Moldova’s pro-western president, Maia Sandu, blamed an “unprecedented assault on our country’s freedom and democracy” by “foreign forces” on Sunday night, as a pivotal referendum on EU membership remained too close to call with most votes counted.

Moldovans went to the polls earlier in the day to cast their vote in a presidential election and an EU referendum that marked a key moment in the tug-of-war between Russia and the west over the future of the small, landlocked south-east European country with a population of about 2.5 million people.

With almost 84% of the vote counted, the no vote was ahead on 53%, according to data shared by Moldova’s electoral commission. But the results could yet change as votes are still being counted among the large Moldovan diaspora, which is favourable to joining the EU.

The separate presidential election results showed that incumbent president Sandu topped the first round of the vote with about 38%, but she will now face her closest competitor, Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor backed by the pro-Russian Socialists, in the second round.

The double vote in one of Europe’s poorest countries was seen as a crucial test of Sandu’s pro-European agenda, as she had urged Moldovans to vote “yes” in the referendum to affirm EU accession as an “irreversible” constitutional goal.

The narrow results will disappoint Sandu’s supporters and her allies in Brussels. Pre-election surveys indicated that Sandu held a comfortable lead over her main rival, Stoianoglo, and other candidates, while polls suggested that about 60% of voters supported the pro-EU path in the run-up to the referendum.

Sandu, a 52-year-old former World Bank adviser, was first elected president in November 2020, riding a wave of popularity as an anti-corruption reformer with a pro-European agenda.

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Moldova has gravitated between pro-western and pro-Russian courses, but under Sandu it had accelerated its push to escape Moscow’s orbit, especially as Russia launched its war in neighbouring Ukraine.

The two ballots were held amid claims by Moldovan authorities that Moscow and its proxies had orchestrated an intense “hybrid war” campaign to destabilise the country and derail its EU path.

“Moldova has faced an unprecedented assault on our country’s freedom and democracy, both today and in recent months,” Sandu told supporters in the capital, Chișinău, on Sunday as votes were being counted, adding that “criminal groups” had tried to “undermine a democratic process”.

“We are waiting for the final results, and we will respond with firm decisions,” she added.

The allegations against Moscow included funding pro-Kremlin opposition groups, spreading disinformation, meddling in local elections and backing a major vote-buying scheme.

In particular, officials accused the fugitive pro-Russian businessman Ilan Shor, a vocal opponent of EU membership, of running a destabilising campaign from Moscow.

Earlier this month, the national police chief, Viorel Cernăuțanu, accused Shor and Moscow of establishing a complex “mafia-style” voter-buying scheme and bribing 130,000 Moldovans – almost 10% of normal voter turnout – to vote against the referendum and in favour of Russia-friendly candidates in what he called an “unprecedented, direct attack”.

On Thursday, law enforcement agencies said they had also uncovered a programme in which hundreds of people were taken to Russia to undergo training to stage riots and civil unrest.

In total, Moldovan officials claimed Russia had spent about $100m this year on Moldova’s electoral processes.

Moldova applied to join the EU after Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, which was harshly condemned by Sandu and many in the country as tens of thousands of Ukranian refugees fled to Chișinău.

Moldova officially began EU accession negotiations in June, though scepticism remains high about the country’s ability to implement the necessary democratic and judicial reforms in the near future.

Observers believe Sandu could now be facing a tricky second-round runoff against a united pro-Moscow opposition front led by Stoianoglo.

Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor general who was dismissed by Sandu, urged people to boycott the referendum or vote “no”, describing it as a “cynical” move to boost Sandu’s popularity.

In an earlier interview with the Guardian, Stoianoglo denied that he was working on behalf of Russia. But he declined to criticise the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine and called for improved relations with Moscow.

Hundreds of Beirut residents fled their homes on Sunday night as blasts were heard across its southern suburbs after Israel’s military said it was preparing strikes on branches of a banking system linked to Hezbollah, a further escalation of Israel’s nearly month-long war against the militant group.

Reuters witnesses saw dense plumes of black smoke billowing in the air in Lebanon’s capital after at least 10 blasts. Witnesses, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said a building located in the Chiyah neighbourhood in the southern suburbs was reduced to rubble and the few people in the area had fled ahead of the explosion, resulting in no casualties.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had warned people to immediately leave areas linked to Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association, a US-sanctioned financial organisation that has more than 30 branches across Lebanon including 15 in densely populated parts of central Beirut and its suburbs.

The National news agency (NNA) in Lebanon reported 11 strikes in southern Beirut, many of them targeting Al-Qard Al-Hassan. Other strikes hit the association in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa valley and in the country’s south, NNA added.

It also reported that a strike had landed near Beirut’s airport, the main entry-point of humanitarian assistance to the country and a major evacuation hub for those fleeing the conflict. AFP footage showed large plumes of smoke rising close to the facility.

There was no immediate information on what caused the blasts, or details of any casualties. Panicked crowds clogged the streets and caused traffic jams in some parts of Beirut as they tried to get to neighbourhoods thought to be safer, witnesses told Reuters.

The US says Al-Qard al-Hassan is used by Iran-backed Hezbollah to manage its finances. It provides loans and services primarily to people who live in areas where the militia group is popular.

IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X: “Residents of Lebanon, the IDF will begin attacking infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association – get away from it immediately.”

He accused the association of involvement in in “financing the terrorist activities of the Hezbollah organization against Israel, and therefore the IDF has decided to attack this terrorist infrastructure”.

Asked by journalists whether the branches could be considered military targets, a senior Israeli intelligence official said: “The purpose of this strike is to target the ability of Hezbollah economic function both during the war but also afterwards to rebuild and to rearm … on the day after.”

The US treasury department said in 2021 while preparing sanctions against Hezbollah’s financial network that Al-Qard Al-Hassan “purports to serve the Lebanese people” but in practice “illicitly moves funds through shell accounts and facilitators”, the New York Times reported.

