It took the Swedes just 29 seconds to get on the scoreboard against Latvia, and the April 30 hockey game was all downhill from there. Latvia now will have to win against Italy if it is to avoid relegation in the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Moscow.

Sweden smashed Latvia 8-2 in the preliminary round game that at times seemed more about penalties than goals.

Sweden’s Nicklas Backstrom scored the first goal against Latvian goalkeeper Edgars Masalskis. Alexander Steen and Jorgen Jonsson were credited with assists, according to the official Web site of the World Championship, ihwc.net.

At 6:28 into the second period, Sweden added another goal off the stick of Johan Akerman, who was assisted by Jonathan Hedstrom. At 7:48 into the period, Latvia’s Leonids Tambijevs was sent to the penalty box for high sticking, so Sweden took advantage and scored again on a power play. Credit for the point went to Rickard Wallin, with assists from Akerman and Tony Martenson.

Just under two minutes from the end of the period, Sweden made it 4-0 when Fredrik Bremberg scored. He was aided by Dick Tarnstrom and Johan Davidsson.

For the third period, Latvia brought in a fresh goalkeeper, veteran Sergejs Naumovs. The Latvian offense appeared fresher, too. A minute into the period, Kaspars Daugaviņš, assisted by Herberts Vasiļjevs and Oļegs Sorokins, scored Latvia’s first goal on a power play. And at 2:31 into the period, Aleksejs Širokovs scored, assisted by Aleksandrs Macijevskis and Aleksandrs Jerofejevs.

The Latvian rally remained brief, however, as the Swedes quickly took back the ice and scored four more goals. Johansson scored at 3:08, assisted by Tarnstrom and Backstrom. Patric Hornqvist made it 6-2 at 15:13 into the period. He was assisted by Bremberg and Tarnstrom.

Fredrik Warg added another Swedish goal at 16:30. He was assisted by Jonsson. And Tarnstrom got the final point, scoring at 17:15 into the period with assists from Hornqvist and Davidsson.

The Swedes took 30 shots on goal, which Latvia got 24 attempts at getting the puck past Swedish goalkeeper Daniel Henriksson. Latvia racked up 24 minutes in the penalty box, while Sweden had 18.

A total of 5,250 spectators attended the game, according to IHWC.net.

Latvia plays Italy in a game scheduled at 16:15 hours Moscow time May 2 in Arena Khodynka.

A total of 125 Latvians living abroad in 14 countries have signed a symbolic petition in support of members of the Latvian intelligentsia who have publicly expressed their agreement with efforts to call a national referendum on controversial amendments to two national security laws.

The signatures are being gathered by the Chicago-based cikaga.com Web site, edited by Artis Inka. The goal, he said in an e-mail, is to encourage friends and relatives in Latvia to sign the petitions. Latvian citizens have until May 2 to sign the petitions.

“It is almost impossible for Latvian citizens abroad to participate in this process,” Inka told Latvians Online. “For example, in Australia, Argentina (and) Brazil no opportunity exists.”

The process of collecting signatures began April 3 following President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga’s March 10 decision to suspend implementation of the amendments. Even though the parliament rescinded the amendments after her decision, the petition drive had to continue. A number of observers have noted that the potential referendum is not so much about the amendments, but about expressing lack of confidence in the Saeima (the Latvian parliament) and the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Aigars Kalvītis.

It was Kalvītis and the Cabinet of Ministers who pushed through the amendments in January by emergency decree while the Saeima was in recess. The amendments gave the government more oversight of national security institutions, a move some critics claimed allowed politicians too much power over potentially sensitive information and investigations. The Saeima subsequently approved the amendments, but Vīķe-Freiberga vetoed them. After the Saeima overrode the veto, the president used her constitutional right to suspend implementation of the amendments, which automatically raised the possibility of a national referendum. Before the petition drive could start, however, the Saeima on March 29 rescinded the amendments.

Led by former foreign minister Sandra Kalniete (now a member of the Jaunais laiks, or New Era, party), a number of Latvian political, social and cultural leaders on April 12 issued a public appeal to citizens to sign the petition.

The petition hosted by cikaga.com is purely symbolic. Those who have signed it, the Web site said in a press release, are warning the current and future governments that Latvians do not accept attempts by small groups of people to grab political power.

Inka said those who signed the symbolic petition are invited to suggest what further should be done with it.

More than 600 stations around Latvia have been open to gather signatures on the referendum petitions, while 32 Latvian embassies and consulates have been open to gather signatures from citizens living abroad. In the United States, the only station is the Embassy of Latvia in Washington, D.C.

As of April 25, more than 110,000 signatures had been gathered in favor of the referendum. At least 149,064 signatures are needed, representing 10 percent of the number of voters in the last parliamentary election.

A provisional total is expected to be announced May 3 by the Central Election Commission in Rīga.

In what may be her final trip to the United States as Latvia’s president, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga will visit the nation’s capital and the state of Kentucky from May 1-6, her press office has announced.

Vīķe-Freiberga’s visit will begin with a half-hour May 1 meeting with U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.

That evening, she will participate in an event marking the 85th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Latvia and the United States. During the ceremony, the president will present Latvian state honors to a number of individual, including former U.S. national security adviser Zbigniew Brzeziński and Karl Altau, managing director of the Joint Baltic American National Committee.

The president’s schedule for May 2 includes meetings with Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives; Democratic Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate’s majority leader, and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.

Vīķe-Freiberga remains in Washington, D.C., on May 3, meeting with representatives of The Atlantic Council and participating in an Internet videoconference with students from the council. That evening, she will participate in the 101st annual meeting of the American Jewish Committee, during which she will be presented the Madeline and Bruce Ramer Award for Diplomatic Excellence. Vīķe-Freiberga also is scheduled to address the meeting and to present the Order of Three Stars to David Harris, executive director of the AJC.

On May 4, the president heads west to Kentucky, home state of the U.S. ambassador to Latvia, Catherine Todd Bailey. Vīķe-Freiberga is expected to meet with Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher in Frankfort as well as with Louisville business leaders.

On May 5, Vīķe-Freiberga is expected to tour the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft in Louisville. The president also is scheduled to take in the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs.

Before returning to Latvia on May 6, Vīķe-Freiberga is scheduled to meet at 11:30 a.m. with members of the Latvian community in Louisville.

The Latvian parliament first elected Vīķe-Freiberga as president of Latvia in 1999 and re-elected her in 2003. Her term in office ends in July.