World datelines

Afghanistan

KABUL — A suicide bomber disguised as a doctor blew himself up Tuesday morning at the opening of a hospital ward built by U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan, wounding six U.S. soldiers as they tackled him at the entrance, officials said. A U.S. soldier was also killed farther north, in Kunar province, on Monday, the U.S. military reported.

Belgium

BRUSSELS — European Union environment ministers agreed Tuesday on an ambitious target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 in one of the boldest moves yet to contain global warming — a goal likely to lead to mandatory limits for cars and pollution allowances for airlines.

Britain

LONDON — London's socialist mayor signed an agreement Tuesday with Venezuela's state-owned oil company to provide discounted oil for the city's iconic red buses, praising the idea as the brainstorm of the country's leftist leader, Hugo Chavez.

Canada

TORONTO — The Canadian government and Bill Gates announced an initiative Tuesday to establish a research institute to develop an AIDS vaccine, committing a total of $119 million to the project. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government has pledged $95.3 million to a new fund called the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative, while the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has promised up to $24 million.

China

BEIJING — A group of Chinese scholars and retired officials has petitioned China's legislature to halt the privatization of state companies, arguing it has widened the country's income gap and fueled social unrest, a petitioner said Tuesday.

Egypt

CAIRO — A joint Egyptian-Australian archaeological team carrying out excavations near Egypt's ancient capital, Memphis, have found a rare wooden statue representing a scribe and his wife dating back more than 4,000 years.

Indonesia

WAY KAMBAS NATIONAL PARK — After a trip half way around the world, a Sumatran rhino born at a Cincinnati zoo began adjusting to a new home today.

Israel