According to the Times, Al-Qard al-Hasan said in a statement on Sunday that Israel had exhausted “its bank of objectives and has chosen to threaten and target Al-Qard al-Hasan, the non-profit organization.”

Israel has intensified its military campaigns both in Gaza and Lebanon, days after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar raised hopes of an opening for ceasefire negotiations to end more than a year of conflict.

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant told troops on Sunday that the military was stepping up strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon, destroying places the group “planned to use as launchpads for attacks against Israel”.

About 70 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israel on Sunday within a matter of minutes, the military said, adding it had intercepted some of them.

Separately, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (Unifil) said on Sunday evening that an Israeli army bulldozer had deliberately demolished an observation tower and perimeter fence at its position in Marwahin in southern Lebanon.

Unifil said in a statement: “Yet again, we remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times.”

Meanwhile, world powers are awaiting Israel’s retaliation against Iranian strikes on the Jewish state on 1 October that were launched in support of Tehran’s Lebanese ally. Late on Friday, it emerged that top-secret US documents that allegedly reveal details about Israel’s plans to attack Iran had been leaked and published online.

With Agence France-Presse and Reuters

The US government is investigating an unauthorised release of classified documents that assess Israel’s plans to attack Iran.

The US House speaker, Mike Johnson, confirmed the investigation in remarks to CNN’s State of the Union programme on Sunday, saying the leak was very concerning.

“There’s some serious allegations being made there,” the Republican from Louisiana said. “The investigation’s under way, and I’ll get a briefing on that in a couple of hours.”

A US official told the Associated Press the documents in question appeared to be legitimate, but the Guardian was not immediately able to verify their authenticity.

The documents are attributed to the US Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency. They are written in a style similar to documents previously leaked from the Pentagon, using classifications familiar to the national security community.

The first document has the title “Israel: air force continues preparations for strike on Iran and conducts a second large-force employment exercise” and the second “Israel: defense forces continue key munitions preparations and covert UAV activity almost certainly for a strike on Iran”. Both are dated 16 October and were first leaked a day later.

In general terms, they note that Israel was still positioning military assets as of the middle of last week to conduct a military strike in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack on 1 October.

Based on monitoring from satellite imagery and other geospatial intelligence, they focus on Israeli preparations relating to air-launched ballistic missiles, refuelling aircraft and covert long-range drone surveillance in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East.

That could imply that Israel was planning a long-range missile response to Iran’s attack, described at one point as similar to the long-range strikes it conducted against the Houthis in Yemen on 29 September.

It appears to reflect an effort by the US and its closest partners to independently monitor Israel’s plans to attack Iran, though they do not predict its scale or scope. No potential targets in Iran were mentioned in the documents.

The two documents appear to represent a snapshot in time, and are likely to represent the outcome of continuous monitoring. At one point, it is said there is no evidence that Israel is planning to use a nuclear weapon.

They refer to preparations to use long-range Rocks missiles, made by the Israeli company Rafael, which are designed to destroy targets above and below ground. Another ballistic system called Golden Horizon is also referred to, but no system of that name is publicly known.

Israeli media speculated that could refer to Blue Sparrow missiles, which have a range of about 1,200 miles (2,000km) and are thought to have been used in Israel’s limited strike against Iran in April in response to an previous attack by Tehran. Israel keeps elements of its long-range missile programme secret to avoid its enemies becoming fully aware of its capability.

Many elements in the two documents are described as shareable within the Five Eyes intelligence network made up of the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Others are marked as only shareable between the US and the UK.

The documents, which are marked top secret, were posted to the Telegram messaging app and first reported by CNN and Axios.

US officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly. The investigation was also examining how the documents were obtained – including whether it was an intentional leak by a member of the US intelligence community or obtained by another method, like a hack – and whether any other intelligence information was compromised, one of the officials said.

As part of that investigation, officials were working to determine who had access to the documents before they were posted, the official added.

The US has urged Israel to take advantage of its elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and press for a ceasefire in Gaza, and has likewise urgently cautioned Israel not to further expand military operations in the north in Lebanon and risk a wider regional war. However, Israel’s leadership has repeatedly stressed it will not let Iran’s missile attack go unanswered.

In a statement, the Pentagon said it was aware of the reports of the documents but did not have further comment.

Johnson on Sunday said he spoke with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu – referring to him as “my friend” – and explained how he had made it a point “to encourage him”. He also said there would be “a classified level briefing, and then others, but we’re following it closely”.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the leak of the two documents. Israeli security officials were expected to meet on Sunday evening.

The documents first appeared online Friday via a channel on Telegram, claiming they had been leaked by someone in the US intelligence community, then later the US Department of Defense. The information appeared entirely gathered through the use of satellite image analysis.

One of the two documents resembled the style of other material from the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency leaked by Jack Teixeira, an air national guardsman who pleaded guilty in March to leaking highly classified military documents about Russia’s war on Ukraine and other national security secrets.

Analytical intelligence documents have a wide distribution within the US national security apparatus, but the Pentagon has been engaged in an effort to clamp down on leaks by restricting them after Teixeira leaked dozens of slides on Discord, a social media site popular with gamers, in April 2023.

The Telegram channel involved in the leak identifies itself as being based in Tehran, Iran’s capital. It previously published memes featuring Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and material in support of Tehran’s self-described “axis of resistance”, which includes Middle East militant groups armed by the Islamic Republic.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Kamala Harris celebrated her 60th birthday on the campaign trail on Sunday while Donald Trump visited a McDonald’s and doubled down on his dangerous rhetoric labeling Democrats as “enemies from within,” as both candidates tried to shore up support in key states ahead of the US presidential election.

Harris rallied Black voters in Georgia on Sunday with “souls to the polls” visits to two community churches.

Harris’s comments to the congregation of the New Birth Missionary Baptist church in Atlanta focused on how religious experiences in her youth in Oakland, California, influenced her politics. Drawing on the parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke, the vice-president argued for policies that embrace compassion.

