Shorten ends UK row

Brain hangover for men

MEN who drink regularly for years may find it more difficult than women to give up alcohol because of changes in their brain, research has found.

Scans suggested men may find it harder to cut back after a decade of frequent drinking because of activity in an area of the brain thought to cause alcohol cravings. Women did not show the same brain activity.

The findings come from brain scans given to 11 men and 16 women aged under 28 who had been drinking for a decade, consuming at least 25 units a week – equivalent to almost three bottles of wine or more than eight pints of beer.

In Britain men are more likely to drink than women and are three times as likely to have more than 14 units – about a bottle and a half of wine – in one sitting.

Men also make up twothirds of hospital admissions for health problems caused by alcohol. The study was carried out by the University of Eastern Finland.

Researcher Dr Outi Kaarre said: “We found more changes in brain electrical activity in male subjects than in females, which was a surprise, as we expected it would be the other way around. This means that male brain electrical functioning is changed more than female brains by long-term alcohol use.” AFTER weeks of holding out, Bill Shorten has finally shown the proof he renounced his British citizenship before being elected in 2007.

The opposition leader yesterday tabled in parliament a letter from UK authorities confirming his successful renunciation in June, 2006. Mr Shorten (above), whose party has a 53-47 per cent lead over the coalition in the latest Newspoll, said he accepted that if he wanted to be elected prime minister there could not be any doubt about his constitutional eligibility. The move came less than eight hours after former prime minister Tony Abbott challenged Mr Shorten to “show it or shut up” as he brandished his own letter showing he renounced UK citizenship in 1993, and minutes after Malcolm Turnbull taunted the opposition leader.

Mr Shorten, who was a British citizen through his father, had for the past three weeks refused to show the paperwork, saying he didn’t have to prove what he knew.

He told parliament Mr Abbott and Mr Turnbull had engaged in “conspiracy theories”.