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EDDIE HEARN sent Jake Paul a cheeky message challenging him to fight Anthony Joshua THIS YEAR… but he was brutally left on red.

YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul has been leading private and direct talks to face AJ in 2026 after brazenly calling out the ex-heavyweight champion.

Rex

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Promoter Hearn with Joshua[/caption]

But Joshua’s promoter Hearn took to social media to ask Paul why the wait in a bid to get the shock fight agreed before the year’s end.

Paul’s promotional partner Nakisa Bidarian told SunSport: “I think Eddie Hearn even DMd Jake and said, ‘Why not in 2025?’ And I’m sure Jake didn’t respond to him.

“But again, there’s zero clickbait, 100 per cent desire to do it in 2026 is what makes sense from a Jake Paul career perspective.”

Bidarian referenced our interview with Hearn where the promoter revealed he had not reached out to the American’s camp for talks.

Hearn told us: “Once they said 2026, it’s just clickbait at that point.

“I do acknowledge that Jake is crazy enough, like the Canelo stuff was quite crazy.

“But at least Jake’s bigger than Canelo. He’s dwarfed by AJ in every manner.”

Joshua, 35, has not fought since his September knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, 27, and a recent injury has delayed his return.

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Paul, 28, meanwhile brought heavyweight great Mike Tyson, 58, out of retirement for a controversial fight on Netflix in November.

He won a points decision over eight rounds with 100 MILLION watching on the streaming service.

It prompted talks for Paul to fight Canelo in his next bout and the two were close to confirming a May 3 deal to fight in Las Vegas.

But Mexican superstar Canelo, 34, walked away at the 11th hour to sign a bumped four-bout deal with Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh.

Paul is now looking to announce his next opponent with another fight targeted in 2025 before three bouts next year.

And Bidarian believes Joshua is a “100 per cent realistic” option for Paul next year with Canelo also joining the wish-list.

He said: “Jake hasn’t been in the ring with someone that has the power that Joshua has in this current time.

“Mike Tyson, much more devastating knockout artist than Anthony Joshua in his career, but the Mike Tyson Jake fought wasn’t that same Mike Tyson, obviously.

“So Jake has to get to a point where he feels confident that he can take those types of punches from someone like Joshua.

“I know from Jake’s perspective, he doesn’t believe that Joshua will land, but you have to be prepared that he does land and, and how do you deal with that.

“But that’s what makes it exciting. I mean, yes, Joshua is a much bigger man in terms of height and reach than Mike Tyson.

“And that will possess its own challenges for Jake Paul, but Jake doesn’t say something if he doesn’t feel confident about it.

“He’s been pretty clear, he doesn’t want to fight David Benavidez. He doesn’t believe he can beat David Benavidez in any time frame of his career arc.

“But, he wants to fight Canelo Alvarez, he wants to fight Anthony Joshua. Those are two names that he’s dead set on and feels very good about.”

HEARTBREAKING tributes are pouring in for a pensioner who lost his life in an apartment fire in County Monaghan on Tuesday evening.

Liam Doran, 73, lost his life after a fire broke out at an apartment complex on the outskirts of Monaghan town on Tuesday night.

Gardai attended the scene at Rowantree Court in Mulach Glas shortly after 8pm on Tuesday evening.

Two fire brigades from Monaghan Fire Station and one from Ballybay Fire & Rescue also attended.

Liam was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

His body has since been removed to hospital awaiting post-mortem examination, which will determine the course of the investigation.

However, it is understood that at this stage, foul play is not suspected. 

A notice online said Liam will be “sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his children Ruairí (Tasha), Janice (Seamus), Conor, Dean and his wife/carer Mary, his grandchildren Ryan, Leah, Daniel, Kayleigh, Mia, Jordan, Sean, Ciaran, Jamie and Ben”.

It added: “Liam’s family would like to thank the neighbours and carers of Rowantree Court for all their care and support at this difficult time.”

Locals told how they are shocked and saddened to hear the tragic news.

Mr Doran was well-known in Monaghan town where locals said he was an absolute gentleman.

One pal told how he was a “great man” whilst another hailed him as “lovely”.

Another wrote: “So sorry to hear this. May God welcome him into His Kingdom. Liam was a very kind man. Condolences to his family and friends.”

A third mourner said: “Monaghan lost a true gentleman with Liam’s passing.”

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE

Another added: “So sorry to hear this. A gent, always had a laugh with Liam when we met.”

Gardai said that all the residents of the 25 apartment block were evacuated for a number of hours and were allowed to return to their homes by midnight.

Liam is believed to have lived in Monaghan for almost 50 years and had lived at the property for a long number of years.

Extensive damage has been caused to the property following the fire and the scene remains preserved for a technical examination.

It is understood that there were no other injuries in the fire.

No funeral arrangements have been made as yet. 

RIP.ie

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TREATMENT-resistant depression could be eased with laughing gas – with scientists claiming it could “spark the brain back into action”.

The “exciting discovery” follows research into other unconventional ways to treat the condition – including ketamine pills and magic mushrooms.

