Someone—or something—has deflated the massive rubber ducky floating in a harbor outside of Hong Kong. The duck’s only crime was bringing joy, laughter and surrealist wonder to the good citizens of the city and fans of weird Internet news, and now, it is just a deflated pile of yellow rubber. The organizers of the duck display—a touring art installation that garnered international headlines during its latest stop to Hong Kong—initially seemed to be unsure what caused the collapse, but later said it was an “intentional deflation.” Hmmm. In the words of a CSI Hong Kong investigator, “Something sure does sound fishy, about the fate of this ducky” … Discuss

The ceiling of a factory in Cambodia that makes shoes for the brand Asics collapsed early this morning, killing at least two workers. Nine more were injured—three of them seriously—when steel beams that supported a large concrete-floored area broke. The incident comes just weeks after a garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed, killing more than 1,100 workers making clothes for several Western brands.

For the last two decades, officials in Cambodia have consulted with international advisors to draft laws and regulations to ensure worker safety, though according to The New York Times, those rules often go unenforced. A spokeswoman for the Clean Clothes Campaign—a group that advocates for safe working conditions for international garment workers—told the NYT, “The shoe and garment industry is built upon huge profits and little concern for the well-being of their workers. It is inherently unsafe and dangerous to work in. As long as workers are marginalized and deprived of their basic rights, the situation will not improve” … Discuss

OK. Hang on for this one, because it's weird. Early this week, this thing started oozing out of a crack in the sidewalk in the Pukou district in Nanjing, China. At this point, nobody's exactly sure what it is, but they are sure that authorities showed up, cordoned off the street and evacuated nearby homes. Eventually, the whatever-it-is seeped back into the ground, leaving local residents with no real clues as to what it was—but that wasn't stopped them from theorizing ("looks like some kind of alien," notes one observer on a Chinese blogging site, who is just saying what everybody's thinking.) China's Propaganda Ministry is now saying that the substance was being used to soften soil for subway construction, but not many locals are buying it ... Discuss

As part of a new report that looked at deforestation and global population growth, the U.N. says some bugs can be a nutritious food source and that bugs are just one of the many resources provided by forests. Though an official cautioned, “We are not saying that people should be eating bugs,” they aren’t exactly saying you shouldn’t be eating bugs either. According to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization report, “Insects are a highly nutritious and healthy food source with high fat, protein, vitamin, fiber and mineral content.” An FAO representative said, “Insects are just one resource provided by forests, and insects are pretty much untapped for their potential for food, and especially for feed." They also called for more bug farming. Just in case you’re curious as how best to prepare your new insect entrée, The Daily Beast has posted this handy guide to bug cuisine … Discuss

In a miraculous feat of survival, rescuers in Bangladesh have pulled a woman out of the rubble of a garment factory 17 days after it collapsed. The crowded scene reportedly erupted into cheers as the woman was cut free from the concrete and rushed to an awaiting ambulance.

The factory collapse is the worst disaster in the history of Bangladesh’s garment industry. So far, the bodies of more than 1,000 workers have been recovered from the site (though the death-toll could still rise as officials continue clear the site of 7,000 tons of debris). The tragedy has sparked international calls for reforms in the country to ensure safe conditions for workers, and several major retailers have vowed to work together to instill reforms in the industry … Discuss