President Trump pressed for the return of a jailed American pastor Tuesday during his first face-to-face meeting with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the White House.
The White House said Trump "raised the incarceration of Pastor Andrew Brunson and asked that the Turkish Government expeditiously return him to the United States."
A source briefed on the discussions told Fox News both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence separately pressed Erdogan for the pastor's release.
Brunson has been behind bars in Turkey since October on what he claims are false charges. Brunson’s family and supporters have asked the Trump administration – and the president specifically – to take up the cause and fight for his release.
Christian leader Dr. James Dobson said in a statement he commended Trump and Pence for "using their power for good."
“President Trump and Vice President Pence have yet again demonstrated that they are ‘defenders of the church’ focused intently upon religious liberty here but also on religious liberty abroad," he said. "Of the countless issues facing our world, it’s clear that to this White House the well-being of any individual American rests at the top of the list of priorities and especially when that American is a prisoner of conscience."
On Monday, the American Center for Law and Justice, which is advocating for the family, said it had submitted a formal written statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council on Brunson's case.
In a written statement in late March, Brunson also said the State Department should impose sanctions on Turkey.
“Will the Turkish government face no consequence for stubbornly continuing to hold an American citizen as a political prisoner?” he said. “… I appeal to President Trump: please help me. Let the Turkish government know that you will not cooperate with them in any way until they release me. Please do not leave me here in prison.”
US PASTOR HELD IN TURKEY ASKS TRUMP FOR HELP
Since then the charges against Brunson have grown to accusations of terrorism though there is little – if any – evidence to support those claims.
While Brunson’s case has made headlines because he’s a U.S. citizen, the circumstances of his detention are common in Turkey. According to TheSlate.com, nearly 50,000 people have been arrested since an attempted July coup.
Besides asking for the pastor's release, Trump told Turkey's controversial leader it was a “great honor” to welcome him to the White House. Trump offered compassion and support for the “horrible terrorist attacks” against the Turkish people and vowed that “the relationship we have with Turkey is going to be unbeatable.”
Erdogan returned the praise and congratulated Trump twice on his November White House win and said his victory “has led to the awakening of a new set of aspirations and expectations” in our region.
But despite the polite words, the meeting was not without tensions. The Turkish government has been riled by a Trump administration decision to arm Syrian Kurdish fighters in the fight against Islamic State terrorists, part of an operation to retake their capital of Raqqa.
Tuesday’s meeting between the two heads of state also comes as the White House scrambles to respond to a report that Trump shared classified information with top Russian officials about an Islamic State terror threat.
The White House has defended Trump's discussions as "wholly appropriate."
The U.S. is relying on regional allies like Turkey for intelligence-sharing and military assistance as it crafts a Syria policy, particularly as Iran and Russia work to bolster Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.
Trump launched cruise missiles last month at a Syrian air base after accusing Assad of using chemical weapons. But the president hasn't outlined a strategy to quell the six-year civil war or usher Assad out of power, which his administration says will be needed to stabilize the Arab country.
Tension was expected already for the Erdogan talks, after the U.S. announced last week that it would arm Kurdish Syrian militants to help them fight ISIS. Turkey has been pressuring the U.S. to drop support for the militants and doesn't want them spearheading an operation to retake ISIS' self-declared capital of Raqqa.
Turkey believes the Kurds in Syria are linked to a Turkish Kurdish group, known as the PKK, which the U.S., the European Union and Turkey all consider a terrorist organization. The U.S. sees the Syrian Kurds as their best battlefield partner on the ground in northern Syria.
Last month, the Turkish military bombed Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq, in one case with American forces only about six miles away. Erdogan's government also has insisted it may attack Syrian Kurdish fighters again.
Trump has gone out of his way to foster a good relationship with Erdogan. After a national referendum last month that strengthened Erdogan's presidential powers, European leaders and rights advocates criticized Turkey for moving closer toward autocratic rule. Trump congratulated Erdogan.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Notes made by former FBI director Comey say Trump pressured him to end Flynn probe
President Trump asked the FBI to drop its probe into former national security adviser Michael Flynn and urged former FBI director James B. Comey instead to pursue reporters in leak cases, according to associates of Comey who have seen private notes he wrote recounting the conversation.
According to the notes written by Comey following a February meeting with the president, Trump brought up the counterintelligence investigation into Flynn and urged Comey to drop the probe in the wake of the national security adviser’s resignation.
