The supreme leader of Iran has called on Islamic nations to retaliate against Israel over excavations being carried out near a hotly disputed holy site in Jerusalem.

An Islamic trust today claimed ownership of India’s Taj Mahal and demanded a slice of tourist revenue from the 17th-century monument, but the government-run group charged with its upkeep since 1920 vowed to challenge the claim in court.

Three Jewish extremists were interrogated by police on suspicion they planned to fire a missile into the Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine, in hopes of disrupting the planned Gaza withdrawal, police said today.

AN Israeli helicopter fired rockets at a car driving north of Gaza City yesterday, killing one bystander and wounding at least 26 others, witnesses said.