Japan OKs $25.5 billion budget for reconstruction

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese lawmakers have approved nearly 2 trillion yen ($25.5 billion) in extra funds to pay for reconstruction from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and the nuclear crisis that followed.

About half of Monday's newly approved budget will go toward temporary housing, health checks and other support projects for residents affected by the nuclear crisis.

About 80,000 residents had to evacuate their homes due to radiation threats from the tsunami-hit Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. The quake and tsunami also left 23,000 others dead or missing across wide swaths of Japan's northeast coastline.

Japan in May approved a 4 billion yen supplementary budget for quake and tsunami reconstruction.