September 6, 2002

Driving article on 500-mile trip around perimeter of island of Hawaii, from snowy summit of Mauna Kea to lava deserts, rain forests, tourists attractions and abandoned sugar cane fields; photos; map (M)

Yugoslavia defeats US, 81-78, to eliminate US from world basketball championships; photo (M)

ABB says its chief executive Jorgen Centerman has resigned; chairman Jurgen Dormann will take on expanded role of chief executive immediately; Dorman says there will be 'no change in strategy, except to speed up asset sales'; photo (M)

Assassination attempt on Afghan Pres Hamid Karzai is foiled by American Special Operations forces team assigned as his bodyguards in Kandahar, while huge car bomb in Kabul kills at least 25 people and critically wounds dozens of others; two attacks are staged within hours of each other in country's largest cities; Afghan officials blame terrorists linked to Al Qaeda and Taliban, and say attacks appear to have been timed around anniversary of Sept 11 attacks in United States; attack in Kandahar comes very close to jeopardizing post-Taliban government structure; bullets fired into Karzai's car as it moves through crowd of well-wishers come within inches of him; members of American Special Operations forces team fire back, killing gunman, but take casualty of their own; soldier grazed in gunfight is taken to field hospital at US military base outside city; attacks seem likely to renew debate about pattern of international deployments in Afghanistan; Pentagon officials who have opposed expanding international security force beyond Kabul now say that enlarging it may help overall security and allow American troops to leave country sooner; photos; map (L)

Papers filed in divorce of former General Electric chief executive John F Welch Jr by his wife Jane contends GE covered enormous living costs for them while he led company and will continue to do so for him for rest of his life; extent of benefits has never been disclosed by company; GE has reported that Welch's total compensation, including bonus and salary, was $16.7 million in 2000, his last full year at company before his retirement last September; also said that he will remain consultant to company on retainer of $86,000 per year and will continue to have access to GE services and facilities; chart; photo (M)