A fire in a 28-story high-rise in China's largest city has killed an early estimate of 42 people. A section of the building was under renovation when the blaze started. The fire is out now, but search-and-rescue efforts continue.

Senator Chuck Schumer is looking out for Americans by lobbying for a ban on reusable grocery bags that contain high levels of lead because, "to add insult to injury, guess where these bags are made? China." Fearmongering... Schumer style. [NYP]

[An acrobat checks in on a bear putting his game face on backstage at the 9th China Wuhan International Acrobatics Art Festival in Hubei Province, China. Image via Getty]

A 10-year-old Chinese boy on Monday fell from the window of his family's 20th floor apartment and miraculously survived by crashing through the rear windshield of a car. China's Xinhua News reports a pillow in the backseat cushioned his head.

A slick new ad from Citizens Against Government Waste points out where America's big spending ways are leading us: a dystopian near-future where evil Chinese professors gloat about China's domination over America.

The Way We Live Now: a sort of Ebay lifestyle. Back when we were pocketing billions, we never thought we'd be auctioning off our bedroom slippers just to make ends meet. Then again, we never thought China'd have money. China???

A huge explosion in a Chinese coal mine killed 21 workers and left 16 trapped. Like Chile! Except, "mining accidents are so common in China that they rarely make newspaper front pages." So, way more tragic and awful.

Are you thinking of climbing the fence and entering the tiger enclosure? Don't. A zoo gardener at a park in Shezhen, China was mauled to death by five tigers after, yes, climbing the fence and entering the tiger enclosure.

This is Xiao Hao, a three-year-old kid from Guangzhou in South China. He weighs 140 pounds, which is, oh, about 110 pounds more than most three-year-olds, and, according to The Sun, has been banned from "several nurseries."

The wife of imprisoned Chinese Nobel Peace Laureate Liu Xiaobo says the prison has started serving him individually prepared meals, rather than the notoriously gross general population food. How nice of them! Now maybe they could just set him free?

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei carpeted the Turbine Hall in Britain's prestigious Tate Gallery with a sunflower seeds. Well, not quite: With painted porcelain replica sunflower seeds. One hundred million painted porcelain replica sunflower seeds. It's like Twitter, Ai says.

23-year-old pianist Liu Wei, who lost both his arms as a child, won the first season of China's Got Talent after playing the song "You're Beautiful." He's been invited to go on tour, with a three-month stint in Las Vegas.

Liu Xia, wife of jailed Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo, told her husband of his award, and he cried and said, "This is for the martyrs of Tiananmen Square." Shortly after leaving, Liu Xia was detained.

A group of scientists called the Hubei Wild Man Research Association are asking for international donations to help with the search for China's Bigfoot, called "Yeren" (Wild Man). Get in on the hunt while you still can! [Xinhua; image]

Prominent Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence for "inciting the subversion of state power," was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today for his work toward nonviolent political change in China. [NYT]

Constantly masturbating hobbit-witch Christine O'Donnell, Delaware Senate candidate, knows all too much about China, and she doesn't trust them one lick. During a primary debate for her 2006 Senate run, for example, she warned: "They've got something up their sleeve."

For days, Gmail has been displaying scary red banners above certain users' inboxes, warning "Your account was recently accessed from China." So, now you at least know if Chinese hackers are spying on your Gmail.

Over 160 illegally-bred cobras escaped a laboratory in southwest China earlier this month, and they have been turning up all over town "in outdoor toilets, kitchens and on the streets." Most have been caught, but "five or six" remain free.

Ever gotten drunk and said something regrettable to a coworker? It's embarrassing, but it's hardly an international incident. Unless you work for the UN—like Chinese diplomat Sha Zukang, who told an American colleague that he doesn't like Americans.

The Gallup World Giving Index ranked the world's countries by how generous they are. The fat, rich, spoiled United States of America came in fifth. Fifth! It's a national shame! So who's first?