Police responded to Airfield Rd around 12.40am after receiving reports of disorder

Thunderstorms are expected to be accompanied by torrential rain and hail.

Recalling Jesus' birth in a stable, Pope Francis rebuked those "ravenous" for wealth and power at the expense of the vulnerable, including children, in a Christmas Eve homily decrying war, poverty and greedy consumerism.

In the splendor of St Peter's Basilica, Francis presided over the evening Mass attended by about 7000 faithful, including tourists and pilgrims, who flocked to the church on a warm evening and took their place behind rows of white-robed pontiffs.

Francis drew lessons from the humility of Jesus' first hours of life in a manger.

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"While animals feed in their stalls, men and women in our world, in their hunger for wealth and power, consume even their neighbors, their brothers and sisters," the pontiff lamented.

"How many wars have we seen! And in how many places, even today, are human dignity and freedom treated with contempt!"

"As always, the principal victims of this human greed are the weak and the vulnerable,'' said Francis, who didn't cite any specific conflict or situation.

"This Christmas, too, as in the case of Jesus, a world ravenous for money, power and pleasure does not make room for the little ones, for the so many unborn, poor and forgotten children,'' the pope said, reading his homily with a voice that sounded tired and almost hoarse.

"I think above all of the children devoured by war, poverty and injustice."

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Still, the pontiff exhorted people to take heart.

"Do not allow yourself to be overcome by fear, resignation or discouragement." Jesus' lying in a manger shows where "the true riches in life are to be found: not in money and power, but in relationships and persons."

Remarking that "so much consumerism that has packaged the mystery" of Christmas, Francis said there was a danger the day's meaning could be forgotten.

But, he said, Christmas focuses attention on "the problem of our humanity — the indifference produced by the greedy rush to possess and consume."

"Jesus was born poor, lived poor and died poor," Francis said. "He did not so much talk about poverty as live it, to the very end, for our sake."

Francis urged people to "not let this Christmas pass without doing something good."

When the Mass ended, the pope, pushed in a wheelchair by an aide, moved down the basilica with a life-sized statue of Baby Jesus on his lap and flanked by several children carrying bouquets. The statue then was placed in a manger in a creche scene in the basilica.

Francis, 86, has been using a wheelchair to navigate long distances due to a painful knee ligament and a cane for shorter distances.

Traditionally, Catholics mark Christmas Eve by attending Mass at midnight. But over the years, the starting time at the Vatican has crept earlier, reflecting the health or stamina of popes and then the pandemic.

Two years ago, the start of Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter's Basilica was moved up to 7.30pm to allow faithful to get home before for a nighttime curfew imposed by the Italian government as a measure to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Although virtually all pandemic-triggered restrictions have long been lifted in Italy, the Vatican kept to the early start time.

During Saturday evening's service, a choir sang hymns. Clusters of potted red poinsettia plants near the altar contrasted with the cream-colored vestments of the pontiff.

Tomorrow, tens of thousands of Romans, tourists and pilgrims were expected to crowd into St Peter's Square to hear Pope Francis deliver an address on world issues and give his blessing.

The speech, known in Latin as "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and to the world), generally is an occasion to review crises including war, persecution and hunger, in many parts of the globe.

A plane has gone missing in the Northern Territory.

The single-engine aircraft was carrying a pilot and a passenger when it set off from Gove in the Top End yesteray at 8.30am yesterday local time.

It was due to land in Katherine at 10.30am the same morning.

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Authorities were alerted to its absence yesterday afternoon.

The search continues.

Police are urging anyone who may have seen the plane between Gove and Katherine to contact them on 131 444 and quote reference number 10212740.

Motorists are advised to take care, use alternative routes and expect delays.

For months, Leila has barely seen sunlight.

"I miss being in the open air… I miss being able to walk freely," she told CNN. "I miss my family, my room."

Her life now is largely confined to four walls, in a house that is not her own, with people who – until a few weeks ago – she had never met.

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Leila has been in the crosshairs of Iran's government for years due to her work as a civil rights activist and grassroots organiser. She was forced into hiding in September, when a warrant was issued for her arrest following the outbreak of nationwide protests over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman accused of flouting the country's compulsory hijab laws.

Since then, while security forces stalk her house and family, Leila has taken refuge in the homes of strangers. An anonymous network of concerned citizens – "ordinary people" connected by a shared mission to protect protesters – who quietly support the movement from afar by offering their homes to activists in need.

It's impossible to know exactly how many protesters are being sheltered inside Iran, but CNN has spoken to several people who, like Leila, have left behind their homes and families to escape what has become an increasingly violent state crackdown.

Leila says her own story, and the stories of those bravely hiding her, show that as well as the extraordinary displays of public anger unfolding on Iran's streets, "the struggle against the regime continues in different forms."

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"I came here in the middle of the night. It was dark. I don't even know where I am and my family doesn't know either," she said of her current location.

Leila – who has spent time in some of Iran's most notorious prisons for her activism in the past – has long provided a voice for people the regime would prefer remain silent, advocating on behalf of political prisoners, and demonstrators facing execution.

CNN has verified documents, video, witness testimony and statements from inside the country which suggest that at least 43 people could face imminent execution in Iran in relation to the current protests.

Using only a burner phone and a VPN Leila continues her work today, communicating with protesters in jail, as well as families with loved ones on death row – sharing their stories on social media, in an effort to help keep them safe, and alive.

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"The comments and messages I receive are very encouraging. People are feeling good to see that I am active now and that I am with them [during this uprising]."

But as time passes, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps appear to be doubling down on their hunt for Leila.

