the authority switched to a backup, however, the corrupt file was found to be present there as well.

Watch |&nbsp;US flights resume after FAA system outage, over 4300 flights delayed

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Was it a malicious attack?

Talking to CNN, the aviation authority said that it was still trying to determine the cause; whether it was a person or a "routine entry" into the database was responsible for the corrupted file.

Was it a cyberattack?

US officials have denied reports that a cyberattack could be behind the massive outage. As per Reuters, they claim to have found no evidence of such an attack.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-400-flights-affected-across-us-after-faa-experiences-major-outage-551578">FAA says system restored after more than 4,300 flights grounded due to technical snag</a>

Talking to MSNBC, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that there was no evidence of any "nefarious" causes of the outage. However, he said that at this time it could not be completely ruled out.

What is NOTAM?

The NOTAM system keeps flight crews abreast with information about any changes to airport facilities, hazards and other essential procedures. However, on Wednesday the processing of NOTAM was reportedly "impaired".

How many flights were affected?

As per estimates by flight tracking website Flight Aware, by 7 am US Eastern time (or 12 pm GMT) at least 1,230 flights were delayed. As per the website's data, by the time the system was reset around 2 am on Thursday, more than 9,800 flights had been delayed and around 900 cancelled.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/which-computer-glitch-led-to-us-flights-cancellations-notam-failure-explained-airlines-updates-so-far-551641">Which computer glitch led to US flights cancellations? NOTAM failure explained &amp; Airlines' updates so far</a>

What steps did the FAA take?

Initially, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was working to restore the NOTAM system, however, later, the authority ordered to pause of all domestic flights till 9 am.

Is this the first time such an order was announced?

As per AFP, previously such a broad command was issued during the horrendous 9/11 attacks.

 
(With inputs from agencies)

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On Wednesday, thousands of flights in the United States were grounded due to what was earlier believed to be a 'technical snag' but further investigation "traced the outage to a damaged database file".

On Wednesday, thousands of flights in the United States were grounded due to what was earlier believed to be a 'technical snag' but further investigation "traced the outage to a damaged database file". As per the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) normal operations were being restored, however, the early morning halt affected the plans of thousands of travellers looking to travel in about 9,000 plus flights. Here's what happened: Airlines across the country reported an error that caused them to ground and/or delay domestic flights due to an outage of the NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system. In a tweet, on Wednesday the FAA said that their "preliminary work has traced the outage to a damaged database file." Update 6: We are continuing a thorough review to determine the root cause of the Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system outage. Our preliminary work has traced the outage to a damaged database file. At this time, there is no evidence of a cyber attack. (1/2) — The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 11, 2023 × After a while, the authority switched to a backup, however, the corrupt file was found to be present there as well. Watch | US flights resume after FAA system outage, over 4300 flights delayed Was it a malicious attack? Talking to CNN, the aviation authority said that it was still trying to determine the cause; whether it was a person or a "routine entry" into the database was responsible for the corrupted file. Was it a cyberattack? US officials have denied reports that a cyberattack could be behind the massive outage. As per Reuters, they claim to have found no evidence of such an attack. Also read | FAA says system restored after more than 4,300 flights grounded due to technical snag Talking to MSNBC, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that there was no evidence of any "nefarious" causes of the outage. However, he said that at this time it could not be completely ruled out. What is NOTAM? The NOTAM system keeps flight crews abreast with information about any changes to airport facilities, hazards and other essential procedures. However, on Wednesday the processing of NOTAM was reportedly "impaired". How many flights were affected? As per estimates by flight tracking website Flight Aware, by 7 am US Eastern time (or 12 pm GMT) at least 1,230 flights were delayed. As per the website's data, by the time the system was reset around 2 am on Thursday, more than 9,800 flights had been delayed and around 900 cancelled. Also read | Which computer glitch led to US flights cancellations? NOTAM failure explained & Airlines' updates so far What steps did the FAA take? Initially, the Federal Aviation Administration said it was working to restore the NOTAM system, however, later, the authority ordered to pause of all domestic flights till 9 am. Is this the first time such an order was announced? As per AFP, previously such a broad command was issued during the horrendous 9/11 attacks. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained: How a corrupted file brought US aviation to its knees

