These days many Americans are irritated that so many things cost more than they used to. In fact, consumer prices increased 2.1% year over year in the first quarter. In April, they were up 3.2%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet, on a global basis, the U.S. has become a bargain, compared with some other countries, as the U.S. dollar weakens and costs balloon in other places, according to results from a new report by ECA International, a global human resources company. The semiannual survey, which compares the price of food and basic goods and services -- but not housing, utilities, or school fees -- for expatriates in more than 400 cities around the world, ranked Australian cities higher for cost of living this year, mainly as a result of currency changes. The Australian dollar has appreciated about 30% against the U.S. dollar since June 2010, and the Swiss franc has jumped about 37%. In the United States, Manhattan, which ranked No. 28 on last year's global list, fell to No. 44. Honolulu dropped to No. 62 from No. 40.

• Police say 200 to 300 bodies found in northeastern coastal area
• Coast guard searching for ship carrying 80
• Blaze engulfs northeast waterfront
• Report: Train with unknown number of passengers is missing
• Evacuation order issued to thousands near different nuclear plant
• Japanese PM cites 'major damage'; calls for 'spirit of fraternity'
• Tsunami sweeps through Hawaii
• First waves from reach Oregon coast

TOKYO — A magnitude 8.9 earthquake — the biggest in modern Japanese history — slammed the island nation's eastern coast Friday, unleashing a 23-foot tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland and prompting a "nuclear emergency."
Hours later, the tsunami hit Hawaii and warnings blanketed the Pacific, putting areas on alert as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire U.S. West Coast.
According to police, 200 to 300 bodies were found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai. The death toll was likely to continue climbing given the scale of Friday's disaster.
TV footage taken from a military plane showed fires engulfing a large waterfront area in northeastern Japan. Houses and other buildings were ablaze across large swathes of land in Kesennuma city in Miyagi prefecture, near Sendai city, public broadcaster NHK showed. The city, with a population of 74,000, has residential, light industry and fishing areas.
According to reports, police told the Kyodo news agency that a passenger train with an unknown number of people aboard was missing in one coastal area.
The government ordered thousands of residents near a nuclear power plant in Onahama city to evacuate because the plant's system was unable to cool the reactor. The reactor was not leaking radiation but its core remained hot even after a shutdown. The plant is 170 miles northeast of Tokyo.

 From the land of the rising sun, exquisite, unique and quirky pieces of art can travel with ladies wherever they go—in the form of nail art, where great detail, colour and imagination goes into every nail. The Japanese are known for their creativity and precision, so that is exactly what goes into the following nail trends for 2010.