July 27, 1998

Russians return to Afghanistan, decade after departing in humiliation, reportedly playing major supporting role on side of rebel coalition fighting against Taliban, militant Islamic group that controls most of country; have not committed troops, but are supplying heavy weapons, training and logistical support to rebels holding country's northern mountainous tier; find themselves in loose collaboration with Iran in countering growing power of Taliban; US officials believe support may be part of larger Russian strategy to reassert influence over Central Asia and its vast oil reserves; increasing involvement comes at time when American role is diminishing; US, which took intense interest in Afghanistan in 1980's when Reagan Administration viewed it as crucial cold-war battleground, is currently only marginal player--overshadowed by more direct involvement of American oil companies; map; photo (M)

First USA Riverfront Arts Center in Wilmington, Del, will display 700 objects in exhibit Nicholas and Alexandra: The Last Imperial Family of Czarist Russia; most objects are on loan from State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia; Mostly Mozart Festival will begin its 32d season and include debuts of Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, from Britain, and Concerto Kolm, from Germany; mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager will perform opening night at Avery Fisher Hall; photo; Swansea, Wales, will hold monthlong celebration of native son Dylan Thomas; J Paul Getty Museum opens first in-depth exhibition devoted to photographer Walker Evans's vision of New York City (M)

Bruno Murari, head of semiconductor research laboratory, is considered grandmaster of analog circuit design, subordinate field of electronics in which his employer, ST Microelectronics, is world leader; Murari has designed 10 major analog integrated circuits and supervised design of 1,000 more in his 37-year career; he now faces his greatest challenge as ST Microsystems prepares to become major player in emerging market for micro-electro-mechanical systems, or MEMS chips; MEMS market is expected to explode in next century with birth of remarkable new class of chips, those covered with millions of microscopic mirrors that are heart of projection display systems, or those that have ability to detect gases and liquids that serve as chemical or biomedical sensors; photos (M)

New Jersey and growing number of other states, under pressure from hospitals demanding greater flexibility to compete, have begun to lift restrictions on kind of specialized services and new technology that hospitals can provide; most states began imposing restrictions two decades ago, mainly to hold down costs by limiting duplicative services at hospitals in same area; some hospitals say that with managed care squeezing costs out of health care system, restrictions are no longer needed; effort to loosen restrictions is opposed by many urban hospitals, which offer most of specialized services (M)

A New York City police officer was fighting for his life after being shot in the head last night on Staten Island, apparently a 17-year-old parolee who was wanted for questioning on a new murder charge, the authorities said.