The German government on Monday refused to recognize a controversial election in eastern Ukraine and threatened further sanctions against Russia “if the situation gets worse.” The German government did not recognize the Sunday election in the eastern part of Ukraine, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said at a press conference in Berlin.

Egypt Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi met Saturday with his Italian counterpart Roberta Pinotti to discuss international developments in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, including terrorism and its impact on security and stability, as well as clandestine migration. Sobhi is also the commander in chief of Egypt’s armed …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone that Sunday’s planned elections in eastern Ukraine were illegitimate and would not be recognized by European leaders, a Berlin government spokesman said on Friday.