World news round-up: 5 overnight developments from around the globe

Texas school district reviewing over 400 books, pulls them from library shelves

A San Antonio, Texas, school district has removed over 400 books from library shelves, works included on a list that a conservative state lawmaker has said may be inappropriate for children. The North East Independent School District said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that it is reviewing 414 books and that most would likely be returned to library shelves soon, following a review for age appropriateness. Reports of the review came as free speech advocates are raising concerns about an increase in calls to ban books.

Japanese billionaire docks at International Space Station

A Russian rocket carrying Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa set off for the International Space Station (ISS) Wednesday, arriving safely and on schedule a few hours later.

Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa reacts as he speaks with his family after donning space suits shortly before the launch to the International Space Station (ISS) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Dec 8, 2021. (Reuters)

Accompanying Maezawa on his trip to space were his assistant Yozo Hirano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin. Upon entering the station, the three will then spend 12 days on the station, with Maezawa set to share his experiences on his YouTube channel — all of which will be documented by his assistant Hirano.

Biden says US will not put troops in Ukraine, as tensions with Russia ease

US President Joe Biden said Wednesday that putting American troops on the ground in Ukraine to deter a potential Russian invasion was “not on the table,” as tension between Moscow and Washington eased slightly after a virtual summit this week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would send ideas to Washington within a week to follow up his talks with Biden on Tuesday about the Ukraine crisis.

Olaf Scholz formally sworn in as German chancellor

The German Bundestag elected Olaf Scholz as chancellor on Wednesday morning, as Angela Merkel bows out from the political stage. The morning vote by Germany’s lower legislative chamber — held by secret ballot and without debate — was seen as a formality.

Merkel wished Scholz the best of luck, using a German idiom that might be loosely translated as a “felicitous hand,” while carrying out “the best job there is.” Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD) emerged as the largest party in September’s general election and has since negotiated a coalition deal with the environmentalist Greens and the business-focused Free Democratic Party (FDP).

From the homepage

In Bihar poll results tomorrow, 3 pillars of NDA’s hopes: Nitish, Mahila vote, social arithmetic edge

Mahagathbandhan’s calculation: Caste maths, with Tejashwi as a plus

How Japan shrugged off its Rare Earths dependency on China