A computer glitch in the Federal Aviation Administration system resulted in affecting hundreds of flights in the United States, causing havoc. The failure of NOTAM, or Notice to Air Missions, was to blame for this. What does NOTAM mean and how its failure has impacted US flight operations? It is basically a notice that provides information that is necessary for those involved in flight operations. The failure of NOTAM means that the computer systems were not able to provide information to flights. All of this resulted in chaos at US airports.&nbsp;

<h2>How NOTAM failure impacted flight operations?</h2>

Although it is yet unclear how the NOTAM failure may have affected US aviation operations, it appears that they were affected because those engaged in the process must not have known about the flying information due to NOTAM failure.

<h2>How many cancellations and delays?&nbsp;</h2>

As of 6:45 a.m. ET, the flight tracking service FlightAware indicated roughly 1,200 flights to, from, and within the United States as being delayed, but just 93 flights had been cancelled, according to CNN.

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The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and reloading the system now. 
 
Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. 
 
We will provide frequent updates as we make progress.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews/status/1613135903010033665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Airlines updates so far&nbsp;</h2>

Flight delays are anticipated, according to the operator of Paris' international airports, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly. Air France, Lufthansa and British Airways continue to run flights to and from the United States as usual. The French airline declared that it was keeping an eye on how things progress.&nbsp;

According to data from Cirium, a total of 21,464 planes with a carrying capacity of over 2.9 million people are scheduled to leave airports in the United States on Wednesday. According to Cirium statistics, American Airlines has 4,819 booked flights that will depart from American airports, followed by Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines. 
&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

A computer glitch in the Federal Aviation Administration system resulted in affecting hundreds of flights in the United States, causing havoc. The failure of NOTAM, or Notice to Air Missions, was to blame for this.

A computer glitch in the Federal Aviation Administration system resulted in affecting hundreds of flights in the United States, causing havoc. The failure of NOTAM, or Notice to Air Missions, was to blame for this. What does NOTAM mean and how its failure has impacted US flight operations? It is basically a notice that provides information that is necessary for those involved in flight operations. The failure of NOTAM means that the computer systems were not able to provide information to flights. All of this resulted in chaos at US airports. How NOTAM failure impacted flight operations? Although it is yet unclear how the NOTAM failure may have affected US aviation operations, it appears that they were affected because those engaged in the process must not have known about the flying information due to NOTAM failure. How many cancellations and delays? As of 6:45 a.m. ET, the flight tracking service FlightAware indicated roughly 1,200 flights to, from, and within the United States as being delayed, but just 93 flights had been cancelled, according to CNN. The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and reloading the system now. Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. We will provide frequent updates as we make progress. — The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 11, 2023 × Airlines updates so far Flight delays are anticipated, according to the operator of Paris' international airports, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly. Air France, Lufthansa and British Airways continue to run flights to and from the United States as usual. The French airline declared that it was keeping an eye on how things progress. According to data from Cirium, a total of 21,464 planes with a carrying capacity of over 2.9 million people are scheduled to leave airports in the United States on Wednesday. According to Cirium statistics, American Airlines has 4,819 booked flights that will depart from American airports, followed by Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines.

Which computer glitch led to US flights cancellations? NOTAM failure explained & Airlines' updates so far

At least 12 people have been killed across the USA after temperatures dropped below -45°C in some of the states due to the bomb cyclone, just ahead of the holiday weekend.&nbsp;A bomb cyclone occurs when&nbsp;atmospheric pressure plummets to low levels. A cyclone is categorised as a bomb cyclone when the pressure drop is 24 millibars (a unit of pressure) within 24 hours.

Flight cancellations breached the 4000-mark on Friday as powerful winter storm continued to disrupt travel plans for thousands of fliers across the United States.&nbsp;New York’s Buffalo Niagara International Airport had to shut down all flights due to hazardous weather.

