The Israeli government says it has decided to shut down Al Jazeera, a Qatari-owned TV station and news outlet, in the Jewish country.

In a tweet on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision was taken after a unanimous vote by the government.

Netanyahu described Al Jazeera as an incitement channel and thanked Shlomo Karhi, minister of communications, for swinging into action.

Earlier, police seized Al Jazeera’s broadcasting equipment from its Jerusalem offices, and pulled the Qatari news channel off air.

The decision to shut the news outlet comes weeks after a law passed by the Knesset allowed the temporary closure of foreign media outlets deemed to be harming national security.

The law allows Netanyahu and his security cabinet to shut Al Jazeera’s offices in Israel for 45 days, a period that can be renewed.

“The government approved and I immediately signed the orders against Al Jazeera. Our orders will go into effect immediately,” Karhi said.

“Too much time has passed and too many unnecessary legal hurdles for us to finally be able to stop Al Jazeera’s oiled incitement machine that harms the security of the country.

“For months, I did everything and will continue to do everything so that they can no longer operate from Israel.”

Karhi said he ordered the seizure of the station’s broadcasting equipment “used to deliver the channel’s content”, including editing and routing devices, cameras, microphones, servers and laptops, as well as wireless transmission tools and some mobile phones.

Israel has long had a rocky relationship with Al Jazeera, accusing it of bias and collaboration with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group.

The Qatar-based network has repeatedly rejected the accusations.

Reacting to the development in a statement, Al Jazeera condemned the Israeli government’s decision to close its operations in Israel as a “criminal act” and warned that the country’s suppression of the free press “stands in contravention of international and humanitarian law”.

Press freedom groups have also condemned Israel’s decision to shut down the Qatar-based network especially as Doha has been at the forefront of mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza.

At least 19 people have been confirmed dead after a section of a highway collapsed in southern China’s Guangdong province early Wednesday.

Xinhua, state media, reported that the accident caused 18 vehicles to fall off and involved 49 people.

About 30 people are receiving treatment in the hospital and there are no life-threatening injuries at the moment, the report added.

Although the cause of the collapse was not divulged, the road surface, which is about 17.9 metres long and covers some 184.3 square metres, was said to have given way after Guangdong experienced extreme weather events in recent weeks, from heavy rain to flooding and a deadly tornado.

Witnesses told local media that they heard a loud noise and saw a hole open up several metres wide behind them, after driving past the section of the road before it collapsed.

Video and photos showed smoke and fire rising from a deep, dark pit into which the cars appeared to have fallen.

The provincial government set up an accident rescue of over 500 people, including public security, emergency and fire protection officers, and officials from the health, transportation, and mine sectors.

The Guinness World Records (GWR) has certified Clara Chizoba Kronborg, the Nigerian social media entrepreneur, as the holder of the longest interviewing marathon.

Kronborg broke the world record for the longest interviewing marathon with a time of 55 hours 24 seconds.

The Nigerian lady, who grew up in Onitsha, held the marathon between March 8 to 10 wherein she interviewed 90 people of various nationalities and occupations.

The conversations were centred on how each guest achieved success in their respective field.

Kronborg was permitted a five-minute break for each hour which she could use to take a nap, bath, or change her clothes.

Speaking about her motivations, Clara said she attempted the record because of her passion for success and to “amplify the voices of hardworking women using their stories to inspire others”.

“This record attempt was about bringing together diverse individuals, sharing their inspiring narratives, and forging meaningful connections on a global scale,” she said.

“I am committed to amplifying voices, particularly those of hardworking women, and using their stories to inspire others facing similar challenges.”

Clara revealed that one of her toughest challenges during the exercise was the pain she battled from her monthly flow.

“Even worse, my period started the same day, and I was already having intense menstrual cramps,” she added.

“At some point, I was literally dripping pee and period stain, but I persevered and kept my eyes on the goal. To anyone who ever reads this, once you find your purpose, go after it with everything you’ve got.

“Recalling everything I went through physically, mentally, financially, emotionally – it feels so unreal.

“I am extremely proud of this accomplishment because I know lives have been touched and changed.

“This achievement is dedicated to all those who dare to dream and persist, regardless of the challenges they face.”

In an official statement on Wednesday, the GWR certified Clara as the current world record holder.

The previous record was 37 hours 44 minutes by Rob Oliver (USA) in 2022.

In December, Amuda Mariam completed a 100-hour marathon to set a new record for the longest television talk show.