The conversation between Trump and Comey took place after a national security meeting. The president asked to speak privately to the FBI director, and the others left the room, according to the Comey associates, who, like other officials, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal internal discussions.
“I hope you can let this go,’’ Trump said, according to the Comey notes, which were described by the associates. Comey’s written account of the meeting is two pages long and highly detailed, the associates said.
The conversation described in the notes raises new questions about whether Trump may have crossed any legal lines into criminal behavior by pressuring the FBI to end an investigation.
National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, left, and K.T. McFarland, deputy national security adviser, center, listen as White House press secretary Sean Spicer speaks in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
“There’s definitely a case to be made for obstruction,” said Barak Cohen, a former federal prosecutor who now does white-collar-defense work at the Perkins Coie law firm in the District. “But, on the other hand, you have to realize that — as with any other sort of criminal law — intent is key, and intent here can be difficult to prove.”
The revelation also marks the second major challenge for the White House this week, coming just a day after a report in The Washington Post that the president disclosed highly classified information to Russian diplomats during a private meeting last week at the White House. And it comes at a particularly precarious time for the Trump administration as it searches for someone to nominate to succeed Comey as the next leader of the FBI — the official who will take over investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election and any coordination between Trump associates and Russian officials.
Comey’s account of the February talk made it clear that his understanding of the conversation was that the president was seeking to impede the investigation, according to people who have read the account or had it read to them. Comey’s notes also made it clear he felt that the conversation with the president was improper and decided to withhold details of it from the case agents working on the Russia probe, according to the associates.
The details of Comey’s meeting notes were first reported by the New York Times.
According to the director’s notes, Comey did not respond directly to the president’s entreaties, only agreeing with Trump’s assertion that Flynn “is a good guy.’’ The notes also described how the president said that he wanted to see reporters in jail for leaks and expressed his dissatisfaction with what he viewed as the FBI’s inaction in pursuing whoever leaked his conversations with foreign leaders, according to Comey associates.
Current and former officials have described ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the FBI over the issue of the Russia probe and leaks. The president and others have repeatedly pressed the FBI to focus more of its energy on pursuing leakers than on the Russia investigation, these officials said. While the FBI is investigating disclosures of classified information, other issues that Trump and the administration wanted to be investigated did not involve classified information, and FBI officials have resisted demands that they pursue such issues.
Details of Comey’s notes have been shared with a very small circle of people at the FBI and Justice Department, these people said.
According to the notes written by Comey following a February meeting with the president, Trump brought up the counterintelligence investigation into Flynn and urged Comey to drop the probe in the wake of the national security adviser’s resignation.
The conversation between Trump and Comey took place after a national security meeting. The president asked to speak privately to the FBI director, and the others left the room, according to the Comey associates, who, like other officials, spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal internal discussions.
“I hope you can let this go,’’ Trump said, according to the Comey notes, which were described by the associates. Comey’s written account of the meeting is two pages long and highly detailed, the associates said.
The conversation described in the notes raises new questions about whether Trump may have crossed any legal lines into criminal behavior by pressuring the FBI to end an investigation.
National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, left, and K.T. McFarland, deputy national security adviser, center, listen as White House press secretary Sean Spicer speaks in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)“There’s definitely a case to be made for obstruction,” said Barak Cohen, a former federal prosecutor who now does white-collar-defense work at the Perkins Coie law firm in the District. “But, on the other hand, you have to realize that — as with any other sort of criminal law — intent is key, and intent here can be difficult to prove.”
The revelation also marks the second major challenge for the White House this week, coming just a day after a report in The Washington Post that the president disclosed highly classified information to Russian diplomats during a private meeting last week at the White House. And it comes at a particularly precarious time for the Trump administration as it searches for someone to nominate to succeed Comey as the next leader of the FBI — the official who will take over investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election and any coordination between Trump associates and Russian officials.
Comey’s account of the February talk made it clear that his understanding of the conversation was that the president was seeking to impede the investigation, according to people who have read the account or had it read to them. Comey’s notes also made it clear he felt that the conversation with the president was improper and decided to withhold details of it from the case agents working on the Russia probe, according to the associates.
The details of Comey’s meeting notes were first reported by the New York Times.
According to the director’s notes, Comey did not respond directly to the president’s entreaties, only agreeing with Trump’s assertion that Flynn “is a good guy.’’ The notes also described how the president said that he wanted to see reporters in jail for leaks and expressed his dissatisfaction with what he viewed as the FBI’s inaction in pursuing whoever leaked his conversations with foreign leaders, according to Comey associates.