She said: “When we come across our brothers and sisters in need, let us, as the Good Samaritan, did see in the face of a stranger, a neighbor, and let us recognize that when we shine the light in moments of darkness, it will guide our feet into the path of peace.

“And let us remember that while weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning.”

She asked: “What kind of country do we want to live in – a country of chaos, fear and hate, or a country of freedom, compassion and justice?”

Harris added: “The great thing about living in a democracy is that we, the people, have the power to answer that question. So let us answer not just through our words, but through our actions and with our votes.”

Later in the day, Stevie Wonder joined Harris at a rally at the Divine Faith Ministries International in Jonesboro. And the vice-president spoke with the Rev Al Sharpton.

Asked by the civil rights leader about her support among men, and reports that Black men are pulling away from Harris’s campaign, the vice-president said: “There’s this narrative about what kind of support we are receiving from Black men that is just not panning out in reality.”

Trump, meanwhile, doubled down on his earlier comments that attacked Democrats as “the enemy from within”, this time specifically denouncing representatives Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff.

During an interview with Howard Kurtz on Fox News, broadcast on Sunday, the former president said that “radical left lunatics … the enemy from within … should be very easily handled, if necessary, by the national guard, or if really necessary, by the military” – before singling out Pelosi and Schiff.

Similar comments made by Trump in the past weeks have sparked widespread concern and raised fears of an authoritarian crackdown if he were to become president again. The Harris campaign was quick to respond to the new comments.

“Even in his Fox News safe space, Donald Trump cannot help but show himself as the unhinged, angry, unstable man that he is – focused on his own petty grievances and tired playbook of division,” Ammar Moussa, a Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson, wrote in an email.

“This is precisely why his handlers are hiding him from major mainstream interviews and refusing to let him debate again. They don’t want the country to see this candidate in decline,” he added.

Later in the day, the former president made a campaign stop at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, manning the fryer. The visit was meant to be a jab at Harris, who worked at the fast food chain when she was younger. Trump has frequently called that experience into question, without providing any evidence.

Trump spent most of his town hall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Sunday evening attacking immigrants coming into the US over the southern border, boasting about his harsh immigration policies during his presidency, and promising to increase fracking in the state.

Also taking the stage on Sunday was Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X who has thrown his weight behind Trump. At a town hall in Pittsburgh, Musk repeated false and fear-mongering claims, telling attendees “the constitution is literally under attack”. He then issued his second check for a million dollars to a signatory of his petition backing the first and second amendment.

Musk announced on Saturday that America Pac, his Trump-allied political action committee, will give $1m every day until the presidential election to someone who signs the petition.

The pledge appears to be a way to incentivize Republicans in battleground states to register to vote. But the legality of the scheme is unclear. Several legal experts said on Saturday the petition appeared to violate federal election laws that prohibits paying or offering to pay for someone to register to vote or actually vote under title 52 of the US code.

Meanwhile, Democratic governors from three states in the so-called “blue wall” delivered their closing pitches for Harris.

Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Tony Evers of Wisconsin and Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer barnstormed the Sunday morning political shows to talk up the vice-president’s policy agenda – and highlight differences with Trump, 16 days before an election that polls suggest is still on a knife edge.

“I don’t want to go back to Donald Trump when he was in charge of the country,” Shapiro told NBC’s Meet the Press.

“Remember the record? I know there’s still some people that have maybe a little brain fog, they don’t remember what it was like under Donald Trump. You had more chaos, you had less jobs, and you had a whole lot less freedom.

“I don’t think we want to go back to a time of chaos. I want a stable, strong leader, and that’s Kamala Harris.”

In Michigan, according to Whitmer, voters were comparing both candidates’ records ahead of the election.

“While this is going to be close, I’d much rather be playing our hand in theirs,” she said. “We got a better candidate. We’ve got receipts on the issues that matter to the American people, on the economy, individual rights, affordable housing, and we got a better ground game.”

Republicans appearing on the Sunday talk shows were trying to control the message after Trump’s extraordinary and vulgar rhetoric during a Saturday night rally in Pennsylvania, when he called Harris a “shit vice-president” and exalted the size of the late golfer Arnold Palmer’s penis.

The South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham lost his composure when questioned about it on NBC’s Meet the Press – and tried to pivot to two recent assassination attempts on Trump, both conducted by pro-Republican persons.

“When you talk about rhetoric, you gotta remember they tried to blow his head off,” Graham said. “And another guy tried to kill him … so I’m not overly impressed about the rhetoric game here.”

Graham also condemned Republican colleagues, including Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, as well as numerous ex-Trump administration officials who have denounced him and expressed support for Harris.

The House speaker, Mike Johnson, was more restrained – but equally as determined to avoid questions about Trump’s commentary in an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, suggesting that it was host Jake Tapper who was obsessed with talking about Palmer’s penis.

“The media can pick it apart, but people are going to vote what’s best for their family and they see that in Trump,” he said.

Early in-person voting is under way in numerous states, with voters in Georgia setting a first-day turnout record on Tuesday, even as polls have the candidates in a virtual dead heat.

It emerged Sunday that Harris has no plans to campaign with Joe Biden before election day on 5 November. “The most important role he can play is doing his job as president,” an anonymous White House official told NBC News, which said the decision was mutual following discussions between the campaign and Biden administration officials.

Hugo Lowell contributed reporting

Donald Trump visited a McDonald’s franchise in Pennsylvania on Sunday, working the drive-thru and manning the fryer while he answered questions from reporters. The former president took a moment to boast about his time in office and sarcastically congratulated Kamala Harris on her 60th birthday. “Maybe I’ll get her some fries,” Trump said.

The visit was meant to be a jab at opponent Harris, who worked at the fast food chain while at college. Trump has frequently called that experience into question, without providing any evidence.

Harris celebrated her birthday at two churches in Georgia, continuing her campaign’s “souls to the polls” push to reach Black voters through religious communities.

The Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Tim Walz, visited churches in Michigan and Minnesota while Donald Trump and backer Elon Musk held separate town halls in Pennsylvania. Both campaigns are focused on rallying support from voters in the battleground states, 16 days before an election that polls suggest is still on a knife-edge.

Here’s what else happened on Sunday:

Kamala Harris election news

• Kamala Harris celebrated her 60th birthday visiting two community churches in Georgia. The first congregation sang Happy Birthday as Harris took the stage, while Stevie Wonder joined Harris and sang Bob Marley’s Redemption Song at the second visit.

• Harris spoke about how religious experiences in her youth in Oakland, California, influenced her politics, addressing the congregation of the New Birth Missionary Baptist church in Atlanta. Drawing on the parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke, the vice-president argued for policies that embrace compassion. “What kind of country do we want to live in – a country of chaos, fear and hate, or a country of freedom, compassion and justice? … When we come across our brothers and sisters in need, let us, as the Good Samaritan did, see, in the face of a stranger, a neighbour.”

• Walz, attending a church service in Saginaw, Michigan, slammed Trump for selling branded Bibles. “We understand in our faith, the Bible is to be read and followed and absorbed. It’s not to be branded and sold for $59,” Walz said, telling the crowd he felt “pretty uncomfortable with this idea”.

• Harris is not planning to campaign with Joe Biden ahead of the election. The decision was mutual, anonymous Harris campaign and White House officials told NBC News. The president will instead help Harris by leveraging his longtime political relationships. “The most important role he can play is doing his job as president,” a White House official said.

• Harris sat down with the Rev Al Sharpton in a one-on-one interview in Atlanta on MSNBC’s PoliticsNation, where she discussed the latest polling suggesting a slide in her support from Black men. “This narrative about what kind of support we are receiving from Black men that is just not panning out in reality,” she said. “I must earn the vote of everyone regardless of their race or gender.”

Donald Trump election news

• Trump doubled down on his dangerous rhetoric labelling Democrats as “enemies from within” during an interview with Howard Kurtz on Fox News, broadcast on Sunday. The former president said that “radical left lunatics … the enemy from within … should be very easily handled, if necessary, by the national guard, or if really necessary, by the military”, before specifically denouncing representatives Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff. Similar comments made by Trump in the past weeks have sparked concern and raised fears of an authoritarian crackdown if he were to become president again.

• Trump repeated his statement that the January 6 attack on the Capitol was a “day of love” during the same interview with Fox News. Asked whether he was comfortable calling January 6 a “day of love”, Trump responded: “They came down to protest a rigged election … you have the right to protest in this country.” Earlier he had said “there was a beauty to it and a love to it”, repeating comments he made at a recent town hall in Miami.

• Trump held a town hall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, his second rally in the battleground state this weekend. The former ESPN anchor Sage Steele moderated as Trump took questions from the audience. Asked whether he would protect social security and Medicare benefits, Trump listed his priorities as “no tax on social security for our seniors, that’s a big deal … no tax on tips [and] no tax on overtime”.

Elsewhere on the campaign trail

• Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of X, hosted a town hall in Pittsburgh in support of Trump. In a short speech, Musk repeated false and fear-mongering claims, telling those attending that “the constitution is literally under attack”. Musk also discussed his aims to expedite government procedures and his promised role as “secretary of cost cutting” in a second Trump administration. “I’d like to say it’s a hard job, but it’s not,” he said.

• Musk also issued his second check for a million dollars to a signatory to his petition that encourages Republicans in key states to register to vote. The tech mogul, who is worth an estimated $247bn, on Saturday pledged to give $1m each day to someone who signs a petition backing the first and second amendments.

Read more about the 2024 US election:

• Presidential poll tracker

• Harris and Trump policies

• What to know about early voting

Elon Musk said on Saturday that America Pac, the Donald Trump-allied political action committee he founded, will give $1m every day until the presidential election to someone who signs his petition that appears to be a way to incentivize Republicans in battleground states to register to vote.

“We are going to be awarding $1m randomly to people who have signed the petition,” Musk said at a town hall event in Pennsylvania. “One of the challenges we’re having is how do we get the public to know about this petition because the legacy media won’t report on it.”

“I figured, so how do we get people to know about it? I think this news will really fly. So every day between now and the election we will be awarding $1m, starting tonight,” Musk said, before presenting an oversized lottery-style check to the first winner of the prize draw.

The petition asks people to pledge their support for the first and second amendments, but the small print says that to be eligible for any of the monetary awards, signers need to be registered voters in the key battleground states.

In doing so, the petition appears to be designed to principally push Trump voters to register to vote in the presidential election so that they can be in the running for the $1m prize. Signing the petition is also now a prerequisite to attend Musk’s town hall events.

The legality of the America Pac $1m prize draw is unclear, and a justice department spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

But several legal experts said on Saturday the petition appeared to violate federal election laws that prohibits paying or offering to pay for someone to register to vote or actually vote under title 52 of the US code.

According to the justice department’s election crimes manual, for an offer of payment to violate federal election law, it must have been intended to induce or reward the prospective voter for engaging in one or more acts necessary to cast a ballot.

The election crimes manual distinguishes between making it easier for people to vote, such as offering free rides to a polling station, and inducing people to vote, which is unlawful.

UCLA law professor Rick Hasen said in his blog that the America Pac $1m prize draw appears to be an illegal scheme because it offered the payments to registered voters.

“Though maybe some of the other things Musk was doing were of murky legality, this one is clearly illegal,” he wrote.

King Charles was heckled by an Indigenous Australian senator, calling for treaty and accusing the crown of stealing Aboriginal land, as he concluded a speech at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday.

Charles, who is on a five-day visit to Australia with Queen Camilla addressed MPs and senators in the Great Hall of Parliament House, a key moment of his inaugural visit to Australia as monarch.

