Japan to lift evacuation orders in 2 Fukushima towns next week

The Japanese government said Wednesday it will lift evacuation orders for parts of two towns near the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant next week, 12 years after their residents were forced to leave due to a nuclear disaster following the massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.Evacuation orders will be lifted in parts of Namie at 10 a.m. on March 31 and neighboring Tomioka at 9 a.m. on April 1, the government said, while aiming for a similar order to be lifted in the remaining village, Iitate, this spring.As of January, 897 residents in 329 households were registered in the areas…READ FULL ARTICLE