November 12, 1997

Musan Topalovic and other Muslim paramilitary leaders rose from shadows to become warlords and folk heroes in first days of Bosnian war; it has become increasingly clear that they also played far darker role in war, murdering scores of Bosnian Serb civilians who remained in Sarajevo when fighting broke out in 1992; accounts of killings, described by witnesses and previously secret court documents, are first public indication that Muslim soldiers were involved in significant wartime atrocities against ethnic Serbian civilians; savagery does not appear to have been comparable in scale to Bosnian Serbs' organized campaign of 'ethnic cleansing'; map; photo of Kazani pit, site where Bosnian Muslims killed Serbian civilians and dumped their bodies (M)

Kodak Cuts 10,000 Jobs In Bid for a Turnaround In a painful admission that a decade's worth of cutbacks has failed to work, Eastman Kodak said it would cut 10,000 jobs, or 10 percent of the photography giant's work force. It was the biggest layoff announcement this year by any American corporation and marked the most drastic move yet by George M. C. Fisher, Kodak's chief executive, to reduce expenses. Even so, investors thought the moves were insufficient and reacted by selling Kodak stock, which dropped 6 percent yesterday, to $62.1875. The stock is down 23 percent this year. [Page A1.]

Doctors Support Evidence Some pediatricians specializing in child abuse supported the medical evidence against Louise Woodward, who was convicted in the death of a child in her care but sentenced to time served by a judge. Page A14. A Showdown Deflected A Russian firm postponed a bond offering for an Iran natural gas project, heading off an American decision on sanctions under a law aimed at punishing Iran. Page A10. Ruling Helps Women The European Union's high court upheld the principle of giving hiring and promotional preferences to women as a way of correcting past discrimination. Page A7.

Some European countries, faced with high unemployment, have been debating whether to reduce workweek in hopes of creating more jobs; but a few companies in Europe, seeking more flexible schedules to reduce costs and improve productivity, are achieving same goal for different reasons, adding to conflicts among labor, business and government; chart; photos (L)

Mel Gussow interviews Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose passion for baseball, especially Brooklyn Dodgers, is center of her new book, Wait Till Next Year; photo (M)