By Amy Sawitta Lefevre

A suspected World War II bomb exploded in the Thai capital as scrap metal workers tried to cut it open with a blow torch, killing at least seven people and injuring 19, police said.

Construction workers found the shell at a construction site and brought it to a warehouse on the outskirts of Bangkok to be cut up.

“We believe the bomb dates back to World War II and weighed about 227 kg. As they probably did not know (what to do), they used a blow torch to try to cut open the bomb,” said police superintendent Kamthorn Uicharoen.

“The explosion created a three-meter deep crater.”

Pools of blood and body parts were scattered on the floor of the warehouse.

Reuters camera footage showed just the shell of the building remained, its interior a mesh of twisted metal as firefighters doused flames and burning embers.

Allied bombing raids on Bangkok began in 1942. Japan was using the country as a staging post for its invasions of Burma and Malaya.

BRITISH actress Michelle Collins has revealed in her new autobiography that she tried to commit suicide while filming in Paphos in 1998.

Collins, 51, who has had roles in Coronation Street and Eastenders was filming the BBC series Sunburn in Cyprus at the time. She says in her book This Is Me that she had taken an overdose of headache pills because she was “seriously depressed”.

Her daughter was only two years old at the time. Collins told the Sunday Mirror: “I felt like I’d been tipped over the edge. I felt like a failure and found myself sinking lower and lower as the days went on, until in the end I couldn’t seem to pull myself out of the hole. The question that kept going through my mind was, ‘Would anybody miss me if I wasn’t here?’ Foolishly I somehow decided no one would.”

On the night in question, Collins had gone out with a friend and stayed on to have drinks with a group of people in the same bar. One of the men insulted her looks and her age, which resulted in her returning to her villa in an emotional state.

“My mind was cloudy and all I wanted to do was sleep,” she told the British tabloid. “The cocktail of alcohol and exhaustion sent me into a very dark place.” She then took the pills but woke up feeling sick and phoned Sunburn co-star Peter Polycarpou who drove her to the hospital. They kept the incident quiet until Collins revealed it in her book.

By Jean Christou

Airport shuttle operator Kapnos on Wednesday announced that it had begun operating a service from Nicosia to Paphos airport as of April 1.

Kapnos first began its service to Larnaca airport in 2008 and has carried around 300,000 people to and from the airport in that time, owner and manager Pambos Kapnos told the Cyprus Mail.

The new route, he said was designed to serve people living in the capital who might want to take advantage of the low-cost carriers such as Ryanair, which uses Paphos airport without having to incur huge extra costs to get there. The fare will be €15 and the journey would take around one and a half hours, said Kapnos. The fare to Larnaca airport is €8.

Kapnos said that in both cases there were special rates available for groups of more than eight people travelling together.

On its debut day, the first shuttle to Paphos airport carried 12 people from Nicosia and seven on the first journey from Paphos airport back to the capital, Kapnos said. “It might take a bit of time to build up the numbers,” he added.

The timetable ties in with specific flights. For instance on Mondays there are six trips to Paphos and five returning, while on Tuesdays there are only three to Paphos and two returning. Each day the first shuttle will leave Nicosia at 3.30am, except on Sundays, which will be 5am. The last one will leave the city at 7pm except Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Those leaving from Paphos airport start at varying times, depending on flight arrivals, but it will be possible to catch a shuttle from Paphos airport after midnight four days a week. Kapnos will also have an office at Paphos airport.

Kapnos said the company did not have plans at the moment to set up a shuttle in Limassol for either Larnaca or Paphos airports.

For reservations call 77771477 website http://www.kapnosairportshuttle.com

By George Psyllides

THE HOUSE Ethics Committee will decide on Tuesday whether to publish a full list of names in its report into the collapse of the economy, chairman Demetris Syllouris said on Wednesday, as he officially made public the names of three current and former MPs who had supposedly received favourable treatment from banks.

The names he published were DISY MP Prodromos Prodromou, and former lawmakers Sofocles Hadjiyiannis, also DISY, and Aristofanis Georgiou of AKEL.

