PARIS - FRENCH lawmakers on Tuesday adopted a tough bill to combat Internet piracy by cutting off the web to illegal downloaders, after one of the sharpest debates of Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency.

The National Assembly, dominated by Sarkozy's right-wing party, passed the bill by a vote of 296 to 233 and the measure was set to go before the Senate for final approval on Wednesday.

BANGKOK - THAI scientists who infected newborn pigs with the swine flu virus have found they developed symptoms similar to those found in humans, a researcher said on Tuesday.

VANCOUVER (Canada) - CONTRARY to common opinion, daydreaming is not slacking off because when the brain wanders it is working even harder to solve problems, new research has shown.