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Firefighters struggled Friday to get ahead of a raging wildfire that was moving dangerously close to heavily populated areas in this idyllic coastal city and had forced the evacuation of an estimated 30,000 residents. Neighborhoods of multimillion dollar mansions stood like ghost towns, bathed in the eerie orange glow cast by the nearby blaze.

China's 12 million Catholics have been bitterly divided for decades. Some belong to Beijing-sanctioned churches, while others worship in "underground" churches loyal to the Vatican. Even though Pope Benedict XVI has urged reconciliation, China's Catholics have struggled to follow his instructions.

NATO troops and Afghan government forces are battling Taliban militants on the outskirts of the southern city of Kandahar. Taliban fighters seized villages in the Arghandab valley, just north of Kandahar earlier this week.

NATO and Afghan soldiers have mounted an offensive into the densely packed fruit orchards of the Arghandab district, less than 15 miles from the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. On Monday, Taliban insurgents infiltrated and occupied at least a half-dozen villages in Arghandab.

Hurricane Ivan roars into Jamaica with 150 mph winds and drenching rain. But a shift in the Category 4 storm's path spares the capital city of Kingston from Ivan's full fury. The storm could hit Florida Monday. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and Kevin Sullivan of The Washington Post.

The structure in question is a Lifeguard Service Facility/Garage to be built on the sand in the central part of Coronado Beach. While no one would deprive the lifeguards the necessary support they need to perform their duties, the current proposed location is not in the best interests of beach protection and preservation.

In an effort to curb air pollution for the Olympics, more than 250 factories in Beijing and nearby towns like Tangshan have been shuttered temporarily. Some factory workers are on vacation for the first time in 20 years.

The head of Georgia's national security council has said the town of Gori, just 60 miles from the capital, Tblisi, had fallen to Russian forces. Moscow has denied the claim. The conflict is over Georgia's bid to seize South Ossetia.

The battle between Russia and Georgia shows no sign of letting up. The conflict was triggered by a Georgian ground offensive into the Russian-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia. Now Georgia's president says he's withdrawing forces from the area and publicly calling for a cease-fire. But Russia continues its bombardment of Georgian territory.

For a century, the subway has rumbled, roared and sputtered under the sidewalks of New York. If you grew up in New York, or lived there for a while, or even just visited, you know that this subway is something else: It's the city's most unifying institution, a badge of identity, a place of legend, and sometimes a nightmare.