All three, whose names had also surfaced last year, provided explanations as to why they were on the documents provided by banks to the committee, which probed the causes of the economic collapse.

As did two others – former president George Vassiliou and former DISY MP Andreas Georgiou – whose names were published by Green party MP George Perdikis on his Facebook wall.

“It would be frivolous (and) unfair if I aired all the names we were sent, without the committee giving its opinion first, and without examining each case separately because there are a lot, which have a reasonable excuse,” Syllouris said.

Bank employees, for instance, received low interest rate loans as part of their collective agreements.

Syllouris said the names, understood to be in the thousands, concerned various issues, including loans being written off or having favourable interest rates, and cash transfers abroad while restrictions were in place.

“The conclusion is that we do not have all the data and a special probe must be ordered,” he said.

Syllouris said he chose to publish the names of people who had provided explanations, unlike Perdikis who said the people he named had been included in the draft report.

“I will not maintain George Perdikis’ approach and let society judge who wants to be serious and who wants to create impressions,” Syllouris said.

Once again Prodromou denied ever having a loan written off, saying the case in question concerned a forgery on his bank account.

The person responsible for the forgery was brought before court and convicted, Prodromou said, and the bank recognised part of the responsibility for the charges through forgery and agreed to share the loss.

Georgiou’s case concerned dues of around €39,000, which were allegedly written off.

The former AKEL MP, who is a lawyer, said the allegation was unfounded and false, adding that the money was owed by a company represented by his law office.

The debt, including interest, was settled on February 10, 2010, following a court ruling, Georgiou said.

Hadjiyiannis said his case concerned settling a debt after striking a deal with the bank to deduct interest rate and charges that had been added on illegally.

He said the case was headed to court when the compromise was achieved.

Former president George Vassiliou’s name was published by Perdikis.

Vassiliou’s name also emerged last year in connection with being the majority shareholder in a company, which had $5.8 million written off.

Vassiliou said his stake in the company, which was operated by his former son-in-law, was acquired after he provided guarantees against its large obligations.

The company, ERE (Middle East) Ltd owed Laiki $23,988,542 and €1,081,672, including interest, the former president said last year.

The amounts had also been guaranteed by four other people who eventually refused to honour their obligations and were taken to court.

Vassiliou said that despite his share being much smaller, he agreed to pay Laiki $21 million – in instalments – and settle the debt.

In return, Laiki was to relieve him of the old interest, something that is a usual and long-standing practice, he said.

Former DISY MP Andreas Georgiou, who was named by Perdikis, rejected suggestions he had received any preferential treatment.

He said he repaid his loan in 2007, 11 years after he left parliament, and it had nothing to do with him being a MP.

Georgiou said the bank had been charging him a rate of 14.5 per cent whereas a court decision provided for 9.0 per cent.

“The bank recognised its mistake and rectified it,” he said, but did not correct its books, presenting it as preferential treatment.

Georgiou warned Perdikis not to refer to his name again, reserving all his legal rights.

He accused the Green party MP of seeking to create noise for personal and public relations reasons.

By Brian Homewood
Barcelona have been given a transfer ban for two consecutive windows and fined 450,000 Swiss francs for breaching rules on the international transfer of foreign under-18 players, FIFA said on Wednesday.

The Spanish federation (RFEF) was fined 500,000 Swiss francs after football’s world governing body found it had also breached rules on the transfer of minors, FIFA added in a statement.

The decision by FIFA’s disciplinary committee means the Spanish champions will be barred from taking part in the transfer market until the end of the 2014/15 season.
FIFA described the infringements, which occurred between 2009 and 2013, as “serious” and said Barca had been given 90 days to regularise the situation of the players involved.
The RFEF was also given one year to “regularise their regulatory framework and existing system concerning the international transfer of minors in football.”

FIFA said: “The RFEF and FC Barcelona were found to have violated several provisions concerning the international transfer and first registration of non-Spanish minors with the club.”
“Barcelona has been found to be in breach of… the regulations in the case of ten minor players and to have committed several other concurrent infringements in the context of other players,” it added.