Current and former officials have described ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the FBI over the issue of the Russia probe and leaks. The president and others have repeatedly pressed the FBI to focus more of its energy on pursuing leakers than on the Russia investigation, these officials said. While the FBI is investigating disclosures of classified information, other issues that Trump and the administration wanted to be investigated did not involve classified information, and FBI officials have resisted demands that they pursue such issues.
Details of Comey’s notes have been shared with a very small circle of people at the FBI and Justice Department, these people said.
Drivers reveal the most annoying road habits
Tailgating is the most annoying driving habit, motorists have told a survey.
A poll of more than 20,000 AA members found that 26% rated vehicles being driven too close to the car in front as being the worst habit.
A quarter of those surveyed said talking on a mobile phone while driving was the most annoying habit, followed by middle lane hogging (23%).
Slow driving, cutting in at the last minute, overtaking on the inside and speeding were not as unpopular, the survey found.
AA roads policy spokesman Jack Cousens said: "Tailgating and hogging the middle lane is not only annoying but dangerous.
"Unfortunately, the number of specialist traffic officers has been cut since 2005, which has meant the police powers introduced three-and-a-half years ago have had a limited impact.
"The behaviour of other drivers can affect your own driving, so it is best to stay calm and focus on what you are doing. Getting frustrated with the actions of others could mean you make just as big an error."
In August 2013, police gained the power to fine drivers for things such as tailgating and middle lane hogging.
But since then, just 8,000 tickets have been issued for these types of faults, compared to more than 55,000 to people not wearing a seatbelt.
The AA says a fall in the number of traffic police officers could explain this.
A poll of more than 20,000 AA members found that 26% rated vehicles being driven too close to the car in front as being the worst habit.
A quarter of those surveyed said talking on a mobile phone while driving was the most annoying habit, followed by middle lane hogging (23%).
Slow driving, cutting in at the last minute, overtaking on the inside and speeding were not as unpopular, the survey found.
AA roads policy spokesman Jack Cousens said: "Tailgating and hogging the middle lane is not only annoying but dangerous.
"Unfortunately, the number of specialist traffic officers has been cut since 2005, which has meant the police powers introduced three-and-a-half years ago have had a limited impact.
"The behaviour of other drivers can affect your own driving, so it is best to stay calm and focus on what you are doing. Getting frustrated with the actions of others could mean you make just as big an error."
In August 2013, police gained the power to fine drivers for things such as tailgating and middle lane hogging.
But since then, just 8,000 tickets have been issued for these types of faults, compared to more than 55,000 to people not wearing a seatbelt.
The AA says a fall in the number of traffic police officers could explain this.
Trump 'asked FBI to halt Flynn inquiry'
President Donald Trump asked FBI chief James Comey to end an inquiry into links between his ex-national security adviser and Russia, US media report.
"I hope you can let this go," Mr Trump reportedly told Mr Comey after a White House meeting in February, according to a memo written by the ex-FBI director.
The memo was written immediately after the meeting, a day after Michael Flynn resigned, according to US media.
The White House has denied the report in a statement.
"While the president has repeatedly expressed his view that General Flynn is a decent man who served and protected our country, the president has never asked Mr Comey or anyone else to end any investigation, including any investigation involving General Flynn," the statement read.
Mr Flynn was forced out in February over revelations that he discussed lifting US sanctions on Russia with their ambassador to US before Mr Trump took office. He also misled the US vice-president about that conversation.
The latest Russia twist, first reported by the New York Times, comes a week after Mr Trump fired Mr Comey over his handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state.
Mr Comey's dismissal sent shockwaves through Washington, with critics accusing the president of trying to thwart the FBI investigation into Russia's alleged interference in the US election and any Moscow ties to Trump associates.
"I hope you can let this go," Mr Trump reportedly told Mr Comey after a White House meeting in February, according to a memo written by the ex-FBI director.
The memo was written immediately after the meeting, a day after Michael Flynn resigned, according to US media.
The White House has denied the report in a statement.
"While the president has repeatedly expressed his view that General Flynn is a decent man who served and protected our country, the president has never asked Mr Comey or anyone else to end any investigation, including any investigation involving General Flynn," the statement read.
Mr Flynn was forced out in February over revelations that he discussed lifting US sanctions on Russia with their ambassador to US before Mr Trump took office. He also misled the US vice-president about that conversation.
The latest Russia twist, first reported by the New York Times, comes a week after Mr Trump fired Mr Comey over his handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state.
