World and Olympic champion David Rudisha cruised to victory in the 800 metres at the season-opening Diamond League meet in Doha, while Justin Gatlin clocked the second fastest time of the year to win the 100m.

Bruising and injuries indicated there was some blood flowing around his body even if he was unconscious, says pathologist

Queen Fabiola of Belgium has become the latest European royal to fall victim to the continent’s austerity drive, with the government vowing to slash her yearly stipend by nearly half a million euros after accusations that she was trying to dodge taxes.

David Rudisha was hailed as one of the greatest-ever runners last night after smashing the world 800m record, saying afterwards that he had wanted to make Sebastian Coe proud.

Rudisha beats his own world record and takes gold inspired by Coe and an Irish missionary

Kenya's David Rudisha tonight lit up the Olympic Games with a sensational victory in the 800 metres, breaking his own world record in the process.

On a return visit, Sue Watt finds a captivating country poised to welcome tourists again.

'I squatted in a derelict cinema in Berlin ... it was quite an adventure'

Barclays' South African offshoot, Absa Bank, is paying about £800m for the store cards business of one of the country's largest retailers. Absa will take over the existing accounts of Edcon customers and swill provide long-term credit to them.

The Ghana captain, John Mensah, scored a rare goal and was then sent off as the African Cup of Nations favourites, Ghana, laboured to a 1-0 win over Botswana in their opening Group D match yesterday.

South African police fired tear gas and water cannon at hundreds of rock-throwing supporters of the controversial youth leader of the African National Congress (ANC) yesterday as he faced possible suspension from the party over his outspoken demands that embarrassed its leadership.

Julius Malema is everything an Afri-can leader should not be. The head of the ANC's youth wing is charismatic and popular but – with his temper tantrums, lavish lifestyle, racist rhetoric, intolerance of dissent, purging of enemies, electoral manipulations and economically ruinous policies – he is a throwback to the continent's most disastrous traditions.

Violent protests today by supporters of South Africa's firebrand youth leader are the latest political salvo in a power struggle that could determine the future of South Africa's president and the man who helped catapult him to power, youth league chief Julius Malema.

The African National Congress (ANC) yesterday ordered its controversial youth league leader Julius Malema to appear before its disciplinary panel for "bringing the party into disrepute and sowing internal divisions".