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10 News Flash Points: World, India and Tamil Nadu — November 1, 2026

World France protests: Police made 779 arrests during a third weekend of demonstrations over living costs and education, fewer than the previous two weekends. Officials expected renewed tensions as schools reopened. Source: AP Middle East diplomacy: Iran’s foreign minister said mediator consultations were continuing and described a conditional proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz; he said direct US-Iran talks were not under way. Source: AP Youth Olympics: Dakar 2026 opened in Senegal, marking the first Olympic event held on African soil. The IOC reported participation from 204 national Olympic committees and a refugee team. Source: IOC India GST collections: Gross GST revenue reached ₹2.31 lakh crore in October, up 22.9% year on year; import-linked receipts grew faster than domestic collections. Source: Akashvani Cotton imports: The Centre extended the exemption from import duty on raw cotton through December 31, a move presented as balancing textile supply needs with farmer in...
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How to read India’s GST collection figures: gross, net and import growth

When October’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections were reported at ₹2.31 lakh crore, the number was a measure of tax receipts—not a direct scorecard of household wellbeing or economic growth. Reading the release correctly means separating gross collections from net revenue, checking which tax components rose, and remembering that a year-on-year comparison is affected by the base month. Gross GST is the amount recorded before refunds are deducted. In October, gross collections were up 22.9% from the same month in 2025. The government’s figures, reported by Akashvani News , showed that refunds also increased. After ₹27,934 crore in refunds, net revenue stood near ₹2.03 lakh crore, a 25.6% rise. Gross and net answer different questions: how much tax was collected, and how much remained after refunds. The next step is to look at the source of growth. October domestic collections increased 15.8%, while import-related GST rose 42.2%. A high import number can reflect larger shipment vol...
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French protest arrests fall as schools prepare to reopen after third weekend of marches

French authorities reported fewer arrests and less severe damage after a third weekend of demonstrations over living costs and education, but officials warned on Sunday that tensions could return when schools reopen. The protests have brought together young people and workers around concerns that include education facilities, low wages, housing costs and the price of daily necessities. Police arrested 779 people during Saturday’s demonstrations, the government said, down from 1,314 the previous weekend and 2,628 on October 17. About 70,000 officers were deployed around the country. The lower arrest count offered a sign that the latest marches were less violent overall, though clashes still injured officers and damaged property in Paris. In the capital, police said three officers were injured after rioters threw Molotov cocktails at the end of a march near the city’s eastern edge. A car was set on fire. Elsewhere, masked groups launched fireworks at police near the Eiffel Tower, prompti...
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Iran says Gulf diplomacy continues as Gaza strikes and ship damage add to tensions

Diplomacy around the Strait of Hormuz remained uncertain on Sunday as Iran’s foreign minister said consultations with mediators were continuing, while the United States had yet to answer Tehran’s questions. Abbas Araghchi said Iran hoped Washington would choose diplomacy, but added that his country was preparing for either negotiations or defence. His remarks describe Tehran’s position; they do not establish that an agreement is near. Araghchi said Iranian negotiators were in Qatar discussing a proposal that could reopen the Strait within two days if the United States accepted several conditions. He said direct talks with Washington were not taking place. The narrow waterway is a critical route for global energy shipments, so any sustained disruption can affect shipping costs and oil and gas markets far beyond the Gulf. The proposal remained conditional and no reopening agreement had been announced, according to The Associated Press’ November 1 regional report . The same report describ...
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Cyclone Murasu intensifies over Bay of Bengal; IMD tracks approach to Andhra coast

Cyclonic Storm Murasu strengthened over the southwest and west-central Bay of Bengal on Sunday, November 1, as it moved toward India’s east coast. In an evening bulletin, the India Meteorological Department placed the storm about 350 kilometres east of Chennai and forecast that it would intensify further before approaching the south Andhra Pradesh coast. The agency’s track and timing were forecasts, not a guarantee of the exact landfall point. The bulletin said Murasu was likely to move northwest and become a severe cyclonic storm by the early hours of November 2. IMD projected a possible crossing of the south Andhra Pradesh coast between midnight on November 2 and early November 3, with sustained winds of 100–110 kilometres an hour and gusts up to 120 kilometres an hour. That forecast window was current at the bulletin’s issue time and could change with later updates. At 5:30 p.m. IST, the system’s centre was roughly 420 kilometres east-southeast of Chennai, 490 kilometres from Nellor...
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GST collections rise 22.9% to ₹2.31 lakh crore in October

India’s gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections reached ₹2,31,290 crore in October, rising 22.9% from the same month last year, according to provisional government figures released on November 1. The monthly total was among the highest since GST began in 2017, but the mix of revenue matters: receipts linked to imports increased much faster than domestic collections. Domestic GST revenue rose 15.8% year on year to about ₹1.59 lakh crore. Import-related receipts climbed 42.2% to ₹72,246 crore. The import component therefore contributed close to one-third of the gross total. The figures were reported by the government through Akashvani News ; the data are provisional and may be revised. Gross collections include tax booked before refunds are paid. October refunds rose 6.5% to ₹27,934 crore. After refunds, net revenue was about ₹2.03 lakh crore, up 25.6% from October 2025. This difference is important: the gross figure measures tax collected during the month, while the net figure re...
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India Extends Cotton Import Duty Exemption Through December 31

The Union government has extended the customs-duty exemption on imported raw cotton for two more months, keeping the relief in place until December 31. The change prevents the existing exemption from expiring on October 31 and gives textile mills another short window to source fibre from abroad without the covered import duties. The Ministry of Textiles said the Department of Revenue notified the extension through Customs Notification No. 35/2026, dated October 30. The announcement was published the next day. The government said it acted to meet the textile industry’s raw-material needs, improve cotton availability at competitive prices and support manufacturing, including value addition in garments and other textile products. It also said the decision must balance mill requirements with the interests of domestic cotton farmers. This is a continuation of an existing policy, not a permanent change to India’s cotton tariff. The original duty-free window began on June 1 and was due to clo...
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