A day after nearly 2,700 flight cancellations, several airlines hit the pause button on more than 4,400 flight operations on Friday, according to flight tracking site&nbsp;FlightAware.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, New York's LaGuardia and Chicago reported the highest flight cancellations on Friday, according to FlightAware data.

Apart from the cancellations, about 5,750 delays were recorded as of 2 p.m. ET, reported CNN.

New York’s Buffalo Niagara International Airport had to shut down flights entirely due to “hazardous weather conditions”.

"The Buffalo Airport Airfield has closed due to hazardous weather conditions, and all flights scheduled for the evening have been cancelled,”&nbsp;a tweet from the&nbsp;airport’s official Twitter account stated.

The powerful winter storm comes during one of the busiest holiday travel seasons, upending travel plans for millions of passengers, as even some of the long-distance and regional rail lines will remain shut down till Sunday.

Even bus lines were suspended, as the state highway officials reported closed freeways and severe crashes.

<h2>Powerlines disrupted</h2>

Extreme weather across the country disrupted the power lines of more than 1.25 million homes and businesses across the southern and eastern US on Friday morning.

The largest power outage was in North Carolina, where more than 150,000 people were without power, according to the tracking site Poweroutage.us.

Meanwhile, heavy snows are expected in parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio and are projected to move toward the Northeast this weekend, the National Weather Service said, as “significant” freezing rain is expected in the Pacific Northwest.

(With inputs from agencies)

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At least 12 people have been killed across the USA after temperatures dropped below -45°C in some of the states due to the bomb cyclone, just ahead of the holiday weekend.

At least 12 people have been killed across the USA after temperatures dropped below -45°C in some of the states due to the bomb cyclone, just ahead of the holiday weekend. A bomb cyclone occurs when atmospheric pressure plummets to low levels. A cyclone is categorised as a bomb cyclone when the pressure drop is 24 millibars (a unit of pressure) within 24 hours. Flight cancellations breached the 4000-mark on Friday as powerful winter storm continued to disrupt travel plans for thousands of fliers across the United States. New York’s Buffalo Niagara International Airport had to shut down all flights due to hazardous weather. A day after nearly 2,700 flight cancellations, several airlines hit the pause button on more than 4,400 flight operations on Friday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, New York's LaGuardia and Chicago reported the highest flight cancellations on Friday, according to FlightAware data. Apart from the cancellations, about 5,750 delays were recorded as of 2 p.m. ET, reported CNN. New York’s Buffalo Niagara International Airport had to shut down flights entirely due to “hazardous weather conditions”. "The Buffalo Airport Airfield has closed due to hazardous weather conditions, and all flights scheduled for the evening have been cancelled,” a tweet from the airport’s official Twitter account stated. The powerful winter storm comes during one of the busiest holiday travel seasons, upending travel plans for millions of passengers, as even some of the long-distance and regional rail lines will remain shut down till Sunday. Even bus lines were suspended, as the state highway officials reported closed freeways and severe crashes. Powerlines disrupted Extreme weather across the country disrupted the power lines of more than 1.25 million homes and businesses across the southern and eastern US on Friday morning. The largest power outage was in North Carolina, where more than 150,000 people were without power, according to the tracking site Poweroutage.us. Meanwhile, heavy snows are expected in parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio and are projected to move toward the Northeast this weekend, the National Weather Service said, as “significant” freezing rain is expected in the Pacific Northwest. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Bomb cyclone brings sub-zero chills in US: 12 killed, 4,400 flights cancelled day ahead of Christmas

Russia&nbsp;on Monday (September 18) called on the United Nations' highest court in The Hague, Netherlands, to toss out what it has described as a “hopelessly flawed” case that challenges Moscow’s claim that “genocide” in eastern Ukraine was a pretext for its invasion, last year.&nbsp;

The recent request was made during a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or the World Court, where Ukraine filed a lawsuit against Russia&nbsp;days after the war began on February 24, 2022.&nbsp;

The suit brought by Ukraine has “emphatically” denied Moscow’s claim that pro-Russian people in eastern Ukraine were being “subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime.”&nbsp;

