Teen shot by Taliban rushed to UK hospital

Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban in retaliation for her education campaign arrived in Britain after doctors decided she would require long-term care to recover from the attack.

Malala, who was shot in the head as she travelled home from school last week, will be treated at the New Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which has a trauma ward to cater for British personnel wounded in Afghanistan.

In our thoughts: Pakistani Christians attend a mass praying for the recovery of child activist Malala Yousafzai at a church in Lahore on Sunday evening. Pic/AFP

She was flown to Birmingham airpport via Abu Dhabi. A statement released by Pakistan's military, which has been caring for her ever since the shooting, said she would need to have bones in her skull repaired or replaced as well as long-term rehabilitation.

"Accordingly, the panel of doctors recommended that Malala be shifted abroad to a UK centre which has the capability to provide integrated care to children who have sustained severe injury," it said.

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"Pakistan has arranged with the United Arab Emirates for a specially equipped air ambulance which will be used to transfer Malala to the UK."

A Downing Street spokeswoman said, "We offered last Thursday our help to the government of Pakistan in caring for her because she does need particular specialist care. The authorities in Pakistan have taken us up on the offer, so she will be at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. The Pakistani government is paying all transport, migration, medical, accommodation and subsistence costs for Malala and her party."

Asked if she would be provided with guards at the hospital, the spokeswoman said, "You wouldn't expect me to talk about security matters in detail but certainly security has been taken into account."

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Madonna strips onstage for Malala

Madonna took a break from stripping on stage for her fans' cheers on her tour to baring her flesh for a cause. The singer addressed the plight of 14-year-old Malala during her concert at Los Angeles' Staples Center. Then she dedicated an onstage strip tease to the girl. She also dedicated her song, Human Nature to the young Pakistani hero.