In today's episode, a six-year jail term for a child rape conviction was “manifestly inadequate” the Supreme Court ruled as it moved to increase the jail time to nine years.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades on Tuesday promised that the highway connecting Paphos and Polis Chrysochous will be ready within the next three years, as local residents questioned the viability of the project after the contract for the first phase of its construction was torn up by the government a day earlier.

Elsewhere, one in three people in Cyprus smoke, multinational tobacco company Philip Morris said on Tuesday presenting the results of its latest survey.

All this and more in the Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.