Government Formation: Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkēvičs has tasked incumbent PM Andris Kulbergs (United List) with forming the next government after the party’s record election win (41 of 100 seats), with coalition talks expected to show progress by early November and a formal nomination only after the new Saeima convenes on Nov. 3. Border Security: Latvia extended Operation “Werewolf” on the Belarus border until Dec. 31 to curb illegal migration, as the flow surged this year; meanwhile, masked armed men from Belarus tried to push migrants into Latvia and then briefly crossed, damaging equipment and stealing surveillance cameras. Regional Deterrence: Germany ended a short deployment of Eurofighter jets in Latvia after election airspace protection, underscoring NATO’s rapid reinforcement capacity. Russia-Ukraine Pressure: German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned Russia may target not just Ukraine but also Georgia, Moldova and the Baltics, naming Latvia and Estonia among potential future concerns. Diplomatic Friction: Latvia moved to expel a Russian journalist formerly linked to the BBC, amid wider anger over Russian political influence efforts. EU Defence Innovation: The EU Parliament backed the €115m AGILE programme to speed defence tech support for SMEs and start-ups.