"Conspiracy bill" passes lower house with ruling bloc support

A controversial bill to penalize the planning of serious crimes passed through the House of Representatives on Tuesday with a majority vote from ruling parties, despite opposition protests citing possible abuses of power by law enforcement authorities.After clearing the lower house, the "conspiracy bill" is expected to be sent to the House of Councillors, or upper house, on Wednesday, with the ruling bloc seeking its passage during the ongoing Diet session through June 18.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government says the bill to revise the law on organized crime is a prerequisite for ratifyin…READ FULL ARTICLE