Exclusive: For anyone, having a loved one diagnosed with cancer is devastating.

Especially when it's one of the least survivable kinds.

But Steph McGuire, 31, lost her mother, father and aunt to the same kind of cancer over just 12 months.

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"It's hard to know what to feel it's just so surreal," McGuire, from Melbourne, said.

"When mum got it, obviously it hit hard.

"Then a few months later, my dad got diagnosed, which was horrible.

"It was stage four, my mum was stage three.

"Then my aunty got diagnosed a year or so later.

"You're like, 'Surely it's not the same.'"

The mother to Harvey, four, and Hazel, 10 months, with husband Shaydan, is now worried about her own health.

Her mum, Vicki Jackson, who worked at a law firm, died aged 65 in July 2024, just over two years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Her early symptom was itching palms, a sign of bile in the bloodstream.

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Her former CEO father, Steve, who was given the devastating news that he too had pancreatic cancer just months after his ex-wife's diagnosis, died a year after that, aged 66.

He had bowel issues, which flagged a problem, though he defied expectations to live for three years after chemo and a trial treatment.

In between losing her parents, Steph's aunt and her mother's sister, Valerie Boyd, was also diagnosed with and died from the disease.

She had diabetes, which can be an indicator.

Steph is now doing genetic testing to see if she's likely to develop it, though testing done on her parents indicated it was not a genetic type.

An early diagnosis is crucial to surviving.

"It definitely freaks me out, once the symptoms are there, it's really too late," she says.

Advocates are also pushing for more money to help save lives.

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Michelle Stewart, CEO of Pankind, said earlier detection and faster treatment – as well as funding for research – is needed.

"Survival has improved, but not fast enough and when several members of a family are diagnosed, it underscores the urgent need to understand familial and genetic risk," Stewart said.

Pankind has a family health checker online so Aussies can assess their risk.

Last month, a new study for a screening program was announced, trialling surveillance methods for those at higher risk.

It aligns Australia with the global PRECEDE study, which aims to lift five-year survival rates from 13 to 50 per cent within a decade.

A spokesman for the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing said the Australian Government supports health and medical research with $650 million annually from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and around $1 billion a year through the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) Medical Research Endowment Account (MREA).

It has invested more than $13 million for research focused on pancreatic cancer in the past decade, he said.

"Between 2015 and 2024, the NHMRC has expended $41.5 million towards research relevant to pancreatic cancer.

"On 2 May 2024, Minister (Mark) Butler announced the MRFF Low Survival Cancers Mission (LSCM).

"It will provide $150 million over 10 years, from 2027-28, for research to improve care and health outcomes for people with low survival cancers, including pancreatic cancer."

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Pancreatic cancer facts

Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in Australia.

Symptoms include abdominal and back pain, jaundice, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, fatty stool, new onset or hard to manage diabetes and nausea.

Patients diagnosed have just a 13 per cent chance of surviving for five years, according to Pankind.

Only three out of 10 people diagnosed will be alive after a year.

It's a number which has not increased for 15 years, unlike the figures for other cancers such as breast cancer, which is now at a 93 per cent five-year survival rate.

World Pancreatic Cancer Day today, November 20.

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There's good news for prospective homeowners in South Australia, with the latest Domain Property Report forecasting that Adelaide will see an easing of price growth in 2026.

House price growth in the South Australian capital is anticipated to ease from nine per cent in 2025 to four per cent in 2026. 

That's despite last month's data showing Adelaide prices going up 3.2 per cent in a quarter, the highest rate in the country.

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The decrease reflects a broader national trend, but Adelaide is expected to record the lowest growth among Australian capital cities. 

Unit prices are also predicted to experience a dramatic slowdown, declining from a 16 per cent increase in 2025 to five per cent in 2026. 

This means a prospective unit buyer in 2026 will pay only $50,000 more than current prices.

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"That double-digit price growth for both houses and units is in the rear view and we are expecting much more modest pace of price growth for 2026," Dr Nicola Powell from Domain said.

The rental market is also expected to stabilise, with price growth in the sector predicted to remain steady at four per cent, and the average unit rental price is forecast to reach about $548 per week. 

Demand for more affordable housing options, particularly units, is expected to remain strong.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

For the first time, South Australian police have been granted the power to conduct random weapons searches at the annual schoolies festival in Victor Harbor. 

The move comes as more than 3500 school leavers prepare to converge on the coastal town this weekend. 

This year's festival has been declared a public event, enabling police to search individuals within the designated area using metal detection devices.

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"This is going to help us enhance the public safety in the environment," Superintendent Joanna Howard said.

Despite the new security protocols, organisers are focusing on providing a positive experience for the school leavers.