A Barcelona spokesman said the club were evaluating the decision and would not make any further comment, including on whether they intended to appeal.

The sanctions are another blow to Barcelona’s reputation following the controversy over the transfer of Brazil forward Neymar, whose signing from Santos prompted allegations of misappropriation of funds and tax evasion and resulted in the resignation of the Catalan club’s president Sandro Rosell.

Including a payment of 13.5 million euros to the Spanish treasury after fraud charges were laid against the club, the Brazil forward ended up costing just under 100 million euros.
In March, the club’s vice-president Javier Faus said Barcelona would have up to 60 million euros to spend on new players in the close season.

“The disciplinary committee underlined that FIFA takes the protection of minors in football very seriously,” said football’s world governing body.
“The protection of minors is one of the key principles included in the agreement concluded between FIFA, (European governing body) UEFA and the European Commission in 2001.
“The disciplinary committee acknowledged that young football players are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse in a foreign country without the proper controls.
“This particular fact makes the protection of minors in football by the sport’s governing bodies, especially by FIFA, even more important.”

FIFA’s rules ban the international transfer of under-18 players except in limited circumstances which must be evaluated by its Players’ Status Committee.
“The protection of minors in the context of international transfers is an important social and legal issue that concerns all stakeholders in football,” it said.
“Above all, the disciplinary committee highlighted that while international transfers might, in specific cases, be favourable to a young player’s sporting career, they are very likely to be contrary to the best interests of the player as a minor.”

FIFA said its investigations were conducted with the help of its electronic transfer matching system.

By Jean Christou

THE US State Department on Wednesday handed over a package of crime-fighting equipment to the police worth €140,000 to help fight cybercrime and terrorism.

The equipment was presented to newly-appointed Police Chief Zacharias Chrysostomou at the Special Antiterrorist Squad Unit HQ in Nicosia by the US embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Schofer on behalf of Ambassador John Koenig.

Schofer lauded the ongoing cooperation between the US and the Cyprus police force and said it was hoped this would expand in the coming year. “It’s an extremely important part of our bilateral relationship,” he said.

The donated equipment, he said was the “physical part” of a programme that included six weeks of training in North Carolina for members of the CNP’s Special Anti-terrorist Squad and the Emergency Response Unit, and further two training courses that took place in Athens during the last year.

“So, while the equipment is important, it is the training, interaction, and cooperation that is most important in developing the relationship between Cypriot and American law enforcement personnel,” said Schofer.

“Such personal relationships are the glue that help hold the larger relationship together and it is our hope that we will see many more Americans here in Cyprus, including businessmen and investors as well as tourists.” More officer training programmes are planned for the coming year. Over 40 Cypriot officers received training in the US last year.

“In addition, our embassy will fund other programmes to deal with such issues as trafficking in persons in order to achieve more successful convictions,” Schofer said.

Chrysostomou said the participation of Cypriot police officers, as well as the equipment offered would be of “significant importance” to the force’s operation. Previous US assistance had “improved, to a great extent, our skills and efficiency in carrying out our duties”, the police chief said.

By Stephen Kalin

A series of explosions outside Cairo University killed two people on Wednesday, including a police brigadier-general, in what appeared to be a militant attack targeting security forces.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Islamist militants have carried out many similar operations against police and soldiers since the army ousted President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in July after mass protests against him.

The fast-growing insurgency threatens the security of the most populous Arab nation ahead of a presidential election in May – as well as the vital tourist industry on which Egypt relies for revenue.

Two bombs, left among trees outside the university, killed the police officer and wounded five other security forces who had been guarding the facility, the ministry said.

Shortly afterwards, a third blast killed one person, four security officials said.

People screamed and ran for safety after the attacks as panic spread on the streets and on campus in an upmarket area near the zoo in Giza, a Reuters witness said. Police found a fourth bomb in the area.

“We expect trouble for the long term. How can the police protect us when they can’t even protect themselves. It is not possible,” said student Mohamed Abdel Aziz outside Cairo University after the explosions.