As he finished the speech, which took in his time as a school student in Australia, the Covid pandemic, and Australia’s vulnerability to climate change, Lidia Thorpe, an independent senator from Victoria, approached the stage, yelling “this is not your country”.

“You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people,” shouted Thorpe, who is a fiercely outspoken advocate for Indigenous rights.

“You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty in this country. You are a genocidalist. This is not your land. This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king.”

As security officers escorted her back to the door, she shouted: “This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king.”

As she left the hall and was forced back into the foyer, Thorpe, who was dressed in a long possum skin coat, could be heard shouting: “fuck the colony.”

Charles turned to prime minister Anthony Albanese and talked quietly on the podium as security moved to prevent Thorpe approaching the monarch.

Earlier, as she waited among the invited guests inside the Great Hall before the royal couple entered, Thorpe turned her back on a large video screen when it showed King Charles standing to attention outside during the official welcome and the playing of the national anthem.

Before his speech, Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton welcomed Charles and Camilla to Parliament House, thanking them for standing with Australians in good times and bad.

Albanese called it honour of his life to have led the Australian delegation attending the King’s coronation and praised the King’s engagement on issues including climate change and reconciliation.

“You have shown great respect for Australians, even during times where we’ve debated the future of our own constitutional arrangements and the nature of our relationship with the Crown,” Albanese said. “Nothing stands still.”

Earlier today, Thorpe released a statement arguing that Australia should become a republic and establish a treaty with First Nations people as part of that process.

She said in a statement there was “unfinished business that we need to resolve before this country can become a republic”.

“As First Peoples, we never ceded our Sovereignty over this land. The Crown invaded this country, has not sought treaty with First Peoples, and committed a genocide of our people. King Charles is not the legitimate Sovereign of these lands. Any move towards a republic must not continue this injustice. Treaty must play a central role in establishing an independent nation.”

Regarding the matter, a spokesperson for the Australian Capital Territory police said: “This morning, police spoke to a protest group near the Australian War Memorial. The group was directed to move on from the area and they complied with that direction. No arrests were made and police consider the matter finalised.”

King Charles was heckled by an Indigenous Australian senator, calling for treaty and accusing the crown of stealing Aboriginal land, as he concluded a speech at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday.

Charles, who is on a five-day visit to Australia with Queen Camilla addressed MPs and senators in the Great Hall of Parliament House, a key moment of his inaugural visit to Australia as monarch.

As he finished the speech, which took in his time as a school student in Australia, the Covid pandemic, and Australia’s vulnerability to climate change, Lidia Thorpe, an independent senator from Victoria, approached the stage, yelling “this is not your country”.

“You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people,” shouted Thorpe, who is a fiercely outspoken advocate for Indigenous rights.

“You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty in this country. You are a genocidalist. This is not your land. This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king.”

As security officers escorted her back to the door, she shouted: “This is not your land. You are not my king. You are not our king.”

As she left the hall and was forced back into the foyer, Thorpe, who was dressed in a long possum skin coat, could be heard shouting: “fuck the colony.”

Charles turned to prime minister Anthony Albanese and talked quietly on the podium as security moved to prevent Thorpe approaching the monarch.

Earlier, as she waited among the invited guests inside the Great Hall before the royal couple entered, Thorpe turned her back on a large video screen when it showed King Charles standing to attention outside during the official welcome and the playing of the national anthem.

Before his speech, Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton welcomed Charles and Camilla to Parliament House, thanking them for standing with Australians in good times and bad.

Albanese called it honour of his life to have led the Australian delegation attending the King’s coronation and praised the King’s engagement on issues including climate change and reconciliation.

“You have shown great respect for Australians, even during times where we’ve debated the future of our own constitutional arrangements and the nature of our relationship with the Crown,” Albanese said. “Nothing stands still.”

Earlier today, Thorpe released a statement arguing that Australia should become a republic and establish a treaty with First Nations people as part of that process.

She said in a statement there was “unfinished business that we need to resolve before this country can become a republic”.

“As First Peoples, we never ceded our Sovereignty over this land. The Crown invaded this country, has not sought treaty with First Peoples, and committed a genocide of our people. King Charles is not the legitimate Sovereign of these lands. Any move towards a republic must not continue this injustice. Treaty must play a central role in establishing an independent nation.”

Regarding the matter, a spokesperson for the Australian Capital Territory police said: “This morning, police spoke to a protest group near the Australian War Memorial. The group was directed to move on from the area and they complied with that direction. No arrests were made and police consider the matter finalised.”

Dusk has become a particularly frenetic time in Havana, as Cuba prepared for a third night without electricity after repeated failed attempts to restart the national grid.

Long queues formed for bread in the capital earlier in the day. The previous night, people had emerged from humid homes to search for food, drink, news. “What’s the point of staying at home?” asked Alejandro Hernandez outside a bar in the neighbourhood of Vedado.

Throughout Sunday, much of the island started to receive electricity again, but in the late afternoon there was another collapse in power, as had been the case each night over the weekend.

Jokes, a staple of Cubans’ increasingly difficult lives, are growing more acid. “Turn the Morro back on,” people say of Havana’s lighthouse. “We haven’t all left yet.” The island has lost over 10% of its population in the last two years to emigration, well more than 1 million people.

It has become dangerous to walk the streets at night but not because of violence, rather the crumbling pavements and open drains.

The problem is that the Cuban government has run out of money. This has made power cuts of up to 20 hours a day a regular experience across the island, as the state struggles to buy enough fuel on the global markets for its five main thermoelectric power plants.

The lack of money has led to water shortages as pumps and pipes fail, rubbish piling up on street corners as collections are cut, and hunger as food prices soar.

Cuba blames its six-decade long embargo by the US for its penurious state, what Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuba’s president, calls “ the cruellest blockade”. On Sunday night he said: “We have not had stable fuel supplies so that the system can operate at its full capacity and with all its stability.” Others, such as the respected economist Pedro Monreal, contest this, asserting that one of the world’s last centrally planned communist states has moved from sclerotic to moribund. “It is a bankruptcy caused by internal decisions,” he wrote online.

