Ben Stiller stands at an average height but he has found out ways to look taller beside his co-stars

By Jason Lange WASHINGTON The U.S. government could fall behind on its bills next month - and even

Curtis “Cousin Eddie” Smith has claimed that Alex Murdaugh made a bombshell confession about his wife and son’s murders before orchestrating the now-infamous botched hitman plot. Mr Smith – a former law firm client, distant cousin and alleged drug dealer of Murdaugh – is facing a string of charges over the 4 September 2021 incident where he allegedly shot the double murderer in the head along the side of a road in Hampton County. Now, in the new series of Netflix’s “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal”, released on Wednesday, the 62-year-old revealed never-before-heard details about the bizarre encounter. Mr Smith claimed that Murdaugh begged him to shoot him in an assisted suicide scheme – a shocking request that he said he refused. When he asked Murdaugh why he wanted him to kill him, Mr Smith revealed that Murdaugh had given a chilling response where he all but confessed to murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul three months earlier. “Because they’re going to be able to prove that I’m responsible for Maggie and Paul,” Murdaugh allegedly said. Murdaugh was convicted of Maggie and Paul’s murders this March and sentenced to life in prison but continues to insist his innocence. He is currently in the midst of a legal fight to be granted a new trial. Mr Smith’s account comes as both he and Murdaugh are facing charges over the bizarre botched hitman plot which unfolded on 4 September 2021 – three months on from the 7 June 2021 double murders and one day after Murdaugh was ousted from his law firm for stealing millions of dollars in funds from clients. Mr Smith said in the show that he had known Murdaugh since the late 80s or early 90s as he knew the legal dynasty heir’s father Randolph. “I’m half Murdaugh – dont tell them that,” he said, laughing. Mr Smith said that he was friends with Murdaugh and he had also done “a bit of work” for him over the years such as running errands or “general land clearing work”. That morning on 4 September 2021, Mr Smith said Murdaugh had called him about 10am or 10.30am and asked what he was doing. “He said can you run over this way in a minute. He told me to meet him at the funeral home in Varnville,” he said. Mr Smith said that he drove to meet Murdaugh and looked up and saw the now-convicted killer driving down the road towards him. He had his sun visor pulled round his windshield and windows rolled up so as to keep his face hidden, Mr Smith said. When Mr Smith asked him what he was doing, he said Murdaugh replied that “I don’t need to be seen in town”. Murdaugh told him that he believed he was being watched by SLED. “And I said ‘why they watching you?’” said Mr Smith. Murdaugh allegedly replied: “Well he said, ‘well you know about what happened.’” “I said ‘what out in Moselle?’” said Mr Smith, about the family home where Maggie and Paul had been gunned down. When Murdaugh confirmed that was what he was referring to, Mr Smith said he asked him “what did happen” that fateful night. Murdaugh is said to have given the damning response: “Things just got all f***ed up.” After that, Mr Smith said Murdaugh asked him if he loved him. “Yeah, I love you like a brother you know that, do ’most anything for you,” said Mr Smith. It was at that moment that Mr Smith said Murdaugh asked him to shoot and kill him. Mr Smith said he refused, insisting that he told him that “ain’t happening, not today, not tomorrow”. When he refused, Murdaugh allegedly told him that he would have to “do it myself” and “took off”. Mr Smith said he went after him in his vehicle out of “pure concern” – not just for Murdaugh but for the family who had just lost Maggie and Paul and Murdaugh’s father (who died just three days after the murders). After catching up with him, Mr Smith said Murdaugh confronted him with a gun – prompting him to try to “scare some sense into him”. “When I pulled up there and I rolled the window down he’s coming up to my window with a gun. I figured I’d scare some sense into him,” he said. Mr Smith claimed he fired his own gun up into the air and Murdaugh threw himself onto the ground. The alleged co-conspirator insisted that he didn’t shoot Murdaugh and that there was “no blood on him” so he just “went home”. But Murdaugh called 911, claiming he was ambushed in a drive-by shooting while changing a tire on his vehicle. He was taken to hospital where he was treated for what police called a “superficial gunshot wound to the head”. Mr Smith said in the Netflix show that the scratches on Murdaugh’s head came “not from a bullet” but from rocks at the side of the road from when Murdaugh leaped onto the ground when he fired his gun. For several days on from the incident, Murdaugh kept up the lie about being ambushed, and even spent hours constructing an imaginary assailant with a police sketch artist. But, Murdaugh’s story quickly unravelled. One week later on 13 September, he confessed to law enforcement that he had orchestrated the whole saga, claiming that he asked Mr Smith to shoot and kill him in an assisted suicide plot so that his surviving son Buster could get a $12m life insurance windfall. Both he and Mr Smith were arrested and charged over the incident. Mr Smith said that he was surprised and “didn’t take it seriously” when police began asking him questions about what happened. “I didn’t ask for an attorney – I had nothing to hide from them,” he said in the Netflix show. “I really didn’t take it seriously to be honest with you. I knew I hadn’t shot his ass but he damn sure tried to tell everybody I did or he told everybody I did.” Read More Murdaugh Netflix show airs new bombshell claims as Alex strikes plea deal for financial crimes – live Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to committing crime for first time Alex Murdaugh’s request for a new trial complicated by angry husband’s Facebook rant