Mr Comey's dismissal sent shockwaves through Washington, with critics accusing the president of trying to thwart the FBI investigation into Russia's alleged interference in the US election and any Moscow ties to Trump associates.
Trump 'didn't know source' of intelligence passed to Russia, says McMaster
Donald Trump did not know the source of the terrorism intelligence he passed to the Russians - or how it was gathered, his National Security Adviser has admitted.
Mr Trump has said he shared information about "terrorism and airline flight safety" while meeting foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergey Kislyak last week.
US media reported that highly classified information was disclosed.
The National Security Adviser, General HR McMaster, reiterated that the intelligence sharing was "wholly appropriate" and based on "open source reporting".
Facing tough questions from reporters at the White House, he said Mr Trump had "in no way compromised any sources or methods in the course of this conversation".
"The President wasn't even aware of where this information came from - he wasn't even briefed on the source or method of this information either," he added.
However, General McMaster did not deny that classified intelligence may have been passed on.
"We don't share what's classified, what's not classified," he said.
Sky's US correspondent, Hannah Thomas-Peter, said the general's grilling was a "very, very difficult dance".
She said he had dropped "a bit of a bombshell" by revealing the President went into the meeting "knowing very basic details about crucial intelligence that he was then to share with the Russians".
It comes as the Senate's intelligence committee asked the White House for information on the meeting, according to a spokesman for its chairman, Senator Richard Burr.
Congressional investigators are expected to ask for any notes taking during the meeting.
:: Analysis: Trump boasts signal something sinister at play
Mr Trump has defended his actions in a series of tweets.
He posted: "As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining....
"...to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism."
He did not address whether the information he shared was classified, and ignored the question as he hosted the Turkey's President Erdogan at the White House.
According to The Washington Post, during the meeting Mr Trump boasted of the intelligence he had received about an Islamic State plot to use laptops to blow up passenger planes.
:: US ban on laptops in cabin luggage may be widened
That information had apparently been received from another country and was not America's to share without getting permission from that country first.
It is accepted protocol in the intelligence community and is regarded as vital to protect spies and informants.
On Monday, the White House and Russia's foreign ministry denied any classified information was revealed.
General McMaster, who was in the room alongside the US secretary of state Rex Tillerson, said the men had discussed "a range of common threats to our countries including threats to civil aviation".
The meeting happened the day after Mr Trump sacked FBI director James Comey, who was in charge of investigating whether the President's campaign colluded with Russia to swing the election.
There is no suggestion Mr Trump has committed a crime as he has the authority to disclose even the most highly classified information at will.
However, he has been accused of acting unwisely and jeopardising long-standing intelligence-sharing agreements by sharing information without consulting the ally that provided it.
Mr Trump has said he shared information about "terrorism and airline flight safety" while meeting foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergey Kislyak last week.
US media reported that highly classified information was disclosed.
The National Security Adviser, General HR McMaster, reiterated that the intelligence sharing was "wholly appropriate" and based on "open source reporting".
Facing tough questions from reporters at the White House, he said Mr Trump had "in no way compromised any sources or methods in the course of this conversation".
"The President wasn't even aware of where this information came from - he wasn't even briefed on the source or method of this information either," he added.
However, General McMaster did not deny that classified intelligence may have been passed on.
"We don't share what's classified, what's not classified," he said.
Sky's US correspondent, Hannah Thomas-Peter, said the general's grilling was a "very, very difficult dance".
She said he had dropped "a bit of a bombshell" by revealing the President went into the meeting "knowing very basic details about crucial intelligence that he was then to share with the Russians".
It comes as the Senate's intelligence committee asked the White House for information on the meeting, according to a spokesman for its chairman, Senator Richard Burr.
Congressional investigators are expected to ask for any notes taking during the meeting.
:: Analysis: Trump boasts signal something sinister at play
Mr Trump has defended his actions in a series of tweets.
He posted: "As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining....
"...to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism."
He did not address whether the information he shared was classified, and ignored the question as he hosted the Turkey's President Erdogan at the White House.
According to The Washington Post, during the meeting Mr Trump boasted of the intelligence he had received about an Islamic State plot to use laptops to blow up passenger planes.
:: US ban on laptops in cabin luggage may be widened
That information had apparently been received from another country and was not America's to share without getting permission from that country first.
It is accepted protocol in the intelligence community and is regarded as vital to protect spies and informants.