But it was a call made by the government on Thursday for all nonessential workers in its vast bureaucracy to go home and save energy that heralded this latest crisis, one unprecedented except in times when the island receives direct hit from hurricanes.

The move did not save the electrical grid, which collapsed just after 11am on Friday. The main generating station, in Matanzas, went offline. Only those who had personal generators had light.

Since then repeated attempts by Cuba’s Union Electrica to get the grid up and running have failed. Light would appear in certain neighbourhoods, often around hospitals. But then, on Saturday at 6am and again at 10pm, the electricity went out across swathes of the country with an unnerving thump.

At 4.30pm on Sunday, the system collapsed again.

As engineers try to restore the system, the hardest-hit area has been Cuba’s west, including Havana. This has come as a shock to residents as the city has traditionally been saved from the worst, the government fearing protests. In July 2021, Cuba suffered its worst protests in memory as a demonstration against power cuts in a town west of Havana spread.

In a Caribbean country struggling to feed itself, power cuts can be particularly terrible. Without fans, night-time temperatures can keep people from sleeping, and a lack of electricity means food goes off in refrigerators. People are phoning family and friends to ask them if they have anywhere to store the small rations of meat the state gives to the most vulnerable.

During this latest crisis, the government has tried to keep the population informed. Leading figures in the government announced the initial collapse of the electricity system on X. That led to worldwide headlines, confounding an already ailing tourism industry, one of the state’s main sources of foreign funds.

A photograph was released on a government media channel showing Díaz Canel and his team standing behind two technicians in the office of the National Electricity Office. To one side was Ramiro Valdés, a former vice-president, now 92.

All five of the country’s main plants are close to half a century old. According to Jorge Piñon, an expert on Cuba’s power system at the university of Texas, they are far beyond their planned lifespans.

Manuel Marrero, Cuba’s prime minister, has called for a shift to renewables and for the country’s growing private sector to pay more for the power it uses.

Despite the government’s messages that its technicians are working “incessantly”, comments under articles in CubaDebate, a state media outlet, show people’s anger. “This shouldn’t happen,” wrote a resident of Plaza, the neighbourhood of Havana named after the Plaza de la Revolucion. “Millions of people without electricity or water. What are all the explanations worth?”

On Saturday night, long after dusk, the streets of the Havana neighbourhood of Vedado were all but empty. The few people out were rushing home, only two members of an army patrol sauntering slowly.

• Russian strikes on Kharkiv wounded nine people and cut power to part of the city, local officials and police said late on Sunday. Among the targets were residential buildings, garages, service stations, houses and cars. Kharkiv, the main city of the north-east Ukrainian region of the same name, is a regular target of Russian strikes. It lies less than 30km (19 miles) from the Russian border.

• Ukraine’s air defence units were engaged soon after midnight on Monday in repelling a Russian air attack targeting Kyiv, said the mayor, Vitali Klitschko, urging people to “stay in shelters”.

• Ukraine struck a manufacturer of military explosives deep inside Russian territory as well as storage infrastructure at the Lipetsk-2 military airfield in the region of the same name, Kyiv’s general staff said on Sunday. The Ukrainian armed forces said there were explosions after a strike on the Sverdlov plant in the city of Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod region, where chemicals for artillery ammunition and bombs are produced and bombs stored, the report said. The plan is about 400km (250 miles) east of Moscow. Russian war bloggers also reported the attacks.

• Russia said its air defence units downed 110 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, including one over the Moscow region, 43 over Kursk, and 27 over Lipetsk. The Moscow mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said debris fell in the Ramensky district of Moscow region without damage or casualties – though Russian officials often do not disclose the full extent of damage, if any.

• Russian forces have fought street-to-street battles with Ukrainian troops in the outskirts of the eastern Ukrainian town of Selydove, according to pro-Russian bloggers. Selydove is south-east of the Donetsk city of Pokrovsk, which Russian forces are pushing hard to capture. The Ukrainian military general staff, in a late evening report on Sunday, said Ukrainian forces had repelled 41 Russian attacks around several towns and villages, including Selydove, and several battles continued.

• The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Russia had launched about 800 guided aerial bombs and more than 500 attack drones over Ukraine in the past week alone. “Every day, Russia strikes our cities and communities. It is deliberate terror from the enemy against our people,” he said, renewing calls for continued air support from the country’s allies. “United in defence, the world can stand against this targeted terror.”

• Zelenskyy said on Sunday he was seeking a strong reaction from countries that have acknowledged North Korea is becoming more involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Zelenskyy said there was ample satellite and video evidence that North Korea was sending not only equipment to Russia, but also soldiers to be prepared for deployment. “We expect a normal, honest, strong reaction from our partners on this.”

• Zelenskiy last week accused North Korea of deploying officers to Russia and preparing to send thousands of troops into the war. Involvement of North Korean regular troops would be a serious escalation of the war, France and Ukraine’s foreign ministers said at a joint press conference in Kyiv on Saturday. South Korea’s spy agency said on Friday that North Korea had sent 1,500 special forces troops to Russia’s far east for training. The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, said on Saturday that he could not confirm reports North Korea had sent troops to Russia ahead of a possible deployment, but said such a move would be concerning if true. The Nato chief, Mark Rutte, said on Thursday there was no evidence yet of Pyongyang’s presence.

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on Sunday cancelled his trip to Russia for the Brics summit after a fall at home caused a minor brain haemorrhage.

In a statement, the presidential office said Lula, 78, would participate via videoconference after receiving medical advice to temporarily avoid long-haul flights. He was initially scheduled to depart at 5pm on Sunday.

Lula’s doctor, Roberto Kalil, said in an interview with GloboNews TV channel that the president had a fall that caused “great” trauma to the back of his head, requiring stitches and resulting in a “small brain haemorrhage” in the temporal-frontal region.