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Harry Kane is dreaming of exorcising the ghosts of England’s Euro 2020 heartbreak at Wembley by leading them to Euro 2028 glory on home soil. The UK and Ireland’s bid to host the next-but-one European Championship was formally approved on Tuesday, meaning England will get another shot at glory in front of their own fans, seven years after they were a penalty shootout away from winning at Wembley. Kane will be 34 by then and in the twilight of his career, but is planning on still being around and wants to make amends for that despair against Italy two years ago. Asked whether England had unfinished business in a home tournament, he replied: “I think so, we were so close to doing something really magical in the last Euros. “That’s football, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to but for sure there will be a bit between our teeth. “Not just in Germany next summer but being at home, playing games at Wembley will bring back memories of the 2021 Euros. “We will have to wait and see. To win a tournament would be special but to win it in your home country would be a dream come true. “I am aiming to still be around by then but of course, it is still a few years away, but I am a player who, at the moment, feels as good as I have ever felt before and yes, I would like to think my career will go to my late thirties – at least. “As we know, in football a lot of things can change quickly but at the moment, I feel really good. If you ask me now, of course I hope I am there and it means I am still performing at a high level but you never know. We will see. “The perception in sport or football in general is you hit 30 and people start to think the end. But the way I am looking at it is that I almost have the second half of my career. “I played in the first team at Spurs from 20 or 21 so I have had nine or 10 years at the highest level and I am hoping for another eight or nine years at the highest level again. “It all depends. You see some players who want to have a different change or challenge so I would never be able to tell you what I will do but at the moment, I just want to keep playing. To win any tournament with your country is difficult but to do it on your home patch would be just another notch Harry Kane “When you look at (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi, that makes me believe and shows it is possible to play until your late thirties and that is what I am planning to do.” England played six of their seven matches at Euro 2020 at Wembley, although Covid restrictions meant that each game was not in front of a full stadium. But Gareth Southgate’s men still felt the support of the country and Kane believes – like the Lionesses were in 2022 – they will be pushed on even more. “We had an amazing experience in (Euro) 2020 in terms of having six of the games at Wembley so it felt like a home tournament for us,” he said. “Although there were not all the fans in the stadium, we still got amazing support. “Being here and seeing the atmosphere outside the grounds on the way in on the coach gave us a real special feeling and obviously we came within a couple of kicks of winning the trophy. So that definitely gave us more energy and more belief. “That will do the same in 2028. Having full stadiums and all our fans there, the country excited about it will definitely help. I think you saw that with the Lionesses as well. “I was there for the final and saw how much it meant to the fans. The atmosphere not just inside the stadium but outside and the Lionesses were able to get a win. “That would be our main objective. To win any tournament with your country is difficult but to do it on your home patch would be just another notch.” Read More I am a Tottenham fan – Harry Kane wants Spurs to win Premier League Massimo Luongo feels Australians secretly support Spurs under Ange Postecoglou Tommy Fury ‘could beat KSI after 15 pints of beer’ as he eyes world title Jarrod Bowen ‘in a good place’ on England return Rob Page against Wales games moving to Principality Stadium ahead of Euro 2028 Man City boss Gareth Taylor says communication key to improving officiating

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