On Monday, the White House and Russia's foreign ministry denied any classified information was revealed.
General McMaster, who was in the room alongside the US secretary of state Rex Tillerson, said the men had discussed "a range of common threats to our countries including threats to civil aviation".
The meeting happened the day after Mr Trump sacked FBI director James Comey, who was in charge of investigating whether the President's campaign colluded with Russia to swing the election.
There is no suggestion Mr Trump has committed a crime as he has the authority to disclose even the most highly classified information at will.
However, he has been accused of acting unwisely and jeopardising long-standing intelligence-sharing agreements by sharing information without consulting the ally that provided it.
Harry Styles set to beat Ed Sheeran in UK charts
Former One Direction star Harry Styles is on course to beat Ed Sheeran to number one in the UK's official album chart.
Styles is currently topping Sheeran's Divide with his debut solo album, which was released on Friday.
Current figures show the 23-year-old singer has sold 24,000 more albums (or equivalent streams) than Sheeran, his closest competitor.
In March, Sheeran broke sales and streaming records by selling 232,000 copies on CD and vinyl on day one.
On the month of its release, Sheeran's third studio album owned nine of the Official UK singles top 10 chart.
His unparalleled success even led to Sky News considering the possibility that Sheeran may have broken the UK charts forever.
:: 1D: Is the former pop group heading in the same direction?
Styles, the second One Direction star to release a solo studio album, has so far been triumphant in both the UK, the US and Canada.
Billboard, the official US chart maker, says Styles "could earn over 250,000 equivalent album units in the US in the week ending May 18" - which would make it the biggest sales launch for a UK male solo album.
Both the UK and the US analyse sales in a multi-metric consumption, which brings together traditional sales, streams and track equivalents.
Last week, Kasabian - the only band to have briefly dethroned Sheeran in the charts since March - slipped down from number one to seventh place with For Crying Out Loud.
The rest of the top five is made up of Gorillaz with their newly released album Humanz, Kendrick Lamar's DAMN and Rag'n'Bone Man's Human.
Styles' debut single Sign Of The Times debuted at number one in April.
This week it has gone from number 10 to number three, beaten only by Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber's Despactio and DJ Khaled's I'm The One..
Styles is currently topping Sheeran's Divide with his debut solo album, which was released on Friday.
Current figures show the 23-year-old singer has sold 24,000 more albums (or equivalent streams) than Sheeran, his closest competitor.
In March, Sheeran broke sales and streaming records by selling 232,000 copies on CD and vinyl on day one.
On the month of its release, Sheeran's third studio album owned nine of the Official UK singles top 10 chart.
His unparalleled success even led to Sky News considering the possibility that Sheeran may have broken the UK charts forever.
:: 1D: Is the former pop group heading in the same direction?
Styles, the second One Direction star to release a solo studio album, has so far been triumphant in both the UK, the US and Canada.
Billboard, the official US chart maker, says Styles "could earn over 250,000 equivalent album units in the US in the week ending May 18" - which would make it the biggest sales launch for a UK male solo album.
Both the UK and the US analyse sales in a multi-metric consumption, which brings together traditional sales, streams and track equivalents.
Last week, Kasabian - the only band to have briefly dethroned Sheeran in the charts since March - slipped down from number one to seventh place with For Crying Out Loud.
The rest of the top five is made up of Gorillaz with their newly released album Humanz, Kendrick Lamar's DAMN and Rag'n'Bone Man's Human.
Styles' debut single Sign Of The Times debuted at number one in April.
This week it has gone from number 10 to number three, beaten only by Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber's Despactio and DJ Khaled's I'm The One..
Researchers eye possible N Korea link to cyberattacks
The cyberattacks are among the fastest-spreading extortion campaigns on record [Kacper Pempel/Reuters]Cyber security researchers have found technical evidence they said could link North Korea with the global WannaCry "ransomware" cyberattack that has infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries since Friday.
Symantec and Kaspersky Lab said on Monday that some code in an earlier version of the WannaCry software had also appeared in programmes used by the Lazarus Group, which researchers from many companies have identified as a North Korea-run hacking operation.
"This is the best clue we have seen to date as to the origins of WannaCry," Kaspersky Lab researcher Kurt Baumgartner told Reuters news agency.
READ MORE: WannaCry: What is ransomware and how to avoid it
Both firms said it was too early to tell whether North Korea was involved in the attacks, based on the evidence that was published on Twitter by Google security researcher Neel Mehta. The attacks, which slowed on Monday, are among the fastest-spreading extortion campaigns on record.