"This weekend we are well prepared for, and we're bringing three unique nights of entertainment and experience for our young people," Nigel Knowles from Encounter Youth said.

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Organisers have increased the availability of free buses to the festival, extending services from Adelaide to about a dozen regional locations. 

Shuttle buses will also operate within the Victor Harbor area throughout the three-day event. 

"We do approximately 20,000 boardings over this weekend so there's really no reason for our young people to have to use their cars," Knowles said.

But concerns have been raised over the condition of beaches in the area, with a toxic algal bloom still ravaging South Australia's coastline.

Authorities say it's safe to swim for now, but an update will be provided later in the week.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

Adelaide will not play host to next year's COP climate summit, with the federal government unable to overcome its stalemate with rival bidder Turkey.

Australian officials have conceded to 9News that COP31 next year will simply not happen in the South Australian capital. 

9News understands negotiations are continuing to give some role to Pacific nations, but that Turkey will emerge as the host.

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The conference would have seen up to 50,000 delegates descend on Adelaide for two weeks of meetings and seminars.

Both the federal and state governments have already committed millions of dollars preparing for the event to come to South Australia, with a specialist police squad formed to prepare security measures.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said this afternoon that Australia will still be involved regardless of where the event lands.

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"We are trying to get the best outcome here for the planet and for the global economy and regardless of where it is held, we will continue to play a leadership role in that," he said.

COP31 was predicted to cost Australia more than $1 billion, but would have brought South Australia close to half of that in economic revenue.

It's unclear whether the millions already spent can be used for another major event in Adelaide.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

She says New Zealand’s political scene has become ‘increasingly personal’.

Six teenagers have been arrested in Brisbane, accused of being part of a criminal gang that has been targeting houses across the city.

One of the teens, a 14-year-old from Marsden, was dramatically arrested at a house in Kingston, where he attempted to hide in the home's insulation in the roof.

One teenage girl was arrested as she answered the door, but finding the boy was a much more difficult task.

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Bodycam footage shows police officers at the scene shouting at the teenager to present himself.

They eventually have to climb into the insulation area itself, pull him out of the roof cavity legs first, where he was then arrested by officers.

Another child was on the scene in bed, and they were also arrested.

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Six teenagers were arrested overall, all being between 14 and 16 years old.

Police will allege he is part of a criminal gang with five other teenagers who have committed almost 100 property offences in southern Brisbane.

They allegedly have hit houses in over a dozen suburbs, including Bulimba, Springfield Lakes and Sunnybank Hills.

They were charged with multiple offences, including stealing, attempted burgulary, and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

The teenagers who were arrested have now been handed dates to appear at various children's courts across Brisbane.

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Exclusive: A distraught mother wants criminal charges laid after an educator slapped her neurodivergent toddler at a childcare centre in Melbourne's south-east.

Three-year-old Kayce's parents were called to collect him just 40 minutes after he arrived at the centre on October 17.

"We got the call at about 7.40am to say that his behaviour was quite bad and that he needed to be collected," mum Jaymie Barber told 9News.

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But it wasn't until later that day that management called again to explain that Kayce had been struck across the face after he had hit an educator.

"I just broke down, I didn't know what to say," Jaymie said.

"It's horrible. They are there to protect your children and look after them."

Witness statements claim the little boy, who has complex behavioural needs, was upset and hitting and kicking staff before the incident.

"I comforted him and said, 'I will give you your dummy, but you need to say sorry to me'," the educator in question wrote in her incident statement.

"The child responded angrily and said 'no', and suddenly slapped me on the face and my mind went blank in that moment.

"I reacted impulsively and slapped him back."

Another educator immediately intervened and moved Kayce to another room, according to witness statements.

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The staff member involved says she deeply regrets her action and has since been dismissed by the centre.

Local police and the education department have been notified, which Jaymie hopes will lead to charges being laid.

"It's heartbreaking. Like I do understand, he has so many big emotions, but he is the sweetest kid known to mankind," Jaymie said.

"I know in the moment, you know, sometimes as a parent, you know, you get frustrated, but in a professional setting, you should know a lot better than that. And he's three."

Jaymie says Kayce's behaviour has deteriorated since the incident, and believes he is scarred by what happened at his childcare centre.

"He now does not trust other adults, and he was already having a very hard time being neurodivergent as it is," Jaymie said.

Kayce has also been suspended from the centre, with the company stating the "physical way in which he expresses his emotions" resulted in "a high number of injuries to both children and staff" that made them unable to ensure a safe environment.

Jaymie claims the centre was notified of Kayce's complex behavioural needs before he was enrolled and staff assured the family they would work collaboratively to support him.

