Two women and a child escaped with minor injuries in northern Greece yesterday after the two cars in which they were traveling crashed and then plunged down a 20-meter ravine, police said. The accident happened on the road between Thessaloniki and Fyliro. Firemen were able reach the vehicles and safely remove the women and the child, who were not named. All three were taken to the hospital in Thessaloniki but were not in any danger.

Sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou and their former coach Christos Tzekos will face perjury charges in Athens on Monday over an alleged motorcycle accident the athletes claimed they had before a missed doping test ahead of the 2004 Olympics. Two people who witnessed the alleged accident and seven doctors from the KAT Hospital who treated the sprinters will also be tried.

Police said yesterday that they have arrested three people on suspicion of carrying out at least 13 robberies in Aghia Paraskevi, Gerakas and other parts of northeastern Attica. The unnamed suspects allegedly stole 20,000 euros’ worth of jewelry from a house in Gerakas last September. The three men are aged between 18 and 35. The 18-year-old man had been on the run from authorities after failing to return from a five-day furlough from Kassavetia Prison last November.

The former New Democracy leader and current conservative MP Miltiades Evert was admitted to the Ippocrateio Hospital yesterday with a virus and high temperature, doctors said. Evert has had heart surgery in the past and doctors said they want to monitor his condition for precautionary reasons.

A 60-year-old Greek man has been arrested in Salamina, an island off Athens, accused of being the head of a gang that conducted 11 robberies over the last three months, police said yesterday. Two Albanian men, aged 20 and 24, were also arrested in Piraeus in connection to the alleged thefts. The gang is believed to have stolen about 30,000 euros from banks, public bodies and supermarkets. Police found in their possession a hunting rifle, air gun and 1,000 euros in cash.

The Hellenic Food Authority (EFET) has ordered the recall of unapproved genetically modified rice that was being sold by the AB Vassilopoulos chain of supermarkets. EFET said that the rice, sold under the trade name Vermont, was produced in the US and Canada.

The US Embassy’s consular section will be closed on Wednesday for internal administrative reasons. The embassy said the closure includes the immigrant visa, federal benefits and passport offices.