USA moves to 2-0 at Worlds with win over Latvia

Published May 05, 2013

Sports Network

Helsinki, Finland –  Tim Stapleton and David Moss tallied in the second period as Team USA posted a 4-1 decision over Latvia on Sunday in Group H play at the 2013 World Hockey Championship.

Bobby Butler and Matt Hunwick added third-period scores, while Ben Bishop stopped 19 shots for the Americans, who next face Russia on Tuesday.

Arturs Kulda recorded the lone score and Edgars Masalskis made 22 saves in defeat for the Baltic nation, which takes on Austria two days from now.

Earlier in the day at Hartwall Arena, Reto Suri scored twice in the shootout to give Switzerland a surprising 3-2 victory over Canada.

Matt Read and Andrew Ladd scored in regulation for Canada, which has a win and an overtime loss so far in the tournament. Mike Smith made 26 saves.

In other Group S play on Sunday, Belarus beat Slovenia by a 4-3 margin to win its first game of the tournament.

In Group H action, France took down Austria, 3-1, and Russia defeated Germany by a 4-1 margin.

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World's most beautiful museums

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No big city vacation is complete without a visit to a beautiful museum. Our favorite collections combine great locations--like Central Park, central Paris, or the Pacific Coast--with iconic, inspiring works of art.

There's nothing like a relaxing afternoon spent basking in the glory of world-famous paintings and sculptures--not to mention picking up a brag-worthy keepsake in the museum shop. Here, our favorite collections of art, along with suggestions for must-see masterpieces and gift-shop grabs.

Take a tour of the museums

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Pollock in Central Park

The Met's collection of paintings, sculptures, and other visual art has been wowing visitors since 1870, but the museum's beautifully designed galleries and generous views of the changing seasons in Central Park help to foster an environment that's even more than the sum of its already considerable parts. Spend a day, a week, or a month here exploring art from prehistory to the present and you'll never see it all; stroll the exquisite Greek and Roman galleries during (relatively) quiet evening hours; or just plant yourself in front of a massive spattered 20th-century canvas and watch the crowds ebb and flow, some inevitably whispering, "My five-year-old could do that."

Must-see masterpieces: Vincent Van Gogh's Wheatfield with Cypresses, Johannes Vermeer's Young Woman with a Water Pitcher, and Jackson Pollock's Autumn Rhythm. If you're with kids, you'll have trouble pulling them away from the stately knights in the Arms and Armor Collection.

Gift-shop grab: Neoclassical Circle-Link Earrings ($60).

Learn more: metmuseum.org

And while you're in New York, also visit: The Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim.

Louvre, Paris

The most famous smile in the world is just the beginning

A medieval fortress, a sumptuous palace, and finally, since 1793, a museum, the Louvre may be the most historically storied building ever to house an art collection. And what a collection it is, with more oh-I-recognize-that paintings and sculptures than perhaps any other museum. Ideally, you should take a day or two to fully immerse yourself in this collection, but if you're pressed for time (ah, Paris!), take the self-guided, 90-minute Masterpieces tour that touches on the most revered items in the joint.

Must-see masterpieces: Aphrodite (commonly known as Venus de Milo), Leonardo da Vinci's Portrait of Lisa Gherardini (yes, you know it as the Mona Lisa), and Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Gift-shop grab: The book The Louvre: All the Paintings ($75).

Learn more: louvre.fr/en

Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

Spanish masters, of course--plus treasures from the Netherlands and Italy

Originally intended to house a natural history collection in the late 18th century, the Museo Nacional del Prado became the home of Spain's royal museum of painting and sculpture in 1819. With an exceptional collection of Dutch and Spanish artists (among many other nationalities and styles), the Prado is the place to see the seminal works of the painters Francisco de Goya and Diego Velazquez, who helped bring major works of Italian masters, such as Titian, to Madrid.

Must-see masterpieces: Diego Velazquez's Les Meninas, Hieronymous Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights, and Francisco de Goya's The Third of May: The Executions on Principe Pio.

Gift-shop grab: Menina Necklace, inspired by Velazquez's painting ($49).

Learn more: museodelprado.es/en

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The Netherlands' made-over art mecca

For some art lovers, including the author, nothing matches the power and beauty of the Dutch masters. The Rijksmuseum puts them front and center in its newly renovated space--10 years and $500 million in the making--with contemporary lighting and design that has restored the 1885 structure to its 19th-century glory while at the same time gently nudging it into the 21st century.

