Sina Weibo closes 'hot' lists after rebuke

Sina Weibo, one of China's most popular social media, has been ordered by Beijing's internet watchdog to suspend its "hot" rankings for failing to stop the spread of illegal content.

The Beijing office of the Cyberspace Administration of China issued the weeklong ban on Saturday after accusing the technology company of promoting improper materials uploaded by users, including pornography and ethnic discrimination.

The website, which last year had more than 360 million monthly active users, was told to suspend several lists including its "hottest topics".