Comedian Jon Harvey, who plays the Count, was seen mocking Lord Buckethead, making a thumbs down behind his back and shouting ‘Fake news’.
Political rivals Lord Buckethead and Count Binface have clashed in the Prime Minister’s constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
With Boris Johnson not expected to appear in Uxbridge for some time, it was left to the fringe candidates to take centre stage as the election count got under way.
Independent Count Binface told the PA news agency: “If I get a big fat zero that would be a record.
“I wouldn’t mind it.”
Comedian Jon Harvey, who plays the Count, was seen mocking Lord Buckethead – making a thumbs down behind his back, shouting “Fake news” and singing the American national anthem.
Mr Harvey previously ran as Lord Buckethead in Theresa May’s constituency in 2017, but cited “an unpleasant battle on the planet Copyright” as the reason behind the switch to Count Binface.
Candidate Count Binface waits for the result at the Prime Minister’s Uxbridge & Ruislip South constituency (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
A different person has donned the Lord Buckethead costume, and the two were seen clashing at the count.
When asked to stand together for a photo, Lord Buckethead said: “We are going to violate some serious intergalactic treaties.”
Count Binface has been critical of the Prime Minister on a number of issues, including “his get-Brexit-oven-ready-microwave nonsense”, but he did promise to treat the Tory leader with respect should he meet him.
Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.
TRUMP-HUSH MONEY — Donald Trump is held in contempt of court and fined $9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. The judge warned that Trump could be jailed. By Michael R. Sisak, Jennifer Peltz, Jake Offenhartz and Colleen Long. SENT: 830 words, photo. WITH: TRUMP-HUSH MONEY-TAKEAWAYS — Prosecutors are filling in the details of how they say Trump pulled off a scheme to bury damaging stories to protect his 2016 campaign (sent).
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to launch an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering from the almost 7-month-long war. By Tia Goldenberg and Matthew Lee. SENT: 890 words, photos, video. WITH: ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-RAFAH-EXPLAINER — Why Israel is so determined to launch an offensive in Rafah. And why so many oppose it. SENT: 860 words, photos, audio.
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS — Standoffs between pro-Palestinian protesters and U.S. college administrators appear to be coming to a head. Columbia University in New York limited campus access after protesters took over a building early Tuesday. The school promised that they would face expulsion. Police moved to clear an encampment at Yale University in Connecticut. By Cedar Attanasio, Jake Offenhartz and Jonathan Mattise. SENT: 1,150 words, photos, videos, audio. WITH: ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS-GLANCE; CONGRESS-CAMPUS PROTESTS — House Republicans are investigating the federal funding for universities where students have protested the Israel-Hamas war (both sent).
CONGRESS-SPEAKER — House Democrats will vote to save Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s job should some of his fellow Republican lawmakers seek to remove him from the position, likely assuring for now that Johnson will avoid being ousted from office like his predecessor, former Rep. Kevin McCarthy. By Kevin Freking. SENT: 890 words, photos.
RECLASSIFYING MARIJUANA — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The DEA’s proposal would recognize the medical use of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than other drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana. By Zeke Miller, Joshua Goodman, Jim Mustian and Lindsay Whitehurst. SENT: 740 words, photo. With RECLASSIFYING MARIJUANA-EXPLAINER — What happens next? (sent); ELECTION 2024-RECLASSIFYING MARIJUANA — President Biden’s move to reclassify marijuana marks his latest election-year appeal to young voters. UPCOMING: 640 words, photos by 7 p.m.
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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
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MIDEAST-TENSIONS — A Portuguese-flagged container ship has come under attack by a drone in the far reaches of the Arabian Sea. That corresponds with a claim early Tuesday by Yemen’s Houthi rebels that they assaulted the ship there. The attack on the MSC Orion, occurring some 600 kilometers or 375 miles off the coast of Yemen, appeared to be the first confirmed deep-sea assault claimed by the Houthis since they began targeting ships in November. SENT: 710 words, photo.
WORLD-COURT-GAZA-NICARAGUA-GERMANY — The top U.N. court rejected on Tuesday a request by Nicaragua to order Germany to halt military and other aid to Israel and renew funding to the U.N. aid agency in Gaza. SENT: 800 words, photos.
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-AID PORT-EXPLAINER -- The U.S. and allies are scrambling to pull together a complex system that will move tons of humanitarian aid into Gaza by sea. Nearly two months after President Joe Biden gave the order, U.S. Army and Navy troops are assembling the large floating platform several miles off the Gaza coast that will be the launching pad for deliveries. SENT: 1,140 words, photo, video, audio.
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MORE NEWS
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BIRD-FLU-GROUND-BEEF-TESTING — The USDA is testing ground beef for bird flu. Experts are confident the meat supply is safe. SENT: 260 words, photo.
BRITAIN-KING-CHARLES — King Charles III returns to public duties with a trip to a cancer charity. SENT: 260 words, photo.
WALMART-STORE-FOOD-LABEL -- Walmart is launching its biggest store-label food brand in 20 years in terms of its breadth of items. It’s an attempt to appeal to younger customers who are not brand loyal. SENT: 210 words, photo.
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WASHINGTON/ POLITICS
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EDUCATION-TITLE IX — Another six Republican states are piling on to challenge the Biden administration’s newly expanded campus sexual assault rules, saying they overstep the president’s authority and undermine the Title IX anti-discrimination law. SENT: 580 words, photo.
ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-ABORTION — Donald Trump tells Time magazine it should be left up to the states whether they want to prosecute women for getting abortions or whether to monitor their pregnancies. SENT: 840 words, photo. WITH: ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-IMMIGRATION — Trump says he’ll use the National Guard as part of efforts to deport millions of migrants if he’s reelected (sent).
ELECTION 2024-FLORIDA-YOUNG VOTERS — Democrats believe young Florida voters will come to the polls in November because of the abortion and marijuana measures on the ballot. If they do, President Joe Biden will likely get their support even though many are lukewarm to a second term for him. SENT: 1,030 words, photos, video.
Find the AP’s latest Election 2024 coverage plans, including live video and text plans, our explanatory journalism and highlights from previous cycles and candidate schedules in The Daily Rundown, which publishes around 8 a.m. Monday through Friday.
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NATIONAL
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REL-DISUNITED-METHODISTS — United Methodist delegates have begun making historic policy changes on sexuality, voting without debate to reverse a series of anti-LGBTQ polices. The delegates voted to delete mandatory penalties for clergy conducting same-sex marriages. They also removed their denomination’s bans on considering LGBTQ candidates for ministry and on funding for gay-friendly ministries SENT: 790 words, photos.
OFFICERS-SHOT-CHARLOTTE — Police in North Carolina say they’re still sorting out how four officers were killed and four others wounded in suburban Charlotte on Monday. But they know the officers were at a disadvantage when immediately faced with gunfire from an upstairs position inside a home. A task force made up of state, federal and local officers were trying to arrest a man for a gun crime. SENT: 730 words, photos, video, audio.
CLIMATE-CHANGE-FLORIDA — Florida, perhaps the most vulnerable state to sea-level rise and extreme weather, is on the verge of repealing what’s left of a 16-year-old law that lists climate change as a priority when making energy policy decisions. Instead, the state would make energy affordability and availability its main focus. SENT: 620 words, photo.
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INTERNATIONAL
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ARGENTINA-CONFRONTING-CONGRESS-EXPLAINER -- Argentine lawmakers and protestors are converging on downtown Buenos Aires as the lower house debates the cornerstone of President Javier Milei’s legislative agenda. Milei is hoping to push through a key part of his ambitious plan to overhaul the Argentine state. But he has run into resistance from Argentina’s combustible Congress, powerful unions and disgruntled governors. SENT: 950 words, photos, video.
CHINA-SCIENTIST-PROTEST — The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China staged a sit-in protest outside his lab after authorities locked him out of the facility — a sign of Beijing’s continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus. SENT: 690 words, photos, audio.
WORLD COURT-MEXICO-ECUADOR — Mexico has accused Ecuador of a violation of international law before the top U.N. court, asserting that there was no legal defense for storming the Mexican Embassy in Quito to arrest a former vice president who had just been granted asylum in Mexico. SENT: 500 words, photos, video.
HAITI — Haiti’s newly installed transitional council chose former Sports Minister Fritz Belizaire as the country’s prime minister Tuesday as it presses forward in its monumental task of trying to establish a stable new government amid stifling violence. SENT: 770 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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MED-MAMMOGRAMS-EXPLAINER -- Regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer should start younger — at age 40. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced the updated guidance. It also says women ages 40 to 74 should get screened every other year. Previously, it said women could choose to start breast cancer screening as young as 40, with a stronger recommendation that women get the exams every two years starting at age 50. SENT: 630 words, photo, audio.
MED-DRUG-PATENTS — Federal regulators are challenging patents on 20 brand-name drugs, including the blockbuster weight-loss injection Ozempic, in the latest effort by the Biden administration targeting pharmaceutical industry practices that drive up prices. SENT: 340 words, photo.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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TONY AWARD-NOMINATIONS — Two Broadway shows celebrating the origins of sonic creativity — the musical “Hell’s Kitchen” fueled by Alicia Keys songs, and the play “Stereophonic” about a ’70s rock band at the edge of stardom — each earned a leading 13 Tony Award nominations. The list also saw a record number of women nominated for best director. A total of 28 shows earned a Tony nod or more, with the musical “The Outsiders,” an adaptation of the beloved S. E. Hinton novel and the Francis Ford Coppola film, earning 12 nominations, and a starry revival of “Cabaret” starring Eddie Redmayne, nabbing nine. The Tonys are set for June 16. By Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT: 1,210 words, photos, video. WITH: TONY-NOMINATIONS-LIST. WITH: ENT-TONY-AWARDS-NOMINATIONS-REACTION -- Alicia Keys, Brian d’Arcy James, Daniel Radcliffe and more react to earning Tony Award nomination (sent).
FILM-SUMMER-MOVIE-PREVIEW-BREAKOUTS — A breakout moment in Hollywood can happen at any age and stage. This summer at the movies, there are plenty of talents to discover. They include: the formerly incarcerated Clarence Maclin who plays himself in “Sing Sing” and the British actor who played Eddie in “Stranger Things” and is now leading the “Quiet Place” prequel. SENT: 1,300 words, photos,
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SPORTS
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BKN--76ERS-KNICKS — The New York Knicks can advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight season with a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 of their series. By AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game scheduled at 7 p.m.
BKN--PACERS-BUCKS — The Indiana Pacers attempt to clinch their first playoff series victory since 2014 as they visit the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5. The Pacers lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 after winning three straight games. By Steve Megargee. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game scheduled at 9:30 p.m.
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HOW TO REACH US
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