Notes:
Union Ministry of External Affairs of India has recently launched a platform called the Trilateral Development Corporation (TDC).
The fund would involve private sectors with state support for investments in the Indo-Pacific region and other regions. It aims to provide an alternative to China’s Belt-Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure development strategy. UK offers 5G, nuclear and high-speed rail technologies for BRI.

Notes:
Ever since the Soviet Union conquered the Kuril Islands in 1945, the ownership has been challenged by Japan.
In the latest version of the 2022 Diplomatic Bluebook, which was published by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Northern Territories are “islands over which Japan has sovereignty, but now are illegally occupied by Russia.”

Notes:
The board of top micro-blogging company Twitter has agreed to a USD 44bn takeover offer from the billionaire Elon Musk.
Elon Musk is the world’s richest person, according to Forbes magazine, with an estimated net worth of USD 273.6bn. He runs the electric vehicle maker Tesla and the aerospace firm SpaceX.

Notes:
According to new data on global military spending published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), total global military expenditure increased by 0.7 per cent in 2021, to reach USD 2113 billion. This was the seventh consecutive year that spending increased and the first time to cross USD 2.1 trillion.
The five largest spenders in 2021 were the United States, China, India, the United Kingdom and Russia, respectively together accounting for 62 per cent of expenditure.

Notes:
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in association with the India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) is organising Asia’s biggest international food and hospitality fair AAHAR 2022.
The fair is being organised at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. As per the Commerce and Industry Ministry, more than 80 exporters from different segments of agricultural products will participate in the fair. APEDA has created stalls for exporters from North East Region and Himalayan states, women entrepreneurs, FPOs, Start Ups and exporters of millets.