# Presidential election

• Only hours before the anti -BJP bloc was set to unanimously endorse the name of former diplomat and West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi as its consensus nominee for the presidential polls, Gandhi declined to accept the offer.
• Gopalkrishna Gandhi said that he was grateful, but that the opposition’s candidate should be someone “who will generate national consensus and a national atmosphere beside opposition unity.
• The opposition bloc will meet on Tuesday to finalise a fresh candidate, with BJP rebel Yashwant sinha being discussed as a likely alternative.
• The BJP brass will hold its first formal meet on Tuesday to finalise its candidates for the presidential polls.

# Europe

• Europe’s biggest Russian gas buyers raced to find alternative fuel supplies on Monday and could burn more coals to cope with reduced gas flows from Russia that threatens an energy crisis in winter.
• Germany, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands have all signalled that coal fired power plants could help see the continent through a crisis that has sent gas prices surging and added to the challenge facing policymakers battling inflation.
• Russia surpassed Saudi Arabia to become China’s largest source of petroleum import.

# Air India

• Air India is considering ordering as many as 300 narrow body jets.
• The carrier may order Airbus’s A320neo family jets or boeing’s 737 max models.
• A deal for 300 737 max 10 jets could be worth $40 billion at sticker prices.

# Israel

• Israeli PM Naftali Bennett’s office announced on Monday that his weakened coalition will be disbanded and the country will head to new elections.
• Bennett has struggled to keep his unruly coalition of eight parties since it took office one year ago.