<h2>‘Hopelessly flawed’: Russia about Ukraine’s case</h2>

Russian representative, Gennady Kuzmin, said Ukraine’s case accusing Russia of abusing the UN Genocide Convention as a reason to launch its war “couldn’t be further from the truth”.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-united-nations-top-court-ukraine-registers-genocide-case-against-russia-457279">At United Nations' top court, Ukraine registers genocide case against Russia</a>

This comes as Kyiv has argued that Russia is abusing international law by saying the invasion was justified to prevent an alleged genocide in eastern Ukraine considering that the treaty does not allow an invasion to stop an alleged genocide.

Kuzmin also went on to say how Ukraine’s legal position is “hopelessly flawed” and “at odds with the longstanding jurisprudence” of the court, urging the ICJ to throw out the case.&nbsp;

“Ukraine insists no genocide has occurred,” said Kuzmin. He added, “That alone should be enough to reject the case. Because according to the court’s jurisprudence, if there was no genocide, there cannot be a violation of the Genocide Convention.”

Russia, reiterating its accusation of Ukraine committing genocide, on Monday said the “Russophobic and neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv” was using the 1948 UN Genocide Convention to which both countries are a party, as a pretext to “drag” a case before the court.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/terrorist-state-ukraine-slams-russia-at-international-court-of-justice-hearing-601468">‘Terrorist state’: Ukraine slams Russia at International Court of Justice hearing</a>

<h2>About the case</h2>

A report by Reuters citing experts said that even if the ruling is in Kyiv’s favour, it would not stop the war but could impact future reparations payments.&nbsp;

In March 2022, the ICJ sided with Ukraine and ordered Russia to “immediately suspend” its military action in Ukraine but it was just a “preliminary ruling”. Not to mention the debate about the court’s competence to rule on the content of the matter since while their rulings are binding, there is no “police force” to enforce them.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-to-face-off-at-international-court-of-justice-over-genocide-claims-636923">Russia, Ukraine to face off at International Court of Justice over genocide claims</a>

Therefore the hearings, which are set to run until September 27, will not delve into the merits of the case but rather focus on legal arguments about its jurisdiction. The ICJ will also hear from 32 other states, all supporting Ukraine’s argument saying that the court has jurisdiction to move the case forward.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
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Russia on Monday (September 18) called on the United Nations' highest court in The Hague, Netherlands, to toss out what it has described as a “hopelessly flawed” case that challenges Moscow’s claim that “genocide” in eastern Ukraine was a pretext for its invasion, last year.

Russia on Monday (September 18) called on the United Nations' highest court in The Hague, Netherlands, to toss out what it has described as a “hopelessly flawed” case that challenges Moscow’s claim that “genocide” in eastern Ukraine was a pretext for its invasion, last year. The recent request was made during a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or the World Court, where Ukraine filed a lawsuit against Russia days after the war began on February 24, 2022. The suit brought by Ukraine has “emphatically” denied Moscow’s claim that pro-Russian people in eastern Ukraine were being “subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime.” ‘Hopelessly flawed’: Russia about Ukraine’s case Russian representative, Gennady Kuzmin, said Ukraine’s case accusing Russia of abusing the UN Genocide Convention as a reason to launch its war “couldn’t be further from the truth”. ALSO READ | At United Nations' top court, Ukraine registers genocide case against Russia This comes as Kyiv has argued that Russia is abusing international law by saying the invasion was justified to prevent an alleged genocide in eastern Ukraine considering that the treaty does not allow an invasion to stop an alleged genocide. Kuzmin also went on to say how Ukraine’s legal position is “hopelessly flawed” and “at odds with the longstanding jurisprudence” of the court, urging the ICJ to throw out the case. “Ukraine insists no genocide has occurred,” said Kuzmin. He added, “That alone should be enough to reject the case. Because according to the court’s jurisprudence, if there was no genocide, there cannot be a violation of the Genocide Convention.” Russia, reiterating its accusation of Ukraine committing genocide, on Monday said the “Russophobic and neo-Nazi regime in Kyiv” was using the 1948 UN Genocide Convention to which both countries are a party, as a pretext to “drag” a case before the court. ALSO READ | ‘Terrorist state’: Ukraine slams Russia at International Court of Justice hearing About the case A report by Reuters citing experts said that even if the ruling is in Kyiv’s favour, it would not stop the war but could impact future reparations payments. In March 2022, the ICJ sided with Ukraine and ordered Russia to “immediately suspend” its military action in Ukraine but it was just a “preliminary ruling”. Not to mention the debate about the court’s competence to rule on the content of the matter since while their rulings are binding, there is no “police force” to enforce them. ALSO READ | Russia, Ukraine to face off at International Court of Justice over genocide claims Therefore the hearings, which are set to run until September 27, will not delve into the merits of the case but rather focus on legal arguments about its jurisdiction. The ICJ will also hear from 32 other states, all supporting Ukraine’s argument saying that the court has jurisdiction to move the case forward. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Cancelled flights rise across US as summer travel heats up

