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A one-day strike by workers at 13 German airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs and all the country’s other main destinations, caused the cancellation of most flights on Monday, Associated Press reported. 

The 24-hour walkout, which started at midnight on Sunday, involves public-sector employees at the airports as well as ground and security staff.

At Frankfurt Airport, 1,054 of the day’s 1,116 scheduled takeoffs and landings had been canceled, German news agency dpa reported, citing airport traffic management.

All of Berlin Airport’s regular departures and arrivals were canceled, while Hamburg Airport said no departures would be possible. Cologne/Bonn Airport said there was no regular passenger service and Munich Airport advised travelers to expect a “greatly reduced flight schedule.”

The ver.di service workers union’s strike also targeted the Bremen, Hannover, Duesseldorf, Dortmund, Leipzig/Halle and Stuttgart airports. At the smaller Weeze and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports, only security workers were called out, according to the Associated Press. 

The German airports’ association, ADV, estimated that more than 3,500 flights in total would be canceled and about 560,000 passengers affected.

The union announced the strike last Friday. But at Hamburg Airport, it added a short-notice walkout on Sunday to the strike on Monday, arguing that it must ensure the measure was effective.

The so-called “warning strike,” a common tactic in German wage negotiations, relates to two separate pay disputes: negotiations on a new pay and conditions contract for airport security workers, and a wider dispute over pay for employees of federal and municipal governments,  Associated Press reported. 

The latter already has led to walkouts at Cologne/Bonn, Duesseldorf, Hamburg and Munich airports. Pay talks in that dispute are due to resume on Friday, while the next round of talks for airport security workers is expected to start on March 26.

A development economist, Dr Raghu Raj Kafle, has been appointed the Executive Director of Health Insurance Board.

Among three persons shortlisted and recommended by the selection committee, Dr Kafle was able to secure the post, according to the private secretariat of Minister for Health and Population, Pradip Paudel.

A total of 10 candidates selected out of those applying for the post had made presentations and undergone interviews on March 2-3.

The selection committee recommended Dr Krishna Prasad Adhikari and Kamal Panthi along with Dr Kafle before the Council of Ministers.

Earlier, Dr Kafle was a member of the health insurance reform taskforce formed by Minister Paudel.

The taskforce had handed over a report to the Minister, suggesting how the health insurance scheme could be improved.

Moreover, the development economist has the experience of working as Vice Chairman of Gandaki Policy and Planning Commission, and Executive of the Foreign Employment Board.

He had also worked for over a decade at UNDP as a senior officer.

India is holding the 10th edition of Raisina Dialogue from March 17 to 19. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon will jointly inaugurate India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomis on March 17. Every year, leaders in politics, business, media and civil society converge in New Delhi to discuss the state of the world and explore opportunities for cooperation on a wide range of contemporary matters.

The dialogue is structured as a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion, involving heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, who are joined by thought leaders from the private sector, media and academia, according to the organizer. Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba is scheduled to address the dialogue, said Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.   

Last year, then Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud attended and addressed the conference. Deuba is likely to meet here Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Raisina dialogue. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut has said that judges should work in a judicious manner.

Inaugurating the Second Conference of Women Judges-2081 organized on the occasion of the International Day of Women Judges today, he asserted that the judges should carry out their works keeping in mind the judiciary's prestige and dignity.

"While taking pride in the presence of women judges, it is necessary to pay attention to fair justice and to making prudent decisions. It is necessary to work keeping in mind the dignity and prestige of the court so that the consumer of justice gets justice,” the Chief Justice said.

He expressed the belief that although women judges have to juggle work at home, family and justice delivery, success will surely be achieved if they work hard.

Nepal's first woman Chief Justice Sushila Karki said the presence of women judges has been improving in the last three years, and it is necessary that they enhance their capacity, courage and studies.

She stressed the need for women judges to be competent while making judicial decisions without any fear.

Senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Sapana Pradhan Malla, said that the presence of women judges is important even though it is not that only women judges are sensitive while serving justice. She pointed out the need for women judges to pay more attention to capacity building and studies as well.

Supreme Court Judge and Judges Society Chair Til Prasad Shrestha said such conferences were necessary for enhancing the quality of justice and would also facilitate the execution of justice.

General Secretary of Judges Society Nepal, Tek Narayan Kunwar, said that the conference was organized with the objective of holding necessary discussions on women's participation in the judicial sector and gender equality in the judiciary.

A total of 60 people including 50 women judges and 10 former chief justices and judges are participating in the conference.

On the occasion, Chief Justice Raut honored the first woman Chief Justice Karki for her contribution to the judicial sector.

Discussions are being held on various issues related to inclusiveness in the judiciary and representation of women judges, challenges and possibilities.

The first national conference of women judges was held on March 22, 2024.