“It’s a condition that will require repeat tests throughout the week. Any brain haemorrhage, theoretically, can worsen in the following days, so observation is important,” Kalil said, adding that Lula was doing well and could engage in normal activities.

According to a medical report issued earlier on Sunday by the Sirio Libanes hospital in Brasília, Lula suffered a laceration to the “occipital region” of the back of his head on Saturday.

The report said Lula “was advised to avoid long-distance air travel but is otherwise able to carry out his regular duties”.

The government announced that Mauro Vieira, the foreign minister, was designated to lead the Brazilian delegation to the Brics summit, departing on Sunday.

Gleisi Hoffmann, a congresswoman and president of Lula’s Workers party, said she had spoken with the president and that “he is doing very well, just avoiding a long trip”.

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on Sunday cancelled his trip to Russia for the Brics summit after a fall at home caused a minor brain haemorrhage.

In a statement, the presidential office said Lula, 78, would participate via videoconference after receiving medical advice to temporarily avoid long-haul flights. He was initially scheduled to depart at 5pm on Sunday.

Lula’s doctor, Roberto Kalil, said in an interview with GloboNews TV channel that the president had a fall that caused “great” trauma to the back of his head, requiring stitches and resulting in a “small brain haemorrhage” in the temporal-frontal region.

“It’s a condition that will require repeat tests throughout the week. Any brain haemorrhage, theoretically, can worsen in the following days, so observation is important,” Kalil said, adding that Lula was doing well and could engage in normal activities.

According to a medical report issued earlier on Sunday by the Sirio Libanes hospital in Brasília, Lula suffered a laceration to the “occipital region” of the back of his head on Saturday.

The report said Lula “was advised to avoid long-distance air travel but is otherwise able to carry out his regular duties”.

The government announced that Mauro Vieira, the foreign minister, was designated to lead the Brazilian delegation to the Brics summit, departing on Sunday.

Gleisi Hoffmann, a congresswoman and president of Lula’s Workers party, said she had spoken with the president and that “he is doing very well, just avoiding a long trip”.

Tributes have poured in for the Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy after he revealed he had received a terminal cancer diagnosis.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Hoy, who won six golds and one silver medal for Team GB, said doctors had told him he had between two and four years to live.

While Hoy, 48, had said earlier this year he had been receiving treatment for cancer, he did not say which type, but he told the Sunday Times he had been diagnosed with primary cancer in his prostate, which had spread to his bones.

His wife, Sarra, has also been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease. The couple have two children, Chloe and Callum.

“As unnatural as it feels, this is nature,” Hoy told the Sunday Times. “You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process. You remind yourself, aren’t I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will fend this off for as long as possible.”

“Hand on heart, I’m pretty positive most of the time and I have genuine happiness,” he added. “This is bigger than the Olympics. It’s bigger than anything. This is about appreciating life and finding joy.”

Hoy made no reference to his personal news as he presented from the Track Cycling World Championships on the BBC on Sunday afternoon.

After the publication of the article, social media platforms have been full of tributes and support from friends and well-wishers.

“You’re incredible Chris, sending much love and strength,” the Olympic gold medallist Sally Gunnell said.

The television pundit and ex-footballer Ally McCoist wrote: “You, my friend are a superstar in every sense of the word. Love and strength from all of us.”

The Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish called Hoy a “hero of a human being”.

The Edinburgh-born athlete has been credited with playing a key role in making British Cycling a success.

Hoy shared a picture on Instagram from the World Track Cycling championships in Copenhagen, and wrote: “You may see in the news this weekend some articles about my health, so I just wanted to reassure you all that I’m feeling fit, strong and positive, and overwhelmed by all the love and support shown to my family and me. Onwards!”

“Such sad news,” the prime minister, Keir Starmer, wrote on X. “Chris is a British sporting legend. To face his diagnosis with such positivity is inspiring. The whole country is behind him and his family.”

The UK health secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “I’m in awe that Chris Hoy is meeting his cancer with the same positivity and resilience that has defined his life and career. The whole country will be cheering him on as we have done so many times before and sending him and his family so much love.”

“I send every good wish to Sir Chris Hoy and his family,” the Scottish first minister, John Swinney, wrote. “He has always inspired us by all that he has done. He is a person of incredible courage and that shines through today.”

“Chris Hoy is one of the finest to ever represent our country,” said the Olympic rower Matthew Pinsent. “Thoughts with him, Sarra and his immediate family.”

“An article to stop you in your tracks,” the football commentator Jacqui Oatley posted. “Devastating to read the diagnosis of Sir Chris Hoy as well as that of his wife, Sarra. Life can be so cruel. But the class and humility with which he tells this story is truly humbling.”

“Blown away by the resilience and determination of Sir Chris Hoy this morning,” the television presenter Dan Walker said. “Shortly after being told that he has between 2-4 years to live because of his terminal cancer … his lovely wife, Sarra, was diagnosed with MS. The man remains an incredible inspiration. Sending love to the whole family.”

Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), for which Hoy is an ambassador, said it would support him and his family “every step of the way”.

Billy Watson, the charity’s chief executive, described Hoy as “one of the most remarkable and inspiring people that I have the pleasure to know”, adding: “It is his simple decency, his love for his family, and his desire to create positive change for others that makes him who he is.

“His commitment to improving Scotland’s mental health remains as strong as ever and we will stand with him and his family every step of the way.”

Leaked WhatsApp messages from the former Newcastle United minority co-owner Amanda Staveley suggest that Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, was heavily involved in the takeover of the club, it was reported on Sunday.

Staveley, who stepped down from Newcastle’s board in July after selling her shares, brokered the £305m deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), helping it over the line in October 2021 after the Premier League received legally binding assurances of the separation of the Saudi state and the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.

Given that Bin Salman is the chairman of PIF that raised eyebrows and on Sunday the Telegraph published messages which suggested he was the key catalyst behind the purchase from the British retail tycoon Mike Ashley and spotlighted the extent of the UK government’s involvement.