Must-see masterpieces: Rembrandt van Rijn's The Night Watch, Johannes Vermeer's The Milkmaid, and Jan Steen's The Feast of Saint Nicholas.

Gift-shop grab: "Vermeer" Silk Scarf, inspired by the colors of The Milkmaid ($73).

Learn more: rijksmuseum.nl/en

And while you're in Amsterdam, also visit: The Van Gogh Museum.

Hermitage, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Masterpieces of southern Europe, way up north

What if Catherine the Great founded a museum that eventually took over the emperor's palace and grew to be the largest collection of paintings in the world? The result would look a lot like the Hermitage, Russia's preeminent museum. Including major works of antiquity, the Italian Renaissance, and the Impressionist and Modern periods, this is a must-stop for visitors to Saint Petersburg, whether you're there as a port of call or for a longer stay.

Must-see masterpieces: Michelangelo's Crouching Boy, two Madonnas attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, and Antonio Canova's The Three Graces.

Gift-shop grab: Faberge-style pendants (from $50).

Learn more: hermitagemuseum.org

Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Michelangelo and Raphael in the heart of the Holy See

Sure, each of the beautiful museums on our list boasts a handful of iconic pieces of art. But the Vatican Museums pull out all the stops with an unforgettable ceiling painted by Michelangelo (bring binoculars, but put away your camera--photography is not allowed in the Sistine Chapel), whole rooms dedicated to Raphael, and an overall unrivaled wow factor. One way to bypass the crowds is to opt for a Friday evening visit, starting May 3rd.

Must-see masterpieces: Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, the Raphael Rooms, and the Pio Clementino Collection.

Gift-shop grab: The book Medieval Frescoes from the Vatican Museums Collection ($27).

Learn more: mv.vatican.va

British Museum, London

The sun never sets on this collection of antiquities

The British Museum first welcomed visitors in 1759 to a building on the site of the present-day museum. While some visitors may find the globe-spanning holdings here an unpleasant reminder of Britain's dominance of its former colonies, there's no denying that the opportunity to come face-to-face with works of art steeped in myth and legend is utterly jaw-dropping.

Must-see masterpieces: The Rosetta Stone, the marble reliefs from the Parthenon, the mummified remains of Cleopatra.

Gift-shop grab: Egyptian Carnelian and Gold Bracelet ($101)

Learn more: britishmuseum.org

And while you're in London, also visit: The Victoria and Albert Museum.

To see Egyptian art in Egypt, visit: Cairo's Egyptian Museum.

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

Spend a Sunday in the park with Georges Seurat--or a late night with Edward Hopper

The second largest art collection in the U.S., after the Met, the Art Institute, located in Grant Park, touches on all major time periods and movements but is especially known for its 19th- and 20th-century holdings, including works by French Impressionists and American modernists.

Must-see masterpieces: Georges Seurat's A Sunday on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, and Vincent Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles.

Gift-shop grab: Rainbow Ribbon Silk Scrunch Scarf ($47).

Learn more: artic.edu

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Old-world wonders overlooking the Pacific Ocean

A relative youngster among the world's most beautiful museums, the Getty was founded in the '70s in a villa in Pacific Palisades. Now with a major building in Los Angeles as its headquarters, the Getty offers a collection to rival any in the world in a decidedly unique location in Tinseltown.

Must-see masterpieces: Fra Bartolommeo's Rest on the Flight to Egypt, Titian's Venus and Adonis, and Vincent Van Gogh's Irises.

Gift-shop grab: Van Gogh and Cezanne Charm Pendant ($25).

Learn more: getty.edu/museum

National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

Rodin and da Vinci on the mall

The National Gallery of Art opened in 1937 and continues to hold its own even with such famous neighbors as the Capitol and the Washington Monument. Its extensive collection of Italian Renaissance masterpieces and works by Impressionists and early 20th-century painters is worth a stop--and it's free.

Must-see masterpieces: Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de'Benci (the only da Vinci painting in the U.S.), Johannes Vermeer's A Lady Writing a Letter, and Paul Gaugin's Self Portrait.

Gift-shop grab: Color Wheel Umbrella ($35)

Learn more: nga.gov

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China becomes world's fifth largest arms exporter

STOCKHOLM –  China has bypassed Britain as the world's fifth largest arms exporter, a Swedish think-tank said Monday.

