President Obama has for the first time said a group linked to Al–Qaeda was behind the failed attack on an American airliner on Christmas Day.In his weekly radio and video address, he said the young Nigerian man Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had traveled to Yemen and had been equipped,trained and directed to carry out the attack. President Obama said all those involved would be held to account and the US government would continue to work closely with Yemen to fight terrorism.

"As president, I made a priority to strengthen our partnership with the Yemeni government, training and equipping their security forces,sharing intelligence and working with them to strike al-Qaeda terrorists. And even before Christmas Day we have seen the results.Training camps have been struck, leaders eliminated, plots disrupted. And all those involved in the attempted act of terrorism on Christmas must know, you too will be held to account."

Villagers in northwest Pakistan have been mourning the victims of a suicide attack on spectators at a sports event. More than 90 people died, many more were wounded, by the explosion at a volleyball tournament near the town of Lakki Marwat on Friday. The United States condemned the attack and said it would continue supporting Pakistan’s efforts to combat extremism and bolster democracy. For his part, the Pakistani President Asif Zardari said such attacks wouldn’t weaken his government’s resolve to fight terrorism.