Israel and the United States are discussing a possible deal which could secure the release of U.S.-born Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard as a way of salvaging the crisis-hit peace talks.

According to two separate sources close to the talks, Pollard's release is being discussed in the context of efforts to secure an extension of the peace talks with the Palestinians, although no decision has yet been made.

The United States is giving ex-Soviet Moldova $10 million to strengthen security on its border with Ukraine, Washington's top diplomat in Europe Victoria Nuland said Sunday.

Part of Moldova's eastern border with Ukraine is occupied by the breakaway Russian-speaking region of Transdniestr.

The confirmed death toll from a massive U.S. landslide rose to 17 but was expected to increase further Friday, an official said, stressing caution out of sensitivity for victims' families.

Ninety people remain missing and officials had already said they had located eight other bodies after mud crashed down on the Washington state town of Oso last weekend.

The United States on Tuesday urged Egypt not to execute 529 supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi who were given the death penalty in a mass sentencing which has triggered an international outcry.

Deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf called the sentencing "shocking."

The United States has said that North Korea's test firing of two medium-range missiles into the Sea of Japan represents "a troubling and provocative escalation" on the Korean Peninsula.

America is closely coordinating with allies and partners, including in the U.N. Security Council, "to take the appropriate measures in response" to Pyongyang's latest "violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions," the State Department said.

The death toll from a devastating U.S. landslide remained at 14 Tuesday but was expected to rise with more than 150 people listed missing, as the National Guard joined the massive rescue effort.

The number of people unaccounted for after Saturday's disaster in the tiny town of Oso in Washington state still stood at 176, although officials stressed that the figure should not be taken as a death toll.

The United States on Sunday expressed concerns over Georgia's call for ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili to be questioned in a raft of criminal cases, suggesting the move smacked of political revenge.

"No one is above the law, but launching multiple simultaneous investigations involving a former president raises legitimate concerns about political retribution, particularly when legal and judicial institutions are still fragile," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.

South Sudan's government and rebel forces face possible sanctions if they fail to progress with peace talks and stick to a ceasefire deal, United States and European Union envoys warned Wednesday.

The European Union "stands ready to consider targeted restricted measures against individuals obstructing the political process," EU envoy Alexander Rondos told reporters.

Syria's foreign ministry said Wednesday that a U.S. decision to close its Washington embassy and two consulates was illegal and arbitrary.

A statement described the decision as "an arbitrary measure," saying it was "a clear violation of the Vienna Convention" that governs diplomatic relations between nations.

The major powers are locked in a race for influence in Lebanon's presidential elections as Michel Suleiman's six-year term nears its end, As Safir newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The daily said that the United States is backing elections to choose a new president and has sent an envoy who has a specific mission to follow up the polls.