Pune schools, colleges to remain shut on Monday for cycling event
Pune (PTI): Schools, colleges and other educational institutions in several parts of Pune will remain closed on Monday in view of 'Pune Grand Tour 2026', an international cycling event, officials said on Sunday.
The decision has been taken as the prologue race of the event will be held in the city on Monday, for which major roads will remain closed to traffic from 9 am to 6 pm, they said.
The Pune traffic department has issued directives about road closures for the cycle race in key areas, including Ganesh Khind, Jangli Maharaj and Fergusson roads.
The five-day Continental Road Cycling Race for Men, from January 19 to 23, will wind through a 437 km route across the Deccan Plateau and Sahyadri Range, featuring sharp bends and challenging elevations.
The event has attracted 171 riders from 29 teams across 35 countries.
Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi issued orders declaring a one-day holiday for educational institutions located in the areas of Fergusson College, Ganeshkhind, Jangli Maharaj and adjoining internal roads to avoid inconvenience to students and parents.
The holiday will apply to all anganwadis, government and private schools, junior and senior colleges, and professional educational institutions in the limits of Shivajinagar-Ghole Road, Vishrambaugwada-Kasba, Dhole Patil Road, Bhawani Peth, Aundh-Baner, Kothrud-Bavdhan, Sinhagad Road and Warje-Karvenagar ward offices.
Police have appealed to the citizens to use the Metro and avoid commuting by road.
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
