The M-Vave FM-1 is a low-cost, pocket-sized synthesizer that has attracted community-made firmware projects, including a version that runs Doom. M-Vave has released development tools and open-sourced the application layer, but flashing custom firmware can erase data or leave the device unusable if an update fails.
Key Facts
The FM-1 costs about $59.72 after fees and has 27 physical piano keys and a 1.54-inch TFT display.
Community members began reverse-engineering the device’s firmware in July, and custom firmware projects appeared by September.
On October 17, M-Vave announced FM1 Open, which includes an SDK, a browser-based workbench, and stock firmware version 15.
M-Vave published the application source under the GPLv3 license and included a browser-based emulator.
The FM-1’s stock synthesizer engine remains a closed binary; only the application layer is open.
The device uses a single flash bank, so an interrupted firmware update can make recovery difficult.
Flashing firmware wipes saved projects and settings, which users should back up first.
A force-flash tool in the FM1 Workbench restored the author’s device to stock version 15 after a failed attempt to install custom firmware on version 14.
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Data centers can create thousands of temporary construction jobs but usually employ far fewer people once they begin operating. Their economic impact can also include tax revenue and work for suppliers and local businesses, though communities weigh these gains against public incentives and resource demands.
Key Facts
Large hyperscale data centers often employ dozens to a few hundred workers during operations, despite requiring thousands during construction.
A Meta data center under construction in El Paso, Texas, is part of a stated $10 billion investment and is expected to employ more than 4,000 people at peak construction.
Meta expects more than 300 employees to operate the El Paso facility after it is built.
Amazon said its planned data center investment in northwest Louisiana had risen from $12 billion to $18 billion, with 2,250 construction jobs and 750 full-time positions planned.
Amazon said it plans to invest $25 billion in Mississippi and create 2,000 high-skilled jobs across its data center operations there.
Amazon said its data center investments supported more than 270,000 jobs across the U.S. economy last year, including construction, suppliers, manufacturers, technicians, and local businesses.
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The article says that false information can enter news coverage more easily than many people expect. The supplied text does not explain how this happens or provide examples.
Key Facts
The article focuses on false information appearing in news coverage.
The article mentions faulty midterm polling.
The supplied content consists of one sentence and gives no further details.
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President Donald Trump said he is weighing a deal with Iran or renewed U.S. strikes, while Iranian officials said indirect negotiations continue and Tehran will not change its positions under threat. Officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are due to meet Iranian officials in Tehran to discuss regional security and de-escalation. Brent crude traded near $115 a barrel early Monday amid concerns about global supply.
Key Facts
Trump said Sunday that he is deciding whether to reach an agreement with Iran or take action to “finish them off.”
Iranian officials said indirect negotiations with the United States are continuing.
Iran said it would not change its positions if the United States resumes attacks.
The United States has sent additional forces, including a third aircraft carrier group, to the region.
Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday.
Saudi Arabia said the visit aims to promote dialogue and diplomatic solutions amid the regional crisis.
Brent crude traded around $115 a barrel early Monday after rising the previous week over supply concerns.
Iran’s foreign ministry said the result of Israel’s legislative elections would make no difference to Tehran.
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Saudi Arabia’s coalition said it struck Houthi missile facilities and supply routes in Yemen, while Saudi officials and the Houthis reported further missile and drone attacks. The strikes come as fighting has intensified after a truce collapsed and Yemen’s government forces launched a counteroffensive.
Key Facts
Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said the operation destroyed four missile launchers and five tunnels used to store missiles.
Al-Maliki said coalition forces also struck a missile depot and Houthi positions, equipment, and supply routes in Yemen.
The Houthis claimed they attacked Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport with a ballistic missile; Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted a missile launched toward Riyadh.
The article says a Houthi attack on the airport earlier this month killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
The airport reopened on Sunday after a temporary closure, while the Houthis warned travellers to avoid it.