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Scientist are testing laughing gas as a way of treating depression[/caption]

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Nitrous oxide is one of the oldest forms of pain relief – here a women demonstrated how to use it in 1937[/caption]

Nitrous oxide is a colourless gas commonly used as a painkiller in medicine and dentistry.

Mixed with oxygen, it’s known as “gas and air” that’s used to dull labour pains during childbirth.

Also known as NOS, laughing gas is often used recreationally – making users feel relaxed and giggly when inhaled through balloons.

Regular and heavy use can cause a range of health issues – from vitamin deficiencies to neurological damage – and in some cases can even be fatal.

Nitrous oxide was made a Class C drug in 2023, making possession and sale for recreational purposes a criminal offence.

But scientists have been tapping into its mood-boosting properties, in a effort to cure depression that resists other kinds of treatments.

According to American researchers, roughly one in three patients diagnosed with the condition suffer from treatment-resistant depression (TRD) – a form of the disorder that does not respond to first-line antidepressants.

Even when traditional drugs work, they can sometimes take weeks to kick in.

Egged on by encouraging research into ketamine as a depression treatment, scientists looked into another fast-acting substance – laughing gas.

The study’s first author Joseph Cichon, an assistant professor of anaesthesiology and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania, said: “Nitrous oxide is the oldest anaesthetic we’ve got — it’s been used worldwide for over 180 years, costs about $20 a tank, and yet we’re still learning what it can do.

“I felt like Indiana Jones, going back in time to crack the mystery of this ancient drug.”

While most people associate laughing gas with euphoric effects, at the low doses used for depression research, it acts as a sedative, giving people a temporary feeling of calm rather than making them feel giddy.

Previous clinical trials lead by Professor Peter Nagele from the University of Chicago found that a single inhalation session of 25 per cent nitrous oxide could rapidly relieve symptoms of treatment-resistant depression with few side effects, with the benefits lasting up to two weeks in some cases.

Prof Nagele said: “The results were striking. We saw people who had been struggling for years experience meaningful improvement within hours that lasted for weeks.

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Nitrous oxide is also used as a form of pain relief during labour – known as gas and air[/caption]

“It made us wonder what, exactly, was happening in the brain to cause this.”

A new study – published in the journal Nature Communications – looked into how the gas works in the brain to trigger lasting improvements in mood, even though it exits the brain within minutes.

Prof Nagele said: “Figuring out how the observed antidepressant effects work at a neural and molecular level is an important step toward clinical acceptance and implementation.”

For years, scientists assumed the antidepressant effects of nitrous oxide and ketamine were tied to the drugs’ ability to block specific proteins on brain cells involved in memory and learning: N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors.

But this theory was never tested in living brain circuits and it didn’t fully explain why nitrous oxide, which leaves the body very quickly, could produce lasting effects.

To investigate, the researchers from UChicago, UPenn and WashU observed brain activity in mice that inhaled nitrous oxide after being exposed to chronic stress — a common model for depression.

Looking at the brain region associated with emotional regulation and mood, they zeroed in on a specific group of neurons known as layer V (L5) pyramidal neurons.

“Particularly in stress-related depression, we usually see that these L5 neurons are underactive in both mice and humans,” Prof Nagele said.

But researchers saw that in the mice used in the study, the nitrous oxide quickly activated L5 neurons, pulling them out of their state of stress-induced inactivity even after the gas left mice’s bodies.

The previously-stressed mice almost immediately perked up and started doing more enjoyable activities, like sipping sugar water.

“This ‘disinhibition’ effect’ — where the brain becomes less suppressed and more engaged — looks to be a crucial reason for the drug’s antidepressant benefits,” Prof Nagele explained.

“It helps reactivate neural circuits dulled by stress and depression without needing to form entirely new brain connections.”

The key turned out to be specialised potassium channels found in L5 neurons, called SK2 channels.

Under normal conditions, these channels help shut down neuron activity, but nitrous oxide blocks the SK2 channels, preventing them from silencing the L5 cells.

As a result, the neurons remain active and the surrounding brain circuit shifts into a more excitable, energised state.

Prof Nagele said: “These results show us there might be more than one path to the desired outcome in depression treatment.

“NMDA receptors matter, but what we’re seeing with nitrous oxide suggests there’s another way to spark the brain’s circuitry back into action.

“It’s an exciting discovery because it widens our understanding of how we can tackle depression from multiple angles.”

While the findings are promising, researchers stressed that more studies are needed to understand how long the neurological effects of laughing gas last and whether they can help permanently cure depression.

And it goes without saying that nobody should be giving this treatment a go at home.

But scientists said their research opens the door to future drug development, suggesting that pills that mimic the effects of inhaling laughing gas could be designed.

“This study brings us one step closer to understanding how nitrous oxide can help patients who haven’t responded to anything else,” Prof Nagele said.

“If we can isolate the exact pathways involved, we could create new depression treatments that are more accessible and longer-lasting.”

LAST night Donald Trump unveiled the biggest shake up in global trade since the Second World War.

What the US President called “Liberation Day” and one of the most important days in American history was also a day of reckoning for how countries and companies around the world do business.