"Every day a car with two passengers is constantly stationed out front of my family home… They have repeatedly arrested several of my family members and friends. In their interrogations, they ask, 'Where is Leila? Where is she hiding?'"

To speak with her loved ones, Leila relies on third parties to pass on notes through encrypted messaging services, using code words in case Iran's security forces are monitoring their conversations.

"There are listening devices in our house," she said. "That's why I never make phone calls to my family anymore."

A "trusted friend" and an unknown location

For years, Leila's life has been on pause – interrupted by periods of imprisonment and prolonged interrogation – all at the hands of the Islamic Republic's notorious security apparatus.

"I was tortured psychologically, kept in solitary confinement. They threatened and humiliated me every day."

Over the last five years, Iran has been gripped by waves of demonstrations concerning issues spanning from economic mismanagement and corruption to civil rights. One of the most visible displays of public anger was in 2019, when rising gas prices led to a sweeping uprising that was quickly met with lethal force.

Before the recent protests sparked by Amini's death – which many see as the most significant threat the regime has faced to date – Leila was trying to rebuild.

"When I came out of prison life was very difficult for me, but I tried to create small outlets for myself."

She had set up a local business, enrolled in a university course, and was working with a therapist to acclimate back to normal life and deal with the trauma brought on by years of incarceration.

All of that changed within days of Amini's death, when Leila knew she needed to take an active role once more in the protests that were filling streets across the country with chants of "Women, Life, Freedom."

Alongside her family, she began joining marches – sharing the names and stories of protesters being detained on her social media.

Almost immediately, the threats from Iran's authorities to send Leila back to prison started again – and then came the warrant.

"They wanted to silence me as soon as the uprising happened after Mahsa Amini was murdered… I knew if I wanted to stay and continue my activities, I would have to hide myself from their sight."

Countless Iranians have been forced to cross borders in order to flee Iran's security forces. Leila, though, took a leap of faith and decided to go underground, after a "trusted friend" she'd met through a network of activists set her up with her first safe house.

The drive lasted hours, and there was only darkness.

"I wore a mask. I laid down in the car so that no one would notice me. I didn't even get out to go to the toilet or eat."

She has continued to move around in the weeks and months since. Smuggled through the night, never knowing her final destination.

"The first place I was in, the homeowner was very scared, so eventually I left for another location."

"[Another] person I stayed with was very nice and became supportive of my efforts," she said.

Off the grid

In order to live totally off the grid, Leila is no longer picking up her medication or checking in with any doctors or medical professionals.

She's also stopped accessing her bank account and went as far as exchanging her life savings for gold, which someone sells for her from time to time, when she urgently needs cash.

As is the case for so many ordinary Iranians who are the driving force of the protests, Leila's life has "practically stopped."

"I just breathe and work."

"I am not afraid of prison. Maybe many people think that we were afraid and so we hid ourselves, but this is not the case."

"The one thing I fear is that if I get caught and sent back to jail, I will become a faceless name…unable to help the cause and movement, like countless others who were sent to prison and never heard of again."

For now, Leila says the only thing that keeps her going as weeks in hiding turn into months, is the distant hope that one day she could live in a free Iran.

"The answer of the Islamic Republic has always been repression and violence…I hope for a miracle and that this situation will end as soon as possible for the benefit of the people."

"Just like when I was in prison and solitary confinement, I am improving myself with the hope of freedom," she said.

Long Bay Regional Park has reached capacity after thousands of beach-goers fill the area

Not every Christmas prezzie lives up to the hype.

There are barely any chefs in Queenstown, hospo boss says.

Five people have been arrested in the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old man at the Mall of America that sent the sprawling commercial centre into lockdown on one of the final days of the US holiday shopping season.

At an evening news conference, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges announced the arrests in connection with the Friday night shooting in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington and said all would face murder charges, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

Hodges said the arrested suspects were two men, 18, and three 17-year-old male juveniles, according to the Star Tribune, and they were taken into custody in the morning at a home in nearby St Louis Park by SWAT team officers from three jurisdictions.

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The chief added that one of the 18-year-olds is believed to be the shooter, though another suspect may also have fired a weapon. A sixth suspect was still being sought.

"In Bloomington, if you come here and murder people at our mall, you get one of these at at Christmas," Hodges was quoted as saying by the paper as he held up an orange prison suit.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz tweeted that the mall shooting was "absolutely unacceptable. We are in touch with local officials to provide the support and resources they need."

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Police have not yet identified the slain 19-year-old, but the chief and Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse have spoken with the man's relatives.

The gunfire Friday at the Nordstrom store in the nation's largest shopping centre sent frightened customers scurrying for safety. A bystander was said to have had their jacket grazed by a bullet.

There appeared to be some type of altercation between two groups that escalated into a fistfight, and someone pulled out a gun and shot the victim multiple times, according to police. The entire incident lasted about 30 seconds.

A nearby Bloomington police officer – one of 16 stationed at the mall that day – heard the gunshots around 7.50pm local time. The officer tried life-saving measures but the victim died.

The lockdown lasted for about an hour before the mall tweeted that shoppers were being sent outside. Videos posted on social media showed shoppers hiding in stores, and an announcement in the mall warned people to seek shelter.

Since it opened in 1992, the Mall of America has been a tourist destination and community gathering spot. It bans guns on the premises but shoppers have generally not been required to pass through metal detectors. The mall said in October it was testing a "weapons detection system" at one of its entrances.

The mall was placed on lockdown in August after a reported shooting at the suburban Minneapolis shopping complex sent some shoppers running for cover and two people were wounded last New Year's Eve during an apparent altercation.