April 27, 1999

Food and Drug Administration approves use of orlistat, first in new class of anti-obesity drugs that work by blocking body's absorption of dietary fat, as opposed to appetite suppresant drugs that trick brain into ignoring hunger; approves drug for seriously overweight people who meet Govt's definition of obese--namely, those 30 percent overweight and those 20 percent overweight who have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes; despite concerns by many about its effectiveness, experts say drug may soon become familiar fixture in homes of millions of Americans; drug, recommended for use three times per day for periods of year or longer, is expensive, costing about $1.10 per capsule; is manufactured by Hoffman-LaRoche (M)

Lost children, separated from parents during chaotic hours when ethnic Albanians were forced by Serbs from homes in Kosovo, Serbia, have become tragedy of Kosovo refugee crisis; some who range from toddlers to teenagers crossed Macedonian border alone or with relatives; others were separated when Macedonian police officers forced 50,000 refugees out of makeshift camp near border three weeks ago; complicated international evacuation program has made efforts to reunite families particularly daunting; adding to potential problem, 70 percent of Kosovo's 1.8 million ethnic Albanians are under 30; maps; photo (M)

Dr Jennifer Walser discusses her decision to take leave of absence from emergency room of Jacobi Medical Center in Bronx to work with Kosovo refugees in Macedonia through International Medical Corps; photo (M)

New York City Transit Authority announces that Williamsburg Bridge is to be closed to all three of subway lines that cross it for five months in longest and potentially one of most disruptive bridge construction projects in city; $150 million project is intended to replace bridge's subway signals and communications wiring; map; photo (M)

New York Knickerbockers defeat Charlotte Hornets, 91-84; photo (M)