The volume of Chinese weapons exports rose by 162 percent in the five years 2008-2012, compared to the previous five-year period, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in its report. That means China's share of all international arms exports increased to 5 percent from 2 percent, and the country climbed to fifth from eighth in the rankings.

The largest buyer of Chinese weapons was Pakistan, which accounted for 55 percent of the country's exports, followed by Myanmar with 8 percent and Bangladesh with 7 percent, SIPRI said.

"China's rise has been driven primarily by large-scale arms acquisitions by Pakistan," said Paul Holtom, director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. "However, a number of recent deals indicate that China is establishing itself as a significant arms supplier to a growing number of important recipient states."

Such deals include the sale of three frigates to Algeria, eight transport aircraft to Venezuela and 54 tanks to Morocco, SIPRI said.

The U.S. remains the world's top arms exporter during the 2008-2012 period, with 30 percent of the global volume. Russia is second with 26 percent, Germany third with 7 percent, and France fourth with 6 percent, SIPRI said.

China's move into the top-five means Britain (now in sixth place) dropped off the list of the top five for the first time since at least 1950, the earliest year covered by SIPRI data.

The institute said Asia dominated the global imports of weapons, with the top five importers all located in that region.

Here's SIPRI's list of the top 5 arms exporters in 2008-2012 (share of international exports in parenthesis):

1. United States (30 percent).

2. Russia (26).

3. Germany (7).

4. France (6).

5. China (5).

The top 5 arms importers in 2008-2012 (share of international imports in parenthesis):

1. India (12 percent).

2. China (6).

3. Pakistan (5).

4. South Korea (5).

5. Singapore (4).

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World's best cruise ship terminals

With some 18 million people cruising worldwide every year, today’s cruise ship terminals come in all shapes and styles; from bare-boned to “Space Age.” The differences mostly depend on the importance of cruising to the local community, the availability of valuable seaside property and finally, the dedication and ingenuity of local planners and investors.

Vancouver, British Columbia, deserves much of the credit for creating “Canada Place,” the first all-new centrally located cruise terminal where the planners visualized a duel-use downtown space with hotels, shopping, facilities for public events and parking that could be used by the locals year round, and also provide cruise facilities during the cruise season, which in Vancouver only lasts a few months.

The Vancouver model sparked a renaissance in cruise terminal design in Japan, the Pacific Rim and China with its burgeoning middle class and proximity to beautiful islands and world class cities. Like Vancouver, the best new cruise terminals are not only architecturally beautiful, but also offer everyday attractions for locals.

To help me find the most attractive cruise port facilities I asked for the input of John Stoll, vice president of Land Programs for the luxury cruise line, Crystal Cruises.

Here's a list of some of the more innovative terminals that make pulling into port extra special.

Shanghai International Cruise Terminal, China 

Shanghai, China is ideally situated where the mighty Yangtze River meets the Pacific Ocean.  It is China’s largest port city and the “unofficial capital” of southern China (Beijing is in Northern China).

The award-winning Shanghai International Cruise Terminal, designed by Spark Architects and completed in 2011, combines a series of headquarters office buildings with more than 430,000 sq. ft. of retail space within a less than a mile long riverside park. Unfortunately for most cruisers, the facility cannot handle ships larger than 87,000-tons; smaller than most mainstream ships, however, most luxury cruise line vessels, including Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Regent, Oceania,  fit very nicely. (The larger and less scenic port facility in Shanghai, where most of the larger mainstream cruise ships will port, is the Wusongkou Terminal about 24 miles from downtown.) Shanghai International Cruise Terminal services many of the river cruise boats that travel up the Yangtze River. Be sure to check out the pictures of this amazing cruise terminal.

 Canada Place Terminal, Vancouver 

Canada Place in Vancouver was completed in 2001 as part of the Vancouver Convention Center and the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel. It was one of the first cruise terminals integrated with year-round local attractions. The facility largely hosts cruise ships only during the summer season, but holds other public events year-round. The site includes four large stages for music and other attractions, such as an IMAX movie theater and a large lawn for public festivals.

The design evokes five ship's sails draped like tents, and every night the city holds “Sails of Light” where the “sails” are screens for thematic light and video collages coordinated with local and national celebrations, such as the Olympics, the holidays and national anniversaries.

