US President Joe Biden's Middle East envoy held talks in the region Tuesday as hopes rose for a new deal to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a longer pause in fighting in Gaza. The White House said it would support a pause that was longer than the week-long halt in November, as it confirmed that Brett McGurk was in Egypt for discussions and will visit other key nations about halting hostilities. The action comes on the heels of Israel's deadliest day of the 3 1/2-month conflict, suffering 24 deaths during intense fighting in Gaza.

REPORT SAYS ISRAEL HAS OFFERED PAUSE FOR HOSTAGES

Turkey's parliament on Tuesday approved Sweden's NATO aspirations after a year of delays that upset Western efforts to show resolve in the face of Russia's war on Ukraine. Turkish lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the Nordic nation's bid to become the 32nd member of the alliance after it won the public backing of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has promised to sign Sweden's ratification document.

SEE THE OBSTACLES STANDING BETWEEN SWEDEN AND NATO

A pastor who sold a worthless cryptocurrency to his flock and pocketed $1.3 million, using some of it to remodel his house, has insisted he was only doing what God told him. Eli Regalado and his wife, Kaitlyn, face a civil lawsuit alleging they flogged the so-called INDXcoin to Christians in Colorado, with divine guarantees investors would become rich.

HOW THEY TRICKED 300 FOLLOWERS INTO INVESTING $3.2M

Twenty years ago today a new department of the federal government was formed. Name the department and the first to serve as secretary.

Tuesday's answer: Eight nations claim land within the Arctic Circle -- US, Canada, Russia, Greenland, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Iceland.