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Kayce's family is calling for better training so all educators are equipped to manage children with diverse behavioural needs.

"You've probably got 10 children in a daycare setting that have all got neurodiverse needs these days, and they're being overlooked, and then they're falling through the cracks, and they get to school and it's 10 times worse," Jaymie said.

The Education Department said the matter was being investigated by Victoria's early childhood regulator.

"Our priority is, and always will be, the health and safety of children," a Department of Education spokesperson said.

"The Regulatory Authority responds to any non-compliance in early childhood services, particularly when the safety, health or wellbeing of children may be at risk."

A new, independent regulator called VECRA will launch on January 1, 2026, as part of landmark child safety reforms announced earlier this year.

The regulator will increase the number of compliance checks and strengthen the sector, the department said.

Early childhood educators at government-funded kindergartens have access to training on caring for children with additional needs through the Early Childhood Hub, the department said.

Kids Helpline  1800 55 1800.

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The mother of murdered Victorian woman Hannah McGuire has slammed the 28-year murder sentence handed to the 23-year-old's former boyfriend yesterday.

Hannah's parents Debbie and Glenn McGuire were visibly distraught in court yesterday when they learnt her ex-boyfriend Lachlan Young would be jailed for 28 years, with a non-parole period of 22 years and four months, for murdering the young teacher's aide after months of sustained abuse.

Today Mrs McGuire spoke out about the "heaviness" she felt at the "out-of-proportion sentence".

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"Hannah's life was worth so much more than 22 years of his," she wrote in a statement sent to 9News.

"We feel completely unsupported by the system that was supposed to deliver justice.

"The outcome did not honour her."

Mrs McGuire also revealed parts of her victim impact statement the court barred her from reading out during the trial, after it deemed them irrelevant to the case.

"The truth is, I have so much more I would like to say, but he does not deserve to hear it," she wrote.

"Why would I pour my heart out in front of someone who has shown absolutely no remorse?"

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Mrs McGuire accused Young of having "all the traits of a sociopath".

"He has a distinct lack of empathy, and he enjoys exploiting others for pleasure or gain," she wrote.

"He is calculating, impulsive and dangerous. He is a spoiled, selfish mummy's boy, a product of poor parenting: he is pathetic.

"I hope every day for the rest of the accused's life he experiences the most intense pain imaginable."

After initially pleading not guilty to murder, eight days into the trial Young confessed to killing Hannah on April 5, 2024 in a home they owned together at Sebastopol, 120km northwest of Melbourne.

A court heard he strangled his ex-girlfriend, destroyed her remains and then tried to stage her death as a suicide.

He then transferred $2000 from McGuire's bank account to her mother and $5000 to himself.

Mrs McGuire disputed there were prospects for Young's rehabilitation.

"Are you kidding me? He will never change. It's who he is."

National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Lifeline 13 11 14

Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636.

Help is available from the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491.

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Tropical Cyclone Fina is likely to develop into a category 2 storm as early as tonight, forecasters have warned.

It's the first cyclone of the season, and could potentially make a historic landfall over the next few days.

Fina is currently a category 1 cyclone and has been rapidly intensifying off the north north-east coast of the Northern Territory much faster than expected, the Bureau of Meteorology has said.

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The cyclone is sitting around 370km from the coast and most of the severe weather is being felt closer to the eye of the storm.

However, later this evening, Fina is expected to move towards the east north-east coast of the NT and will reach a category two intentity.

Fina is then expected to make a U-turn, hooking south and then moving south-west to the NT's northern coastline.

Late tomorrowevening into Friday is when direct impacts will be felt on the NT coast.

"In this Tropical Cyclone Watch area, we're likely to see gale-force winds developing within the next 48 hours," said Senior Meteorologist Miriam Bradbury.

"For some areas that might be as early as tomorrow, but for others we might not see that gale-force wind developing until Friday morning.

"In fact, we may even see some locally destructive wind gusts up to 135 km/h developing for parts of the Northern Territory coastline between Cape Don and Warruwi through late Thursday into early Friday."

Residents in Darwin have been urged to remain vigilant as Fina edges closer to the coast on the weekend.

The worst of the impact will be felt in Darwin over the weekend, including gale-force winds, storm surges and heavy rainfall.

Fina is fast-moving and unpredictable, the bureau said.

Several different scenarios could play out however residents on the NT coast have been told to brace for some severe weather.

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As of 3.30am ACST (5am AEDT, 4am AEST), the category one cyclone had sustained winds of 75km/hr and gusts of up to 100km/hr.

It was about 315km north-east of Darwin and moving at about 9km/hr.

Stay up to date on the Bureau of Meteorology website.

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People were urged to stay away as officers locked down Riddiford St.