David Rudisha, Kenya's 800 metres world champion and world record holder, will kick off his 2012 season in two meetings in Sydney and Melbourne over the next month.

21-year-old Ayele Abshero of Ethopia ran a blistering time to win the Dubai marathon.

Ethiopia has lifted its suspension of 35 athletes, including double Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele.

Ethiopia indefinitely bans 35 athletes - including long-distance great Kenenisa Bekele - from competition in a row over training, an athletics official said.

UK Athletics confirm that British sprinter Bernice Wilson is suspended for four years after losing her appeal against a doping ban. The 100m runner is now banned until June 8 2015.

Kenya will send out its big-hitters to contest the London Olympic marathon this year in a quest for back-to-back golds after Samuel Wanjiru, who died in a fall last year, won its first Games marathon in 2008.

Meb Keflezighi and Shalane Flanagan won the men's and women's races at US marathon trials for the London Olympics.

Usain Bolt's first confirmed appearance over 100 metres this year will be at the Bislett Games in Oslo on June 7.

Kenyan Olympic and world 1,500 metres champion Asbel Kiprop coasted to victory in the Great Edinburgh three kms cross-country race in nine minutes 20 seconds on Saturday.

Six Indian women athletes, including Asian Games double gold medallist Ashwini Akkunji, have been given one-year suspensions after testing positive for banned anabolic steroids earlier this year.

Hot on the heels of his gold and silver at the world championships, Britain's Mo Farah is keen to attempt a distance double at next year's London Olympics.

France's world indoor triple jump champion Teddy Tamgho could miss next year's London Olympic Games after being involved in a clash with another athlete at a training camp.

Jamaican Asafa Powell, the former world 100m record holder, will race indoors for the first time in eight years as part of his preparations for next year's London Olympics.

Defending women's champion Mary Keitany will lead a Kenyan quartet in the London marathon next April.

Josphat Ndambiri finished in first place at the Fukuoka men's marathon on Sunday, with compatriot James Mwangi completing the Kenyan one-two.

The executive board of Greece's athletics federation has suspended operations until it discovers the size of planned cuts in government funding.

British shot putter Carl Fletcher has been jailed for trafficking performance-enhancing drugs.

Jamaican sprinter Steve Mullings has been banned for life from competing in athletics after a second doping offence.

Great Britain's Mara Yamauchi finished the Yokohama Marathon in third place behind winner Ryoko Kizaki on Sunday.

Former world champion Steve Mullings was found guilty of a doping offence that could land the Jamaican sprinter a lifetime ban from athletics.