The Houthis also claimed drone attacks on Saudi oil pumping stations and missile attacks on forces and weapons depots in Yemen.
A 2022 truce collapsed last month, and Yemen’s government forces launched the Operation Yemen Dawn counteroffensive this month.
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U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s comments on Suwayda suggest Washington favors Syrian government control over the governorate, while Israel is seen as backing a Druze armed group linked to local leader Hikmat al-Hijri. The article describes a gap between President Donald Trump’s effort to build ties with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Israel’s actions and security demands in southern Syria.
Key Facts
Suwayda is a majority-Druze governorate in southern Syria where the government does not have full control.
Barrack discussed Suwayda in a Friday interview with Australian X personality Mario Nawfal.
The National Guard, a Druze armed group linked to Hikmat al-Hijri, has been accused of receiving Israeli support and pursuing separatist aims.
The article says Israel has seized land in Quneitra and other areas, bombed Syria’s Ministry of Defence, and carried out incursions in southern Syria since Bashar al-Assad’s government fell in December 2024.
The United States has gradually rebuilt relations with Damascus since Assad’s fall.
Protests against the Assad government began in Suwayda in 2023 and continued until its collapse in December 2024.
Deadly sectarian violence followed fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze in Suwayda in July 2025.
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European wholesale gas prices reached €97 per megawatt-hour on Monday, their highest level since 2022, as colder weather and concerns about winter supply drove up demand expectations. Europe’s gas storage is about 75% full, and the UK faces high energy costs amid limited storage and reliance on imports.
Key Facts
The UK month-ahead gas contract rose 4% to 240 pence per therm, its highest level since December 2022.
Reports of possible renewed US and Israeli strikes against Iran after the US midterm elections added to fears of supply disruption.
Brent crude fell about 2% on Monday but remained above $114 a barrel, after reaching $117 on Friday.
European gas storage was about 75% full, compared with a seasonal average of around 80%, and was at its lowest level in more than a decade.
The article links the storage shortfall to slower Qatari exports and increased summer gas use for cooling.
The UK paid a record £4 billion for power imports in the year ending in August, with half spent on electricity from France, according to the Office for National Statistics.
UK household energy bills were forecast to rise 16% in January, to about £2,000 for a typical annual bill.
The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.3% and the FTSE 100 rose 0.4% in early Monday trading.
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Police arrested a man near a film set on Oct. 25, 2026. Officials said he displayed a knife and was charged with menacing and criminal possession of a weapon.
Key Facts
Police took the man into custody near a film set.
Officials said the man was displaying a knife.
He was charged with menacing.
He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
The report was published on Oct. 25, 2026.
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Amnezia Pulse recorded 80 internet-disruption incidents across 36 Russian regions from September 15 to October 20, 2026. The VPN provider says some shutdowns now affect multiple regions or telecom operators at once, while residents report losing access to everyday services and relying on workarounds.
Key Facts
Krasnodar Krai had nine recorded incidents, the most of any region in the period.
Samara Oblast and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast each had six incidents.
Including data from April and May, Amnezia Pulse has recorded disruptions in at least 45 Russian regions.
Amnezia said it paused its project after what it described as an attack by Russia’s internet regulator, Roskomnadzor.
The provider reported synchronized shutdowns in Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions and an outage affecting three operators in St. Petersburg.
Amnezia said mobile internet is most often affected; disruptions may last hours or two to three days, and wired connections often remain available.
Residents interviewed by Newsweek said outages or whitelist restrictions disrupted grocery orders, taxi calls, navigation, and work.
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Companies have developed lower-carbon concrete, recycled asphalt and advanced plastics for infrastructure, but outdated specifications and permitting rules can limit their use. Industry leaders say agencies need to update standards so these materials can be adopted at scale and help meet climate goals.
Key Facts
Teknor Apex works with a startup that captures methane and turns it into a plastic-like material.
Teknor Apex adds features such as UV protection and durability to materials used in products including pipes and cables.
