A festival dedicated to dog meat in southern China has been targeted by protesting animal lovers, who have won a minor concession from local officials, said an activist.

Eleven girls died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a school in northern China’s Shaanxi province, a state news agency reported today.

A cache of illegal dynamite has exploded in a village in northern China, killing at least 11 people, injuring 20 and demolishing buildings, the government announced today.

Eighteen people have died in explosions at fireworks factories in China over the past few days.

The official death toll following an explosion in China's north-west Shaanxi province has risen to 47 and officials expect it to rise even further.