Arthritis is one of the leading causes of disability and autoimmune diseases.

Recent study showed the role played by FTO gene in making a person fat or lean. Research team led by Dr Ulrich Ruther, from the University of Dusseldorf in Germany used animal models to determine how this gene influences weight gain.

Researchers found that this gene affects energy expenditure at the cellular level. Study showed that mice without the FTO gene remained very lean because they spontaneously burn off enormous amounts of energy.

Los Angeles - The exuberant Oscar victory of Slumdog Millionaire helped the Oscar ceremony end on a high note. But by Monday morning, the aftermath of the Oscars did not seem to bode well for the California film industry or the glittering event that was meant to celebrate it.

Slumdog, a British production made largely in the slums of Mumbai, garnered one-third of the awards - taking home eight of the night's 24 Oscars, including best picture and best director.

Washington  - US President Barack Obama on Monday promised to halve the country's ballooning federal budget deficit by the end of his four-year term in office, despite a deepening recession that has forced his administration to spend record amounts of money.

Obama, who took office in January, inherited a 2008 budget deficit of 1.3 trillion dollars. That figure could top 2 trillion dollars - more than 10 per cent of US gross domestic product - in 2009 in an effort to halt the country's disastrous economic slide.

New York - The United Nations on Monday thanked the emir of Qatar for allocating 30 million dollars as humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip and 10 million dollars for a UN emergency fund.

Qatar said the 30 million dollars will go towards meeting the "critical needs" of Gaza residents affected by the recent Israel- Hamas conflict.

The UN also expressed its gratitude for Qatar's 10-million-dollar contribution to the Central Emergency Response Fund, which was set up to meet urgent relief needs around the world.

Wellington  - Representatives of New Zealand's recording industry and internet service providers are negotiating a compromise copyright agreement after the government postponed a controversial new law, according to news reports on Tuesday.

The law, which instructs internet service providers to block online access to anyone accused of repeatedly flouting copyright by illegally downloading films and music, whether they have been convicted or not, was to have taken effect on Saturday.