Responding to Wednesday’s violence, Egypt’s presidential spokesman Ahmed al-Muslimani said: “Terrorist groups want Egyptian universities to be known for chaos and bloodshed instead of for modernity and civilisation.”

Video footage online showed a cloud of smoke hovering above a tree-lined roundabout. A loud blast is heard moments later.

Members of the security forces clad in black uniforms are shown moving away from the suspected site of the explosions and then advancing towards it with their weapons drawn.

Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the video, which was released by El-Youm el-Sabaa newspaper.

ELECTION FEARS

Bombings and shootings targeting the security forces have become commonplace in Egypt since the army deposed Mursi. The government this week put the death toll from such attacks at nearly 500 people, most of them soldiers and police.

Analysts predict that militants will escalate violence before the May 26-27 presidential election that is expected to be easily won by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who toppled Mursi.

Widely seen as Egypt’s de facto leader since he deposed Mursi, Sisi enjoys backing from supporters who see him as Egypt’s saviour who can end the political turmoil and bring prosperity to the country.

But he is viewed by the Islamist opposition as the mastermind of a coup that ignited the worst internal strife in Egypt’s modern history.

It will be the second time Egyptians have voted in a presidential election in less than two years.

But in contrast to the 2012 vote won by Mursi, this election follows a fierce government crackdown on dissent that has included both Islamists and secular-minded democracy activists.

Thousands of Brotherhood supporters have been detained and killed in mass protests and clashes with police since Mursi was deposed. Last week more than 500 were sentenced to death in a mass hearing condemned by rights groups and Western governments.

The Brotherhood, Egypt’s best organised political party until last year, has been banned, driven underground and declared a terrorist group by the government.

The movement says it is committed to peaceful activism. Senior Brotherhood politician Amr Darrag condemned the violence at Cairo University on his Twitter site and said it showed the clear failure of the security forces to protect Egyptians.

Tackling Islamist insurgents based in the Sinai Peninsula will be a far more daunting task for security forces. They have shown their ability to carry out nearly daily attacks despite army offensives against strongholds.

The attacks have spread from the largely lawless Sinai to Cairo and other cities, rattling Egyptians who have longed for security since a popular uprising ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

While the militants are not expected to seize power, their campaign could weaken the government by dealing a major blow to the economy. Tourism, a vital source of hard currency, has been hit hard by the bloodshed.

AN INDEFINITE bus strike was avoided at the eleventh hour on Wednesday, when a deal was struck between bus drivers of EMEL and the company late at night.

The drivers were protesting their company’s decision to unilaterally cut their wages by 15 per cent at a time when the two sides were trying to find ways to reduce labour costs. The company said it could not pay the drivers for March due to the cuts in subsidies imposed by the government.

Drivers held a 24-hour warning strike on Wednesday but had decided to escalate their measures after the two sides initially failed to resolve the matter. The drivers announced an indefinite strike but recalled their decision later in the day, after a compromise was reached with EMEL.

Giorgos Kyriakou, CEO of EMEL told the Cyprus News Agency that a deal was struck and that the bus drivers strike was ended. “We concluded negotiations and agreed upon paying the drivers the rest of their March salary and to continue negotiations tomorrow to find ways to reduce the workers cost for 2014,” said Kyriakou, adding that upon this development all bus operations will return to normal.

Earlier in the day, Yiannis Tsouris, a rep of SEK trade union, said the company violated labour norms that have been in place for years.

Wednesday’s strike mainly affected school children and pensioners and increased traffic on the streets of Limassol.

THE TWO sons of UK-based Greek Cypriot property tycoon Andreas Panayiotou are facing three years in jail after attacking two off-duty police officers in London over Christmas 2012 after a night out in Soho.

According to a report in the Daily Mail George Panayiotou, 26 and his brother Costas, 24, left the officer maimed and needing needing titanium plates in his cheek and eye socket. The siblings, and two friends Yiannaki Stavrou, 30, and Christopher Stavrou, 28, pleaded guilty on Tuesday.