Reuters

Donald Trump announced a range of tariffs in his speech on Wednesday[/caption]

AFP

PM Keir Starmer chairs a roundtable with UK business leaders in Downing Street[/caption]

Millions were glued to the TV screens – squinting at a placard that was blowing in the wind in the White House garden – which listed the hefty tariffs that would be introduced overnight.

So what does this really mean for Britain’s economy? Here we explain exactly what the impact will be:

What’s happened to the UK?

The UK has been hit by a 10 per cent tariff – what the White House calls the baseline rate – on all goods imported into the United States.

But it’s bad news for British car makers as Trump confirmed all foreign car imports will be subject to a further 25 per cent tariff.

The US imports £60.4billion British goods, fractionally more than the £57.9billion the UK imports from America.

The UK has been given the lowest rate of tariff.

By comparison China has been hit with a 34 per cent “reciprocal tariff” – half the 67 per cent rate Trump claims China charges US importers.

However, added to the existing rate of tariffs on China, it takes the levy up to 50 per cent.

Vietnam, where many Western companies have factories, will now face a 46 per cent tariff.

Japan is hit with 24 per cent and Taiwan faces 32 per cent.

The EU will also face a 20 per cent – higher than the UK.

What is a tariff?

In effect, it is a tax on foreign goods coming into a country.

It is paid by the company which imports goods, to the country’s government.

Most tariffs are set as a percentage of the value of the goods.

For example, a 10 per cent tariff would mean a charge of $5 on a $500 handbag while a 25 per cent tariff on a $40,000 car would be a $10,000 hit.

Typically it makes the price of that product more expensive as the tariff is passed straight onto consumers.

Tariffs have the specific purpose of giving home grown companies an advantage over foreign producers trying to sell goods in a market.

Why is Trump doing this?

Trump has long been a fan of tariffs – infamously describing them as the “most beautiful word in the dictionary”.

He has raged for years about the unfairness of other countries slapping taxes on the import of US goods, with the EU a particular target of his rage after flooding the American market with BMW and Mercedes cars.

Last night he stepped up his attack accusing countries of “looting, raping and pillaging” America.

Trump believes that introducing tariffs will encourage more companies to build factories in America to avoid tariffs, and that US consumers will be more likely to buy “made in America” products if they are cheaper as a result of being tariff-free.

He said that these tariffs will “Make America Wealthy Again”.

How will this hit the economy?

Britain’s already fragile growth will be almost immediately dented by all this uncertainty.

The Budget watchdog had previously warned it could wipe out UK economic growth by 1 per cent and wipe out the £9.9billion headroom so carefully reinstated by the Chancellor just last week.

This could mean further tax rises or even deeper spending cuts.

The stock markets – which many of our pension funds invest in – have also tanked this morning.

London‘s FTSE 100 index sank by 1 per cent, the FTSE 250 – which ranks mid-cap sized listed companies – down by 0.82 per cent.

The slump in stock markets, such as the FTSE 100, can be read as investors increasingly pessimistic views about the state of those countries’ economies.

European stock markets in France and Germany fell even more heavily.

In Japan the Nikkei index has dropped by 2.77 per cent.

In short a sea of flashing red lights on global stock markets. Meanwhile more investors are piling into gold, which is seen as a safer asset, and prices are back at record highs of over $3,1000 an ounce.

Job losses

There are huge fears that the tariffs will lead to job losses.

As well as hiking prices, companies will have to make significant cost cuts to survive the pressure from extra duties.

More than 25,000 jobs in the motor industry are thought to be at risk from Trump’s 25 per cent tariff on car imports, according to the Institute For Public Policy Research.

Around 17 per cent of UK car exports were to the US last year , worth £7.6billion.

What does it mean for UK consumers?

One word: pain.

Tariffs are a nightmare for business, because it makes the flow of goods around the world much more expensive.

As we found out from the hangover of the pandemic, any snarl in supply chains leads to prices soaring.

Companies that also make products in countries, such as Vietnam, China, India and Thailand which are now whacked with higher tariffs, will also have to hike prices to cover the higher costs.

Analysts reckon that sports brands which include the likes of Nike, Adidas, Puma will have to hike prices in the US by a whopping 20 per cent in order to defend their profits and it’s impossible to think that there won’t be a knock-on here too.

That means even more expensive trainers.

Shares in all the sports brands have tumbled this morning.

There is the counter argument that goods could become cheaper as companies divert products originally destined for the USD to the UK.

But, in the long term, the big risk is that this so-called “diversionary trade” ends up flooding our market with cheap imports – ruining British homegrown companies who can’t compete and costing thousands of jobs.

What happens next?

The British government is still betting it might be able to negotiate better terms.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds this morning indicated it had a package of measures – which is thought to include sweeteners such as lower taxes for US tech giants and trade deals on US food and drink.

Trump has signalled these tariffs are the starting point to negotiations.

But last night he was quite clear – the only route to zero tariffs is to drop tariffs on US imports.

Currently, the UK still charges the US 10 per cent imports on items such as oranges grown in Florida.

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