Controversial bill

Lawmakers in Japan_s upper house of parliament have approved a controversial bill that gives police the power to intercept communications from telephone calls to Internet e-mail as part of their investigations into organized crime.With 241 lawmakers voting, the bill passed 142 to 99. The vote brought to an end a session that had begin at 8pm Wednesday evening and continued through the night and morning as opposition parties had employed a range of delaying tactics in the hope of getting the bill thrown out for lack of time.