The attack happened on November 30, 2012 after one of the officers shouted from across the road at George Panayiotou who was fooling around and pretending to push one of the group into the road. The two officers then moved on.

However Costas Panayiotou crossed the road to attack one of the policemen.

According to the prosecution he punched the off duty officer Gavin Collins, knocking him to the ground. Yiannakis Stavros then ran across the road and punched another officer, Matthew Holland, from behind. They were then joined by George Panayiotou and Christopher Stavrou and all four attacked the officers, only stopping when bouncers from nearby clubs intervened. The four ran off but were arrested in January 2013.

The four are due to be sentenced on May 2.

The father of the siblings, self-made millionaire Andreas Panayiotou is said to be worth 400 million sterling after making it big on the property market in the nineties.

By Michael Hann
Paris St Germain and Real Madrid took big steps towards the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday as the French club beat Chelsea 3-1 and the Spaniards dismantled Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in the quarter-final first legs.

PSG opened the scoring at the Parc des Princes after four minutes when John Terry’s headed clearance fell to Ezequiel Lavezzi and the Argentine forward thumped a half-volley past Petr Cech.

Eden Hazard grabbed a crucial away goal for Chelsea from the penalty spot after 27 minutes after Brazilian defender Thiago Silva fouled compatriot Oscar.

PSG restored their advantage on 61 minutes, however, thanks to a David Luiz own goal before Javier Pastore waltzed into the area and fired a shot past Cech at his near post in stoppage time.

Real flew out of the traps against Dortmund and took the lead on three minutes when Gareth Bale collected Daniel Carvajal’s pass and poked the ball under goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side continued to swarm all over last season’s beaten finalists and Isco’s precise strike from the edge of the box doubled Real’s advantage on 27 minutes.

The fleet-footed Cristiano Ronaldo added a third on 57 minutes as he skipped round Weidenfeller to give Real a comfortable cushion and equal Lionel Messi’s record of 14 goals in the competition in one season.

In Tuesday’s quarter-final first legs, holders Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at Manchester United and Barcelona drew 1-1 at home to Spanish rivals Atletico Madrid. The second legs will be played on April 8 and 9.

Three people were arrested late Friday on suspicion of possessing almost three grammes of cannabis, police said.

According to the report, officers from the anti-drug squad (ΥΚΑΝ) stopped a car at the Troodos mountain-Nicosia highway with three people, a 24-year old driver and two 27-year olds. The officers said they found in the possession of the driver a small plastic bag containing 0.78 grammes of cannabis and on one of the 27-year olds another plastic bag containing 0.58 grammes.

They said they found outside the car a third plastic bag, with 0.99 grammes.

All three were arrested and taken in custody.

Police also searched their homes and found a small grinder with traces of cannabis in the home of one of the 27-year olds.

A car in Nicosia was destroyed by fire on Saturday morning in Nicosia, police said.

At five minutes after midnight, it was reported to police that a car parked in an open space near Nicosia was on fire. The €15,000 car was completely destroyed, according to the police report.

Pera Chorio police department was expected to determine later on Saturday whether the fire was accidental or the result of arson

A Russian tourist had her handbag snatched by two men riding a scooter in Ayia Napa on Friday, police said.

According to the report, the woman was riding a scooter down a main street in Ayia Napa when she was approached by the scooter. The tourist told the police that the men, wearing biker helmets, snatched the handbag that was hanging from her shoulder.

According to the report, the bag contained two ivory necklaces, a pair of ivory earrings, a diamond ring, two credit cards, a mobile phone, €100 and her Romanian husband’s passport.

The value of the stolen goods has not yet been estimated.

A car in Larnaca was destroyed on Friday night after an improvised explosive device that was placed on the base of the windshield blew up, according to the police.

Nobody was injured in the blast.

After preliminary investigations the police arrested an 18-year old, who was being held at Larnaca police headquarters pending the conclusion of the investigation.

According to the report, the car was parked outside the owner’s apartment in the Kamares area. At around 10.50pm a loud blast was heard and police were notified. Officers arrived at the scene to find the car destroyed.