This is a prime example of the multi-use potential of cruise terminals that cities like Charleston and San Diego could use for inspiration.

Fort Lauderdale Terminal 18, Florida

The specially-built home port facility for the Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and her sister Allure of the Seas is the largest “single ship” cruise terminal ever built. As simply a part of Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades cruise port, one of the largest cruise ports in the world, the building can turn over more than 12,000 passengers and their luggage (half leaving, half arriving) in a matter of hours.

The bottom level has 90 separate check-in counters surrounding an ocean theme mosaic floor. Some 157 flat-panel television screens aid guests through a check-in process that can be completed in as little as 15 minutes. The 240,000 sq. ft. building was started in 2007 and finished in 2009 at a cost of $75 million, but unlike other terminals, when no ship is present this building is dark and not populated.

Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, Hong Kong

Terminal number one of the new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong is set to open in June, 2013, with a second terminal set to open in July, 2014. They are in Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong, built over an old runway once servicing the former Kai Tak airport.

Kai Tak cruise terminal can also manage a 220,000-ton-displacement cruise ship, which is convenient since Royal Caribbean is a 20 percent stakeholder, and so far the number one customer with three ships scheduled to use the terminal regularly. It's also already to schedule service for Princess, Cunard and Regent Seven Seas.

The ultra high tech building with a large public park area on the top floor will cost about $500 million and was designed by Foster + Partners of London, which also built the London’s Millennium Bridge and London City Hall.

Marina Bay Cruise Centre, Singapore

Just completed in May, 2012 at a cost of $500 million, the terminal can accommodate ships as large as 220,000 tons, which matches the tonnage of the largest cruise ships in the world right now: Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships. The hallmark of the building is its “robust geometric shape” that offers a variety of views from different vantage points.

Marine Façade, St. Petersburg, Russia 

The economic antithesis of China, Russia has struggled to modernize since the Cold War, but St. Petersburg, the only western port city in Russia, is one of the most popular cruise destinations in Europe - largely for its classical, old world architecture.

Investors are currently reclaiming almost 4000 acres of land connected to Vasilevsky Island near the mouth of the Neva River. In 2008, the new cruise ship terminal was among the first projects completed of many planned for the “Marine Façade Project,” an estimated $3 billion complex of condominium and office building skyscrapers.

Osanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal, Japan  

The Osanbashi Yokohama International Passenger Terminal is the main port for larger mainstream cruise ships to access Tokyo, about 40 miles away, (although some of the smaller luxury ships can sail directly to Tokyo harbor). Yokohama held a design contest in 1995 to create the terminal, with hopes of making it the primary terminal for Tokyo. A total of 660 submissions came from 41 countries (336 from Japan and 324 from overseas), making it the biggest international architectural design competition ever held in Japan.

The Grand Prize was won by Mr. Alejandro Zaera-Polo and Ms. Farshid Moussavi, an architect team operating in the U.K. The design evokes the construction of wooden sail ships. The terminal’s lobby is renowned for its column-free design with parking hidden underground and a top-side visitors deck and a rooftop plaza.

Tampa Terminal, Florida 

The cruise terminal in Tampa is not only modern and centrally located, but it is also extremely close to one of the top-rated airports in the nation. Like Vancouver, the city planners wisely used the valuable seaside property to incorporate public parks, an IMAX movie theater, the Florida Aquarium and shopping and dining facilities. There are plenty of first-class hotels nearby, as well. Tampa now homeports cruises from four cruise lines: Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Paul Motter is the editor of CruiseMates.com, an online cruise guide. Follow him on Twitter @cruisemates.

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China opens world's first panda hotel

It's pure panda-monium.  A Chinese hotel in the country's Sichuan province has claimed to be the world's first hotel dedicated expressly for pandas.

The Haoduo Panda Hotel, which lies at the foot of Emei Mountain near the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding facility, has decked out its rooms with panda pictures, cuddly panda toys and furniture decorated with the endangered animal.  Like other theme hotels, such as at Disney resorts, the staff even dress in panda costumes so guests can have a real-live panda experience. 

The themed guest rooms have panda painted on the walls, and one appears to show a scene from the "Titanic" movie where Kate Winslet stands on the bow of the ship while Leonard DiCaprio stands behind her. 

The hotel, which officially opens in May, have room rates that range from US$48 to $80 per night.

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