February 2, 2004

Kevin White is charged with sexual assaults and robberies that victimized three women and a man in seven-day rampage on Upper East Side; is also charged in Oct 16 attack on man in East Village; allegedly forced several victims to withdraw money from ATM machines; photo (M)

Two suicide bombers kill at least 56 people and wound at least 200, Erbil, during Muslim holiday fetes at separate headquarters of Iraq's two leading Kurdish political parties; blasts shatter calm of north, part of Iraq that had been relatively stable under American occupation; blasts, 10 minutes apart, kill several top leaders and wound other senior officials; come as two parties have been trying to unite region's divided administrations to strengthen demands to retain area's autonomy; American military officials, while expecting increase of violence during holiday, say there was little preparation to guard against suicide bombers; some officials suspect foreign fighters or Ansar al-Islam, mostly Kurdish terrorist group that may have ties to Al Qaeda, were involved in bombing; photos (M)

244 Die in Hajj Stampede At least 244 Muslim pilgrims were crushed to death and many injured in a stampede during a devil-stoning ritual at the end of the annual hajj season in Saudi Arabia. PAGE A3 New Twist in Bird Flu Cases Person-to-person transmission is ''one possible explanation'' for cases of bird flu among family members who attended a wedding in Vietnam, a W.H.O. official said. PAGE A4

Salvation Army of Greater New York stirs mini-rebellion among some longtime employees when it reasserts its evangelical roots; is telling lay employees that its core mission is not just social services but also spreading gospel, is asking them to sign form promising to follow religious mission when working with children and is requiring that they identify their own church affiliations; these employees see intrusions on their privacy and potential for religious discrimination; some say Army may be breaching wall separating church and state since it accepts $70 million in state and city funds for its programs; photos (L)

Harlem residents welcome economic development now under way, but some also complain about loss of area's cultural landmarks and consequences of construction, such as damage to their property or an influx of rats; Abyssinian Development Corp, arm of Abyssinian Baptist Church, feels shifting tide of anger and excitement more keenly than most because it has helped bring economic growth to community; Sheena Wright, who heads corporation, remains unabashed booster of development while expressing understanding of critics' concerns; stresses corporation's community achievements in housing and education; even local politicians who have spoken out against gentrifcation in Harlem rally to corporation's side; photos (L)