Meta used AI to develop a concrete mix that its principal research scientist said is stronger, faster to use and more sustainable, using available ingredients.
Some state transportation departments limit recycled asphalt to about 20% of new pavement mixes, according to CRH sustainability chief Eunice Heath.
Heath said CRH has demonstrated asphalt mixes with 40% to 60% recycled material and reported a 35% reduction in carbon emissions.
Industry leaders said outdated building specifications and fragmented permitting can block the use of newer materials.
Companies may need 12 to 24 months to scale up new materials, according to Patty Mishic O’Brien of Teknor Apex.
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UK Chancellor John Healey plans to introduce a new tax allowance for low-income pensioners in his first Budget on Wednesday. The measure is intended to ensure people whose only income is the state pension do not pay income tax as the full state pension is expected to rise above the personal allowance.
Key Facts
The full, flat-rate state pension is expected to rise by 3.9% to £13,036.40 a year from April.
The current personal tax allowance is £12,570.
The government had pledged not to tax people whose only income is the state pension.
The Treasury has not confirmed how many pensioners the proposed allowance would affect.
The Budget is due to be printed on Monday evening, and Healey is expected to deliver it on Wednesday lunchtime.
The Conservatives and Reform UK published alternative Budget proposals that include cuts to welfare spending.
The Liberal Democrats called for a growth and defence partnership with the EU, while the Green Party proposed ending tax relief for data centres to fund energy bill support.
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Consultant doctors in England plan a two-day strike starting on 25 November over pay and pensions. They will provide emergency cover only, after talks between the British Medical Association and the government failed to prevent the walkout.
Key Facts
The strike is scheduled to begin at 06:59 GMT on 25 November and last two days.
Consultants will provide emergency cover during the strike.
In a ballot earlier this year, 76% of participating consultants voted for strike action; turnout was just above the 50% threshold.
Consultants received a 3.5% pay increase this year.
The BMA says consultants’ pay has fallen by a quarter over 17 years after accounting for inflation.
Basic consultant pay ranges from £113,500 to £150,500, while the government says average total pay exceeds £150,000.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper called the announced strike dates disappointing and said action would put more pressure on the health service.
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Japanese prosecutors indicted U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard on murder and robbery charges in the killing of 39-year-old Anna Yagi in Naha, Okinawa. The case has renewed debate over U.S. military conduct and the concentration of American forces on the island, while Japanese and U.S. officials review rules for troops’ off-duty activities.
Key Facts
A court spokesman said prosecutors filed the indictment on October 25.
Police arrested Ballard, 20, who is stationed at Futenma Air Station, after Yagi was found killed at a Naha hotel.
The indictment alleges Ballard strangled Yagi with a telephone cord on October 3 and stole her backpack and belongings.
Reports citing investigative sources said Ballard initially denied the allegations but later made statements implying involvement.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan and the United States would review rules for U.S. troops’ off-base conduct, including patrols and curfews.
The U.S. military imposed a two-day operational pause after Ballard’s arrest, followed by a month-long curfew.
Okinawa hosts about 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan and most of the roughly 54,000 U.S. troops stationed there.
Prefectural police said arrests involving U.S. service members and their family members exceeded 100 last year.
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Senior doctors in England plan a two-day strike in November, the British Medical Association said. The action is scheduled to start at 6:59 a.m. on 25 November, with emergency cover only.
Key Facts
The striking doctors are consultants.
The British Medical Association announced the planned action.
The strike is scheduled to begin at 6:59 a.m. on 25 November.
The action is planned to last two days.
Only emergency cover will be provided during the strike.
More than three-quarters of consultants who took part in the BMA ballot voted for strike action.
Consultants received a 3.5% pay increase this year.
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A 93-year-old woman in Japan suspected a caller who claimed to be a police officer and said her bank account had an unauthorized withdrawal. She consulted her son and police, then pretended to cooperate; officers arrested a 47-year-old man when he arrived at her home to collect her ATM card.
