Iranian copter hits tanker

MANAMA, Bahrain - An Iranian helicopter gunship fired a rocket into the crew's quarters of a Cypriot oil tanker off Qatar in the southern Persian Gulf, killing four people and setting the ship ablaze, marine salvage executives said. Surviving crew members took to the 34,622-ton tanker's lifeboats and a passing vessel picked them up. Both Iran and Iraq have attacked commercial shipping in the gulf as part of the war that began in September 1980.

Indian crowd cheers pope

MANGALORE, India - Pope John Paul II, abandoning his bulletproof van for an open jeep, drove through a cheering crowd of 400,000 people in the most exuberant welcome of his Indian tour. Later he prayed for the more than 2,000 people who died in the 1984 gas leak at Bhopal 's Union Carbide pesticide plant, calling them victims of "man's efforts to make progress."

Gemayel won't quit post

BEIRUT, Lebanon - President Amin Gemayel vowed not to step down as his Syrian-backed Moslem and leftist rivals demand. His chief rival, the leader of the powerful Druse militia, said the Christian president's adamance "will wreck the country." Shortly after the satements by Gemayel and Druse chieftain Walid Jumblatt, Christian troops loyal to Gemayel battled Druse, Shiite Moslem and other leftist militias in Beirut and in mountains to the east.

Soviet spy in exchange

BERLIN - A top Soviet spy held in South Africa will be involved in a much-publicized East-West prisoner exchange early next week, the West German newspaper Bild reported. Bild, which broke the story of the prisoner exchange last weekend, said former South African marine commander Diter Gerhardt would be among 11 Communist agents handed over to the East. Anatoly Shcharansky, a prominent Soviet human rights activist, is expected to be turned over to the West.

Protest held at U.S. base

MOLESWORTH, England - Hundreds of anti-nuclear protesters blocked the four main gates of a U.S. cruise missile base under construction in central England, but the Ministry of Defense said there was no disruption of work. The nine-hour protest was generally peaceful but five people were arrested on charges of causing criminal damage to the fence around the site in Molesworth, about 60 miles north of London.

Terrorist alert cut back

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Authorities have cut back their nationwide terrorist alert after weeks of trying to cover hundreds of potential American and Israeli targets, an official said. The alert began early last month after Western intelligence organizations warned of possible attacks by the Abu Nidal Palestinian terrorist group, which both the United States and Israel blame for the Dec. 27 attacks at the Rome and Vienna airports in which 20 people were killed.