Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi has threatened to "vacate his post" if the complicated political standoff in the country is not resolved.
His remarks were in response to violence in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone that left at least 30 people dead and wounded hundreds more.
"I caution and warn against those who continue to sow the seeds of chaos, conflict and infighting, and who refuse to listen to the voice of reason," Mr Al Kadhimi said on Tuesday.
"Should they continue in this path, I will take the moral and patriotic decision to vacate my position according to Article 81 of the Constitution and hold them accountable to the Iraqi people and the history books.
"I have never been a party to or part of the problem. I was patient with all kinds of abuse, obstruction and the declared war from all sides to weaken the state of Iraq."
Mr Al Kadhimi said a committee had been formed "to find those responsible for putting arms in the hands of those who opened fire and shot at the demonstrators, and shed blood".
He stressed that "clear and strict orders" prohibiting the use of live ammunition had been issued.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iraqi President Barham Salih said early elections could help to ease the political tension.
"Holding new, early elections in accordance with a national consensus represents an exit from the stifling crisis," Mr Salih said in a televised speech.
"The recent elections have not achieved what Iraqi citizens were hoping for, and have faced a lot of challenges and problems."
Mr Salih praised influential Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr's efforts to end the violence.
“The stance of Sayyed Moqtada Al Sadr was responsible and brave,” he said.
“The end of violence and clashes was essential to prevent the shedding of Iraqi blood, but it does not mean that the political crisis has come to an end."
The Iraqi president called on all political powers to put aside their differences in the interest of the country.
Mr Salih, whose role is largely ceremonial, said the current situation would lead only to further corruption.
“We have to admit that the political system and constitutional institutions have failed to avoid what happened, and we are in need of serious reforms to address weakness points,” Mr Salih said.
“There is a need to carry out constitutional amendments, which should kick off in the coming period.”
Mr Al Sadr's followers left Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Tuesday after he urged them to withdraw.
The Shiite cleric was the main winner in the elections held last October but has failed to form a government with Sunni Arab and Kurdish parties.
Iran-backed Shiite groups, which make up a rival coalition called the Co-ordination Framework, have mounted legal challenges against the process to form a new government and staged boycotts.
Their actions, which Mr Al Sadr has likened to a coup, resulted in an escalation of tension in Iraq.
Violence erupted after Mr Al Sadr said he was withdrawing from all political activity — a decision he said was prompted by the failure of other Shiite leaders and parties to reform a corrupt and decaying governing system.
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
The five pillars of Islam
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
