hostage

World leaders from more than 20 nations gathered in Egypt to formally sign the agreement, which Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called "the birth of a glimmer of hope" for the region.

President Biden has issued an executive order to try to improve efforts to free American hostages and detainees, senior administration officials told reporters.

Akram was not believed to be included in the Terrorist Screening Database, a listing of known or suspected terrorists maintained by the FBI.

The hostage taker was 44-year-old British citizen Malik Faisal Akram, authorities said. U.K. police arrested two teenagers in relation to the incident.