Irish police are investigating the Feb. 15 murder of a 25-year-old man from Latvia who was attacked in his home in Dublin, reports Radio Telefís Éireann.

The man, whose name was not released pending notification of next of kin, was from Rīga and had been living in Ireland since July. He was attacked about 8:30 a.m. in his rented home in the Artane district of north Dublin, media reports said.

The home was shared by several Eastern Europeans. A woman asleep in a room in the home heard the attack, locked herself in the room and called a friend, who reported the attack to police, media reports said.

The man was thought to have been working as a security guard, the Irish Independent reported.

Police reportedly are concentrating their investigation on two men who were seen outside the man’s home shortly before the attack. The Latvian was stabbed several times, apparently with a large kitchen knife found at the scene. He was pronounced dead at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

The police, known as the gardaí, have issued appeals to employers and to the Latvian community in Ireland for assistance in gathering information about the crime.

An estimated 23,000 Latvians, mostly recent migrants who came in search of work, live in Ireland.

Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga will visit Israel from Feb. 19-22, with stops in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Nazareth, the president’s press office has announced.

She is expected to meet with Israeli President Moshe Katsav and other government officials in an effort to broaden Latvian-Israeli dialogue in politics, economics, science and culture.

The president also is to meet in the Embassy of Latvia in Tel Aviv with members of the Latvian expatriate community in Israel.

Latvia and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1992, according to the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The president will accompanied by Economics Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, Finance Minister Oskars Spurdziņš and Agriculture Minister Mārtiņš Roze, as well as by 58 represenatives from Latvian business and members of the Latvian Historians Commission.

Interviews of the president are planed with the Jerusalem Post and Ha’aretz newspapers and with the TV 1 channel of the state-run Israel Broadcast Authority.

Latvia and the United States battled to a 3-3 tie in their preliminary round Winter Olympics hockey game Feb. 15, a result that has sports commentators wondering about prospects for the American team.

Latvia had Artūrs Irbe in the goal and a number of other Olympic veterans helping to round out the squad. It faced a U.S. team that was unseasoned in Olympic competition, according to some media reports.

The first period in Palasport Olimpico in Torino, Italy, ended with the United States ahead 2-1, but Latvia added two goals in the second period to take the lead, 3-2. The Americans tied up the game two minutes into the third period, according to results posted on the official Web site of the Winter Olympics, www.torino2006.org.

The United States was the first to get a point on the scoreboard. Nine minutes and 44 seconds into the game, Brian Gionta scored on a power play, assisted by John-Michael Liles and Scott Gomez. Not even a minute later Craig Conroy added a second goal for the United States. Latvia’s Aleksandrs Ņiživijs, assisted by Sandis Ozoliņš, got his team’s first goal at 13:15 into the game.

Latvia kept the United States scoreless in the second period, but added two more goals and took the lead. Atvars Tribuncovs, assisted by Ozoliņš and Ņiživijs, scored 35:04 into the game. Forty seconds later, Herberts Vasiļjevs scored with help from Rodrigo Laviņš.

The U.S. team added the tying goal just two minutes into the final period. The point was credited to Jordon Leopold, with assistance from Bret Hedican and Craig Conroy.

The Americans outshot the Latvians, keeping Irbe busy as he stopped 39 of 42 scoring attempts. U.S. goaltender John Grahame stopped 22 of Latvia’s 25 shots on goal.