China has lifted a 60-year ban on horse racing, allowing weekly races to be conducted in the central city of Wuhan, state media reported on Saturday.

China's worst drought in a half-century is deepening, with the parched weather leaving millions in the Yangtze River region without enough drinking water, pushing inflation higher and adding to widespread power shortages.

China's largest city is setting a limit of one-dog per family in an effort to gain control over the soaring pet population and curb rabies.

Shipping along Yangtze River, one of China's most vital waterways, has been closed at some points to prevent ships being grounded due to water levels drained low by the worst drought in a decade.

Shanghai truckers said Monday they have halted a strike over high fuel costs after authorities met their demands amid fears of wider inflation-related unrest.

Hundreds of truck drivers staged a strike this week in major container ports in Shanghai, seeking higher freight rates to offset their rising fuel costs, companies and Chinese media said.

Shanghai authorities have seized more than 6,000 steamed buns and the Chinese city's mayor has ordered a probe after they were found to have been dyed, expired or filled with unidentified chemicals.

Police raided a popular gay bar on Shanghai's Bund riverfront over the weekend, taking more than 60 people into custody for several hours, state media reported Monday.

Authorities in China's commercial hub of Shanghai say they will prosecute 24 people for bribery and other crimes related to an apartment building fire that killed 58 people.

Shanghai Stock Exchange, the Chinese mainland's largest bourse, plans to attract 50 new listings each year during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), the exchange's president said.