DECEMBER RAINFALL AT 116% OF NORMAL

 Filenews 2 January 2026

The average amount of rainfall that occurred from December 1 to 8.00 in the morning of January 1 in the free areas of the Republic rose to 116% of the normal for the month, according to preliminary data published on Friday by the Department of Meteorology.

According to the data, the average total amount of precipitation from December 1 to 8.00 in the morning of January 1 amounted to 122,8 millimeters, compared to 105,6 millimeters, which is the normal precipitation for the month.

CRIME ROUND UP

 Filenews 2 January 2025

The targeted preventive operations of the Police continued during last night, with an enhanced presence in key points of urban areas, with the aim of preventing serious criminal acts, protecting citizens and ensuring public order.

As part of these operations, the Police proceeded to arrest seven persons for various offenses, as follows:

THE FIRST DEATH DUE TO INFLUENZA WAS RECORDED

 Filenews 2 January 2026 - by Marilena Panayi

Flu cases are increasing, patient admissions to hospital wards are also increasing, with the first death already recorded in a state hospital.

As stated in his statements by the press representative of OKYPY, Charalambos Charilaou, the death that occurred several days ago, concerned a person who belonged to the vulnerable groups of the population and occurred in the previous days.

WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH THEFT AT A LIMASSOL HOTEL 1/1/26

 2/1/26

The person pictured is wanted to facilitate investigations into an investigated case of theft, committed in a hotel in Limassol, on January 1, 2026.

STATE OF CYPRUS' CEMETERIES 'NOT VERY ENCOURAGING'

 Cyprus Mail 1 January 2026 - by Tom Cleaver

Maria Angela Holguin, flanked by Ali Tuncay [left] and Sotos Ktoris [right], at the Turkish Cypriot Tochni cemetery

The state of cemeteries in Cyprus is “not very encouraging”, the bicommunal technical committee on cultural heritage’s Turkish Cypriot co-chairman Ali Tuncay said on Thursday.

He was speaking to the north’s Tak news agency after his committee was last year tasked with the restoration of cemeteries across the island as a confidence-building measure announced by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pursuant to an enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem in March last year.

GRIFFON VULTURES CLING TO RECOVERY AS CONSERVATION GAINS THREATENED

 Cyprus Mail 2 January 2026 - by James Morphakis

Efforts to save the griffon vulture population in Cyprus have delivered fragile yet tangible results after three years of intensified conservation work, BirdLife Cyprus said in a New Year post.

Despite once being a familiar sight across the island, vultures declined sharply in the twentieth century due to poisoned baits used against foxes and changes in livestock farming that reduced available carcasses on which they fed.

CYPRUS FIRMS DOMINATE EU CROSS-BORDER INVESTMENT MARKET

 Cyprus Mail 2 January 2026 - by Kyriacos Nicolaou

Cyprus-based firms serve 3.6 million EU retail investors

Cyprus was the leading EU base for firms providing cross-border investment services to retail clients during 2024, according to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).

This followed an analysis of the reported year, which was conducted with national regulators, in order to strengthen supervision and investor protection across the EU and EEA.