In one reported message Staveley cautions Ashley’s camp that “the Crown Prince is losing patience” and another refers to attempts being made to “convince the Crown Prince not to pull out”. In another she writes: “The UK Saudi ambassador spoke to the Crown Prince this morning.”

The Premier League sought assurances that the PIF was separate from the Saudi state. Although foreign states are not banned from owning Premier League clubs the kingdom’s human rights record prompted serious misgivings about Saudi owners. A CIA report concluded that Bin Salman approved the murder of the Washington Post journalist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018. The crown prince has denied personal involvement.

Staveley told the Telegraph through her lawyers that she had referenced Bin Salman only in his capacity as chairman of PIF and that to suggest her messages cast doubt on whether the assurances about the PIF’s independence from the Saudi state have been adhered to “is as illogical as it is misconceived”.

In October 2021, the Premier League said it had “received legally binding assurances that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control Newcastle United Football Club” and Staveley described PIF as “an autonomous commercially driven investment fund”. The Premier League, which declined to comment to the Telegraph, has been contacted by the Guardian for comment.

In response to the Telegraph report a spokesman for PIF said: “In October 2021, following a lengthy investigation, the Premier League announced that the sale of Newcastle United had completed following the receipt of assurances that the government of Saudi Arabia would not control the club. The facts and circumstances that underpin those assurances, as confirmed at the time to the Premier League, remain unchanged.”

Staveley said in October 2021 that the PIF was “an autonomous, commercially driven investment fund”. She said in response to the leaked WhatsApp messages she was “entirely confident” its assurances had been adhered to.

Staveley initially held a 10% stake in Newcastle. PIF now controls 85% and the property developers Reuben Brothers hold the remaining 15%.

Staveley had long wanted a stake in Newcastle and needed backers to achieve that aim. A major breakthrough happened when she secured an invitation to meet Yasir al-Rumayyan, the governor of PIF and now Newcastle chairman, on Bin Salman’s yacht Serene in the Red Sea in 2019.

The Guardian reported in 2022 that the UK government had made extensive efforts to facilitate the Saudi Arabian takeover of Newcastle. Staveley was reported by the Telegraph to have sent a message to Ashley’s team in October 2020 saying: “No 10 can’t get further involved than what they have done to date. Gerry [Lord Grimstone, the then UK minister for investment] said that they pushed behind the scenes and made it very clear that their preference is for the deal to go ahead, they are obviously very aware of the damage this has caused and the repercussions for future investment.”

Grimstone told the Telegraph he kept abreast of large potential UK investments in his former capacity as investment minister. He said: “I made it very clear to Mr Hoffman [Gary Hoffman, the then Premier League chairman] that my only role was to facilitate the passing of ideas between the PIF and Premier League and that in no way did I seek to prejudice the Premier League’s complete autonomy in this matter.”

Two crew members who were missing following the crash of a fighter jet in mountainous terrain in Washington during a routine training flight have been declared dead, the US navy said on Sunday.

The EA-18G Growler jet from the Electronic Attack Squadron crashed east of Mount Rainier on Tuesday afternoon, according to navy officials. Search teams, including a US navy MH-60S helicopter, launched from the air station to try to find the crew and crash site.

Special forces soldiers trained in mountaineering, high-angle rescue and technical communications were brought in to reach the wreckage, which was located on Wednesday by an aerial crew resting at about 6,000ft (1,828m) in a remote, steep and heavily wooded area east of Mount Rainier, officials said.

The aviators’ names will not be released until a day after their next of kin have been notified, the navy said in a statement on Sunday, adding that search and rescue efforts have shifted into a long-term salvage and recovery operation as the cause of the crash is still being investigated.

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the loss of two beloved Zappers,” said Timothy Warburton, commanding officer of the aviators’ Electronic Attack Squadron.

“Our priority right now is taking care of the families of our fallen aviators. We are grateful for the ongoing teamwork to safely recover the deceased.”

Locating the missing crew members “as quickly and as safely as possible” had been top priority, Capt David Ganci, commander, Electronic Attack Wing, US Pacific Fleet, said on Thursday.

The search took place near Mount Rainier, a towering active volcano that is blanketed in snowfields and glaciers year-round.

Military aircraft training exercises can be dangerous and sometimes result in crashes, injuries and deaths.

In May, an F-35 fighter jet on its way from Texas to Edwards base near Los Angeles crashed after the pilot stopped to refuel in New Mexico. The pilot was the only person on board in that case and was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

Last year, eight US air force service members were killed when a CV-22B Osprey aircraft they were flying in crashed off the coast of Japan.

A children’s soft play centre has removed its hanging “body bag” Halloween decorations after concerns were raised by parents.

Rugrats and Halfpints in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, has apologised over the objects resembling human corpses covered in black plastic.

Some appeared to be wrapped with tape bearing the words “caution” and “danger” and were hanging upside down from poles adjoining one of the soft play structures, according to pictures posted online.

One parent who took her daughter to the indoor play park in the Cotswolds on Sunday said she did a “double take” when she spotted the decorations. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told Sky News: “The body bags were at the back which can’t be seen from the cafe area, only by kids inside. “When I saw them I did a double take – surely that can’t be what I think it is? I just didn’t want to have to explain to my kid what they were.

“I spoke to some other parents after who were as shocked as I was that it was deemed appropriate. It’s a great soft play, but that did shock me a bit.”

A spokesperson for the centre told Sky News: “This is the first time someone has brought it to our attention so of course due to this we will take them down immediately. It wasn’t to cause distress and we apologise this is how they have felt.”

The centre’s website says it is “committed to providing a safe, clean and stimulating environment, with the emphasis on fun”, with prices ranging from £5.75 up to £11.75 per child. It offers parents “a variety of different play areas and entertainment for your kids to get stuck in while you can enjoy our on-site cafe”.