The damage caused to the car has not yet been estimated.

By Constantinos Psillides

Interior Minister, and Acting Defence Minister, Socratis Hasikos, on Saturday did not confirm or deny reports that the Sultan of Oman would be donating a navy vessel to Cyprus as a gift.

Hasikos was responding to a story run by daily Philelftheros, where it said that the defence minister of the sultanate, Sayyid Badr Bin Saud Bin Hareb Al-Busaid, sent a letter to former Defence Minister Fotis Fotiou informing him that the sultanate was interested in giving a ship from the Royal Navy of Oman to Cyprus.

The ship, according to the reports, is 61,47m in length and 10,67m wide and it has been used in numerous expeditions. Reportedly the gift is a ‘thank you’ for the warm welcome he received when he visited the island on November 5, 2013.

Fotiou had then said, following a meeting with the Defence Minister of Oman, that they had discussed a framework of collaboration between the two countries on maritime security issues.

The report said the letter sent to Fotiou specified that the ship was to be used to patrol the island’s territorial waters. Fotiou did not immediately return calls on Saturday, while incoming Defence minister Christoforos Fokaides, who takes the reins on Monday, declined to comment, telling the Cyprus Mail that since he had not yet taken over he was not briefed on the issue.

Speaking in his stead, Hasikos said that if Oman wanted to give a ship to Cyprus it would be most welcome.

“We will evaluate everything. As a matter of principle in these cases, we express our gratitude but we still have a long way to go till the gift comes to Cyprus,” the minister said.

Omani ministers and the sultan himself have visited the island on several occasions. Foreign Affairs minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah came to Cyprus on January 17, 2013 to meet with then minister Erato-Kozakou Markoulli while the sultan, Qaboos bin Said Al Said stayed in Limassol for vacation on July 2012.

By Staff Reporter

Larnaca shopkeepers in the area of Pallas Square held a protest on Saturday over development of the area which is due to begin in September and last seven months.

The retailers are worried that shoppers will not have access to their stores, forcing them to ultimately shut down for good. “For us every day is a struggle for survival especially in this time of economic crisis,” said one shopkeeper.

“Even now with the road open, there are days that we do not earn a living. Imagine what will happen when they start their projects. We will not be here to benefit after their completion.”

Another said: “This is a good project but our businesses are already on a ventilator.”

The project is expected to cost around €1.2m, which will be jointly covered by the government and the municipality.

It includes widening pavements, illumination, and landscaping, and also upgrading utilities’ networks such as electricity, telephone and water, and the expansion of storm drains. The aim is to improve the traffic flow, and offer more comfort and safety to pedestrians.

Larnaca mayor Andreas Louroujiadis said he understood the concerns of the shopkeepers and would support them as best he could. However he said it had been a major achievement to secure funding for a development project in the current climate, and that in the end it could only help businesses in the area. “Together we will find the best possible solution,” he said.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the European People’s party (EPP) candidate for President of the European Commission after the European parliamentary elections, will visit Cyprus May 3 and 4, ahead of the European Parliament election later that month, DISY leader Averof Neophytou said on Saturday.

At the Congress of the European People’s Party in Dublin last month, Juncker, Luxembourg’s former finance minister, was elected as the EPP candidate. For the first time, the post will be elected depending on the result of the Pan-European election.

While in Cyprus, Juncker will attend a cultural festival in Old Nicosia, both as a sign of support for Cyprus and a chance to drum up support for his campaign in the “battle for a better Europe”, said Neophytou.

By Constantinos Psillides

Cyprus Supermarket Association (CSA) representative Andreas Hadjiadamou on Saturday called on the government to publicise all relevant information regarding the merchant in whose warehouse police seized thousands of products headed for the market after having their sell-by dates changed.

“We urged the state to release the merchant’s name, his company’s name, the names of all companies he does business with and the name of all products seized,” said Hadjiadamou, adding that CSA has reported similar incidents in various occasions but the authorities did nothing.

