It was Wednesday when the German chancellor herself came out to announce it was Novichok. German scientists had determined that Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin's most outspoken critic, was poisoned with the same Soviet-era nerve agent used against former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal two years ago in Salisbury, England. What happens next?

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Friday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Friday.⁣⁣⁣

For families living in Europe and with origins in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, holidays are often synonymous with returning home. But these family reunions sometimes turn into a living nightmare for young girls. Each year, thousands of them suffer female genital mutilation (FGM), without their prior knowledge or consent, in their parents' country.

Palestinian demonstrators protest against the U.S. Middle East peace plan, in Gaza City, as Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh urges international powers to boycott US President Donald Trump's "peace plan" which they see as biased towards Israel.

Fearing a war on its doorstep, EU foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels to find ways to deescalate tensions between the US and Iran. The conflict in Libya and Turkey's recent involvement will also be discussed.

Tarek Fadlallah, chief executive officer of the Middle East unit of Nomura Asset Management, talks about international investors' participation in U.A.E. and Saudi Arabian markets, and the outlook for Saudi stocks. He speaks with Manus Cranny and Tracy Alloway on "Bloomberg Daybreak: Middle East."

Ahmed Badr, head of equities for the Middle East, North Africa at Credit Suisse, talks about the region's stock markets. He speaks with Bloomberg's Manus Cranny and Tracy Alloway on "Bloomberg Daybreak: Middle East."

About 1,000 Germans traveled to the Middle East to join the 'Islamic State' after 2013. A third of them have since returned to Germany. Some died on the battlefield, others are in prison, but many appear to be missing.

The Pentagon is considering a request to send thousands more troops to the Middle East as relations worsen, unnamed officials say. Meanwhile, Iran's supreme leader said he foresaw the demise of American civilization.

The US is beefing up its forces in the Middle East to counter what it called military threats from Tehran. US officials are claiming that Iran is moving short-range ballistic missiles onto small boats.

The White House said that sending it's aircraft carrier and a bomber task force to the Middle East was 'clear and unmistakable' message to Tehran that the US was prepared to defend its interests.

Former senior European politicians have urged the EU to reject Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East if it's one-sided and unfair to Palestinians. The US president is about to unveil his proposal for the region.