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First responders enter devastated Aleppo neighborhood after days of deadly fighting

ALEPPO, Syria — Residents started returning Sunday to a contested neighborhood in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. First responders entered to tend to residents,…

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January 11, 2026
Donald Trump tells Cuba to ‘make a deal’ as US cuts off Venezuelan oil

US President Donald Trump says no more Venezuelan oil or money will enter Cuba unless the communist-run island strikes a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on the long-time Washington nemesis and provoking defiant words from the island’s…

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January 11, 2026
Associations between postnatal cerebral oxygen availability and utilization in very to late preterm infants and neurodevelopmental outcome
Statistics Canada. Live births, by weeks of gestation. (2024).
Cheong, J. L. et al. Association between moderate and late preterm birth and neurodevelopment and Social-Emotional development at age 2 years. JAMA Pediatr. 171, e164805.

Next year’s Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) and Women and Firefighting Australasia (WAFA) conferences are being held in Melbourne between 18 to 21 August 2026.

The call for abstracts is now open

As part of AFAC26 and WAFA26, we want to showcase the high-quality and innovative mahi (work) happening across Fire and Emergency New Zealand. This is a great opportunity to showcase your mahi to people from across the emergency services sector.

We’re seeking abstract submissions of mahi that reflects the themes of next year’s conferences. You can submit an abstract for inclusion as either a poster or a presentation at the event.

Please do not submit your abstract via the websites; the information is for guidance only.

Next steps

If you’re planning to submit an abstract, please follow the following process:

First, check out our conference and attendance guidelines(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link) and discuss your abstract idea with your manager.

Next, draft your abstract. These should be no more than 300 words in length; you can submit multiple abstracts for consideration.

When you are happy with your abstract, arrange for it to be reviewed and signed off by your National Manager, the Chief Advisor of your branch and your Deputy Chief Executive. Please factor in any leave you’re taking, or leave being taken by these reviewers into your timeline.

Submit your final abstract to AFAC.Conference@fireandemergency.nz by close of play Friday 16 January 2026. Your abstract will be presented to ELT before being finalised and submitted in early February. Please do NOT submit your abstract directly to AFAC/WAFA.

Based on previous years, we anticipate successful candidates will be notified of the outcome in mid-April.

Tips for preparing an abstract

We have prepared these handy tips for preparing an abstract(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link).

Want to know more?

If you’d like to find out more about the event, check out the websites: AFAC26 | Home (external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link); WAFA26 (external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link)(external link).

If you’d like some additional guidance about what to include in your abstract and what the conferences are like, contact  AFAC.Conference@fireandemergency.nz. The team can put you in touch with someone from last year’s conference from your branch.