Experts warn of new cyber-attack threats
The research will be closely followed by law enforcement agencies around the world, including Washington, where President Donald Trump's homeland security adviser said on Monday that both foreign nations and cyber criminals were possible culprits.
The two security firms said they needed to study the code more and asked for others to help with the analysis. Hackers do reuse code from other operations, so even copied lines fall well short of proof.
US and European security officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity that it was too early to say who might be behind the attacks, but they did not rule out North Korea as a suspect.
FireEye Inc, another large cyber-security firm, said it was also investigating a possible link.
"The similarities we see between malware linked to that group and WannaCry are not unique enough to be strongly suggestive of a common operator," FireEye researcher John Miller said.
The Lazarus hackers, acting for impoverished North Korea, have been more brazen in pursuit of financial gain than others, and have been blamed for the theft of $81m from the Bangladesh central bank, according to some cyber-security firms.
READ MORE: Global hacking attack infects 57,000 computers
The North Korean mission to the United Nations was not immediately available for comment.
Regardless of the source of the attack, investors piled into cyber-security stocks on Monday, betting that governments and corporations will spend more to upgrade their defences.
The perpetrators had raised less than $70,000 from users paying to regain access to their computers, according to Trump homeland security adviser Tom Bossert.
Warnings raised of more cyber attacks
"We are not aware if payments have led to any data recovery," Bossert said, adding no US federal government systems had been affected.
WannaCry demanded ransoms starting at $300, in line with many cyber-extortion campaigns, which keep pricing low so more victims will pay.
Still, some security experts said they were not sure if the motive of WannaCry was primarily to make money, noting that large cyber-extortion campaigns typically generate millions of dollars of revenue.
"I believe that this was spread for the purpose of causing as much damage as possible," said Matthew Hickey, a co-founder of British cyber consulting firm Hacker House.
READ MORE: Global cyberattack alert as experts warn of more havoc
The countries most affected by WannaCry to date are Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine and India, according to Czech security firm Avast.
The number of infections has fallen dramatically since Friday's peak when more than 9,000 computers were being hit per hour. Earlier on Monday, Chinese traffic police and schools reported they had been targeted as the attack rolled into Asia for the new work week, but there were no major disruptions.
Authorities in Europe and the United States turned their attention to preventing hackers from spreading new versions of the virus.
The two security firms said they needed to study the code more and asked for others to help with the analysis. Hackers do reuse code from other operations, so even copied lines fall well short of proof.
US and European security officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity that it was too early to say who might be behind the attacks, but they did not rule out North Korea as a suspect.
FireEye Inc, another large cyber-security firm, said it was also investigating a possible link.
"The similarities we see between malware linked to that group and WannaCry are not unique enough to be strongly suggestive of a common operator," FireEye researcher John Miller said.
The Lazarus hackers, acting for impoverished North Korea, have been more brazen in pursuit of financial gain than others, and have been blamed for the theft of $81m from the Bangladesh central bank, according to some cyber-security firms.
READ MORE: Global hacking attack infects 57,000 computers
The North Korean mission to the United Nations was not immediately available for comment.
Regardless of the source of the attack, investors piled into cyber-security stocks on Monday, betting that governments and corporations will spend more to upgrade their defences.
The perpetrators had raised less than $70,000 from users paying to regain access to their computers, according to Trump homeland security adviser Tom Bossert.
Warnings raised of more cyber attacks
"We are not aware if payments have led to any data recovery," Bossert said, adding no US federal government systems had been affected.
WannaCry demanded ransoms starting at $300, in line with many cyber-extortion campaigns, which keep pricing low so more victims will pay.
Still, some security experts said they were not sure if the motive of WannaCry was primarily to make money, noting that large cyber-extortion campaigns typically generate millions of dollars of revenue.
"I believe that this was spread for the purpose of causing as much damage as possible," said Matthew Hickey, a co-founder of British cyber consulting firm Hacker House.
READ MORE: Global cyberattack alert as experts warn of more havoc
The countries most affected by WannaCry to date are Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine and India, according to Czech security firm Avast.
The number of infections has fallen dramatically since Friday's peak when more than 9,000 computers were being hit per hour. Earlier on Monday, Chinese traffic police and schools reported they had been targeted as the attack rolled into Asia for the new work week, but there were no major disruptions.
Authorities in Europe and the United States turned their attention to preventing hackers from spreading new versions of the virus.
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