A pharmacy connected to a deadly nationwide meningitis outbreak filed for bankruptcy protection and said it was seeking to set up a fund to pay victims.

Contaminated steroid injections from the New England Compounding Center have been blamed for 39 deaths and 620 illnesses since the outbreak began over the summer. The Chapter 11 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Friday shields the company from the threat of creditor lawsuits while it establishes the fund.

U.S. government health regulators say a genetically modified salmon that grows twice as fast as normal is unlikely to harm the environment, clearing the way for the first approval of a scientifically engineered animal for human consumption.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday released its environmental assessment of the AquaAdvantage salmon, a faster-growing fish which has been subject to a contentious, yearslong debate at the agency. The document concludes that the fish "will not have any significant impacts on the quality of the human environment of the United States." Regulators also said that the fish is unlikely to harm populations of natural salmon, a key concern for environmental activists.

It's a real life Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

Animal rescue officials in South Africa say they found a toad from China hidden inside a porcelain candlestick.

The hunt for the perfect Christmas tree may soon become a lot easier: just pick a nice clone.

That's what German scientists are now working on: They are searching a way to ensure that the sensitive saplings of the popular Nordmann fir species grow into impressive specimens.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has struck down a Costa Rican ban on in-vitro fertilization, saying that its guarantee of protection for every fertilized embryo violated the reproductive freedom of infertile couples.

Reproductive rights groups said the decision late Thursday could have far-ranging implications for laws in many Latin American countries that ban all forms of abortion and some types of contraception. The decision explicitly states that not all embryos and fetuses are guaranteed complete protection, which the groups say will let them challenge laws that ban measures such as emergency contraception and abortion in cases of rape and danger to the mother's health.

UEFA has banned Champions League contender Malaga from European club competitions for one upcoming season for failing to pay players wages and tax bills on time.

UEFA says the Qatari-owned Spanish club could be banned for a second season within the next four years if it misses a March 31 deadline to pay its debts.

Rafa Nadal said he is nervous about his return to tennis after a seven-month injury layoff, and believes it may be some time before his injured knee is completely healed.

Nadal told Canal Plus television on Friday that "I'm prepared to accept that my knee may not respond well at the beginning" and has considered playing off and on during the first three months of 2013.

Syrian rebels attacked a base protecting a military industrial compound in the country's north on Friday as anti-government forces pushed forward in efforts to capture wider areas near the border with Turkey, an activist group said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven rebels were killed in the attack on the air defense base in the town of al-Safira.

Oklahoma City Thunder's 12-game winning streak was ended on Thursday by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were guided to a 99-93 victory by J.J. Barea, who scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter.

In Thursday's other games, the Miami Heat closed within a game of the Eastern Conference lead with a win over Dallas while Portland defeated Denver.

Three-time Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton says she coped with depression and a troubled marriage by turning to a life of prostitution.

In a series of posts to her Twitter account, Favor Hamilton acknowledged working as an escort following a report Thursday on The Smoking Gun website about her double life.