Winter Storm Stella dumped sleet and snow across the northeastern United States on Tuesday but spared New York from the worst after authorities cancelled thousands of flights and shut schools.

Blizzard warnings were in effect in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts and upstate New York, but were lifted for New York City, the US financial capital home to 8.4 million residents, where snow turned to sleet, hail and rain.

Dire forecasts forced the postponement of the first meeting between US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington until Friday, but in the end snowfall in the US capital was light.

The National Weather Service (NWS) revised down New York City&#39;s expected accumulation to four to eight inches (10 to 21 centimeters) but 10-13 inches was recorded in parts of New Jersey, upstate New York and Connecticut.

The trajectory of the storm shifted west and north, meaning up to two feet (60 centimeters) of snow were still expected to fall in parts of New England and upstate New York with strong winds causing whiteout conditions.

&quot;The storm is not delivering as much snow as forecasted at all and that is very good for the people of New York City, but the conditions are still very dangerous out there,&quot; Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters.

He urged people to stay indoors as much as possible, warning that snow, sleet and freezing rain would continue throughout the afternoon combined with wind gusts as high as 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour).

&#39;We&#39;re stuck&#39;

Temperatures would dip below freezing overnight, making roads and sidewalks dangerous and a city-wide state of emergency would remain in place until midnight (0400 GMT Wednesday), he said.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said New York had been worst hit in the central part of the state where 30 inches were predicted and where some of the more than 5,000 plows mobilized would be moving to help respond.

The NWS issued a coastal flood advisory for areas around New York, but while the subway and bus services were operating, much of the city remained quiet with schools, shops and businesses largely closed as workers shovelled snow.

New York&#39;s John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports and Newark Liberty International Airport were largely shut, with the majority of flights cancelled, and trains heading north also suspended.

&quot;We&#39;re stuck. We&#39;re completely at sea,&quot; said Andy McKinney, 71, on holiday from Arizona with his son after his train from New York to Boston was cancelled. &quot;It&#39;s not the end of the world but it is inconvenient.&quot;

The United Nations headquarters closed for the day, as did the famed Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the busiest tourist attractions in the city, and the courts. De Blasio announced that schools would re-open Wednesday.

Early trade on the New York financial markets was low in volume, though at least partly due to Wednesday&#39;s decision from the Federal Reserve on whether to raise interest rates.

&#39;Unpredictable lady&#39;

More than 8,200 flights were canceled Monday through Wednesday, with airports in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia hit hardest, according to the tracking service FlightAware.

US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, tweeted a picture of the snow saying &quot;A great day to binge watch &#39;The Americans&#39;&quot; in reference to the thriller TV series about Russian spies embedded in US suburbia.

Trump&#39;s administration is under fire in Washington over allegations that Russia interfered in last year&#39;s US election.

&quot;Mother Nature is an unpredictable lady sometimes,&quot; Cuomo told reporters after meteorologists conceded it was no longer going to be the worst storm of the season on the US East Coast in what has been an unusually mild winter.

