Cooler weather helped firefighters gain ground on hundreds of wildfires that charred bone-dry terrain across the heart of wine country and remote forests in Northern California.

Around 200 Brisbane residents have been forced to evacuate their homes due to a five-alarm wildfire burning on San Bruno Mountain Sunday night, according to the North County Fire Authority.

The fire was first reported shortly before 7:30 p.m. and quickly spread. Evacuations have been ordered for Trinity Rd., King Rd., Margaret Ave.

The fire, which started just above the quarry in Brisbane at about 7 p.m., has moved quickly through the dry grass and brush in the area, said Mark Lee, a spokesman for the North County Fire Authority.

In Sydney , 350 people gathered at "The Block" in Redfern, before marching to Town Hall, chanting "always was, always will be, Aboriginal land" and "stop the intervention - repeal the racist laws". Passing cars ...

THE Melbourne Vixens survived a gutsy fight by the West Coast Fever to win their round 12 trans-Tasman championship game by six goals at Challenge Stadium yesterday.

BRISBANE'S forwards have vowed to keep a hard edge to their play after gutsing out an ugly 19-18 win over Wests Tigers.

Brisbane's forwards have vowed to keep a hard edge to their play after gutsing out an ugly 19-18 win over Wests Tigers.

Editor -I fail to understand how a serious, even felonious, act can somehow be cleansed by a letter from some government official.

THE SOUTH SAN Francisco Cultural Arts Commission invites entries for its photography exhibit, "South San Francisco Past & Present," being held 7 to 9 p.m. July 11 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 12.