Key Facts
The woman lives in the Shiga region of western Japan.
The caller contacted her from Wednesday through Thursday last week and falsely claimed to be a police officer.
The caller said someone would visit to collect her ATM card for an account check.
The woman alerted her son and police before the visitor arrived.
Police officers were waiting at her home and arrested the 47-year-old man at the door.
Fraudsters stole about 325.7 billion yen, or $2 billion, from victims in Japan last year.
A local police official urged elderly residents who suspect fraud to consult family members.
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Marilyn Hampton, a longtime custodian in Texas’ Aubrey School District, received a special honor at a tearful ceremony. She worked in the district for four decades and made a lasting mark there, according to the article.
Key Facts
Marilyn Hampton worked as a custodian in the Aubrey School District.
The district is in Denton County, Texas.
Hampton worked there for four decades.
The article says she made her mark over the course of her career.
Hampton received a special honor at a ceremony.
The ceremony was described as tearful.
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The Department of Energy posted a graphic about Tribal energy projects that omitted Vermont from its map of the United States. The department announced that 63 Tribal-led projects had been selected for negotiations over more than $125 million in federal funding.
Key Facts
The DOE shared the graphic on its official X account.
Viewers pointed out Vermont’s absence in comments and an X community note.
The DOE announced the project selections on October 22.
The 63 projects would receive more than $125 million if funding negotiations succeed.
Projects include connecting Tribal homes to electricity and upgrading community energy infrastructure.
The DOE said Tribal households face energy costs 28 percent above the national average and about 17,000 Tribal homes lack electricity.
The article says Newsweek contacted the DOE but could not confirm whether AI was used to make the graphic.
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The article says thousands welcomed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in Caracas after she returned to Venezuela from 10 months in exile. It claims she left last December, shortly before the United States abducted President Nicolas Maduro and backed his deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, as leader.
Key Facts
Thousands reportedly lined the streets of Caracas to greet Machado.
Machado returned to Venezuela after 10 months in exile, according to the article.
The article says Machado fled Venezuela last December.
The article claims the United States abducted President Nicolas Maduro.
The article says the United States backed Maduro's deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, as leader.
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Algeria’s two parliamentary chambers approved sending troops to Niger to protect energy facilities. The deployment would be Algeria’s first military deployment abroad since it sent troops to Egypt during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, as the two countries expand security and energy cooperation.
Key Facts
Niger faces continuing attacks by armed groups, including near its border with Algeria.
Algeria and Niger share a 960-kilometre desert border and have agreed to cooperate against jihadist violence, cross-border crime and trafficking.
Algeria’s upper house said all 148 members present approved the proposal; the lower house reported approval by an absolute majority.
The countries are working on the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, a project intended to carry Nigerian natural gas through Niger for export to Europe.
A 2020 constitutional amendment requires approval from two-thirds of Algeria’s parliament for troop deployments outside the country.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on October 3 that Algeria would protect Niger and referred to joint oil and mining agreements.
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The article argues that a major Democratic win in the midterms should be read as more than a rejection of Donald Trump and his administration. It urges Democrats to challenge Republican claims of strength on national security and the economy, while warning them not to limit their message to everyday cost-of-living concerns.
Key Facts
The article says Democrats appear likely to win significantly in the midterm elections.
It argues that voters’ concerns about inflation and corruption helped Democrats connect politics to daily life.
The author says Democrats should treat a victory as an opportunity to challenge the Republican image of competence on national security and the economy.
The article criticizes the Trump administration for alienating allies, mistreating foreign students, and weakening American universities’ ability to attract international talent.
It links the administration’s approach to the Iran war with what the author describes as a lack of strategic thinking and disregard for human life.
The author argues that Republicans have betrayed Ukraine and that the loss of U.S. bases in the Middle East could be damaging.
The article challenges the Republican reputation as the party best able to manage the economy, but the provided text ends before developing that argument.
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