In 2016, a record 27.3 inches fell in Central Park in 24 hours in a storm that paralyzed parts of the northeast and left 18 people dead.

&quot;It has been less snowfall than we predicted, less disruption. We have no evidence of any coastal flooding along Long Island. We have no evidence of any power outages of any significance,&quot; the governor said.

The NWS said winter storm warnings were in effect from Maine down to eastern West Virginia, but snowfall further south was minimal.

A few inches of snow, sleet and ice covered the streets in the Washington area, where federal workers were allowed to arrive three hours late and the capital&#39;s subway system operated on a weekend schedule. 
 
(AFP)

Blizzard warnings were in effect in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts and upstate New York, but were lifted for New York City

Winter Storm Stella dumped sleet and snow across the northeastern United States on Tuesday but spared New York from the worst after authorities cancelled thousands of flights and shut schools. Blizzard warnings were in effect in parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts and upstate New York, but were lifted for New York City, the US financial capital home to 8.4 million residents, where snow turned to sleet, hail and rain. Dire forecasts forced the postponement of the first meeting between US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington until Friday, but in the end snowfall in the US capital was light. The National Weather Service (NWS) revised down New York City's expected accumulation to four to eight inches (10 to 21 centimeters) but 10-13 inches was recorded in parts of New Jersey, upstate New York and Connecticut. The trajectory of the storm shifted west and north, meaning up to two feet (60 centimeters) of snow were still expected to fall in parts of New England and upstate New York with strong winds causing whiteout conditions. "The storm is not delivering as much snow as forecasted at all and that is very good for the people of New York City, but the conditions are still very dangerous out there," Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. He urged people to stay indoors as much as possible, warning that snow, sleet and freezing rain would continue throughout the afternoon combined with wind gusts as high as 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour). 'We're stuck' Temperatures would dip below freezing overnight, making roads and sidewalks dangerous and a city-wide state of emergency would remain in place until midnight (0400 GMT Wednesday), he said. Governor Andrew Cuomo said New York had been worst hit in the central part of the state where 30 inches were predicted and where some of the more than 5,000 plows mobilized would be moving to help respond. The NWS issued a coastal flood advisory for areas around New York, but while the subway and bus services were operating, much of the city remained quiet with schools, shops and businesses largely closed as workers shovelled snow. New York's John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports and Newark Liberty International Airport were largely shut, with the majority of flights cancelled, and trains heading north also suspended. "We're stuck. We're completely at sea," said Andy McKinney, 71, on holiday from Arizona with his son after his train from New York to Boston was cancelled. "It's not the end of the world but it is inconvenient." The United Nations headquarters closed for the day, as did the famed Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the busiest tourist attractions in the city, and the courts. De Blasio announced that schools would re-open Wednesday. Early trade on the New York financial markets was low in volume, though at least partly due to Wednesday's decision from the Federal Reserve on whether to raise interest rates. 'Unpredictable lady' More than 8,200 flights were canceled Monday through Wednesday, with airports in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia hit hardest, according to the tracking service FlightAware. US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, tweeted a picture of the snow saying "A great day to binge watch 'The Americans'" in reference to the thriller TV series about Russian spies embedded in US suburbia. Trump's administration is under fire in Washington over allegations that Russia interfered in last year's US election. "Mother Nature is an unpredictable lady sometimes," Cuomo told reporters after meteorologists conceded it was no longer going to be the worst storm of the season on the US East Coast in what has been an unusually mild winter. In 2016, a record 27.3 inches fell in Central Park in 24 hours in a storm that paralyzed parts of the northeast and left 18 people dead. "It has been less snowfall than we predicted, less disruption. We have no evidence of any coastal flooding along Long Island. We have no evidence of any power outages of any significance," the governor said. The NWS said winter storm warnings were in effect from Maine down to eastern West Virginia, but snowfall further south was minimal. A few inches of snow, sleet and ice covered the streets in the Washington area, where federal workers were allowed to arrive three hours late and the capital's subway system operated on a weekend schedule. (AFP)

Winter Storm Stella hits US Northeast, thousands of flights cancelled