“Those responsible should open their eyes and monitor all these merchants so as to protect Cypriot consumers. The only protection the consumer has is if they know who these merchants are and what their companies are called. We are looking into proposing law amendments that will get rid of this phenomenon once and for all,” the CSA representative said.

Hadjiadamou noted that cases like this hurt supermarkets and “every legitimate businessman who pays his taxes and operates within the law”.

The warehouse in question was located in Polemidhia, Limassol and was run by a 51-year-old man, acting as a distribution centre where products had the sell-by dates changed before they were returned to the market.

The merchant is currently at large. Police spokesman Andreas Angelides told the Cyprus Mail that for the time being there was no criminal case against the merchant. “We are waiting for Customs and the Health Service to conclude their research. If by using their findings we can bring charges against him we will do so immediately,” he said. Angelides added that the merchant’s whereabouts were known to the police.

Among the products found by authorities were coffee, energy drinks, condoms, chocolate, chewing gum, and sweets.

The health services published a list of products found in the warehouse whose sell-by dates could be falsified.

Maresi Vienna Ice Coffee, black, cappuccino, classic, coffee and milk 230ml plastic cup, Big Shock Energy Drink, orange and exotic 250ml can, and orange 500ml can.

Consumers who have the products in their possession were urged to avoid consumption until the case was fully investigated.

A statement released by health Services on Saturday said that all the products have been photographed and by Monday their total value would be estimated. Products found to have their falsified dates will be destroyed, said the statement.

By Josh Reich

A two-goal sucker punch moments before halftime helped Manchester City crush Southampton 4-1 on Saturday to keep up the pressure at the top of the Premier League table.

A Rickie Lambert penalty cancelled out Yaya Toure’s early goal from the spot, but strikes by Samir Nasriand Edin Dzeko put the 2012 champions 3-1 ahead at the interval, an advantage they extended through Stevan Jovetic nine minutes from time.

City climbed to second place with 70 points, one behind Liverpool who play West Ham United on Sunday.

Chelsea, with 69 points, can move past them both if they beat Stoke City later on Saturday. City have a match in hand on both fellow title chasers.

The result was harsh on eighth-placed Southampton who were threatening going forward before they conceded the two quick goals after leading scorer Jay Rodriguez fell awkwardly, forcing him off on a stretcher and putting his outside hopes of making England World Cup squad in doubt.

Manchester United moved up to sixth with an emphatic 4-0 win at Newcastle United, Juan Mata scoring twice and Javier Hernandez and Adnan Januzaj adding one each. Fulham moved off the foot of the table with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.

Kieran Richardson’s stunning goal was cancelled out by Grant Holt, before Hugo Rodallega snatched a vital three points which allowed Fulham to take advantage of Cardiff’s 3-0 home loss to Crystal Palace.

Jason Puncheon’s two goals and Joe Ledley ensured Cardiff’s miserable run under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued and Fulham moves above Cardiff and Sunderland on to 27 points.

Cardiff are 19th on 26 with Sunderland, who play Tottenham Hotspur on Monday, a further point back but with three matches in hand.

West Bromwich Albion, who finally appear to have hit form under Pepe Mel, beat Norwich City 1-0 and George Boyd’s goal gave Hull City a 1-0 victory over Swansea City.

Pineau De Rey provided a Grand National winner at the first attempt for trainer Dr Richard Newland when Leighton Aspell steered the 25-1 outsider to a five-length victory in the Aintree showpiece on Saturday.

Newland trains a small strong of horses in central England having stopped surgery practice earlier this year.

“We are so lucky to have such a lovely horse. It’s a dream come true – a dream that we’ve have for about 30 years,” he told the BBC.

Aspell retired from the saddle in 2007 but was tempted back two years later and enjoyed his biggest moment having finished second in the race in 2003.

“It’s a wonderful day. I’ve been watching the National since I was a young boy. You secretly crave a bit of success. To get a ride in the National is a great thing and to get one with a live chance is even better,” he said.

Balthazar King (14-1) was second under Richard Johnson with Double Seven, the 10-1 joint favourite ridden by champion jockey Tony McCoy, in third.