Malala Yousafzai discharged from UK hospital

BIRMINGHAM: Malala Yousafzai has been discharged from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Malala will continue her rehabilitation at a temporary home.

Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery," said Dave Rosser, the hospital's medical director.

"Following discussions with Malala and her medical team, we decided that she would benefit from being at home."

Yousufzai has already been leaving the hospital on a regular basis on "home leave" in recent weeks to spend time with her parents and younger brothers, who have a temporary home in central England, Rosser said.

"During those visits assessments have been carried out by her medical team to ensure she can continue to make good progress outside the hospital," Rosser said.

Earlier doctors treating her said Malala would undergo cranial surgery within weeks as part of her long term recovery.

Yousafzai, 15, was shot in Swat in October, 2012 and was later transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for specialist treatment and where she is currently recovering from her injuries.

The shooting of Yousufzai drew widespread international condemnation. She has become a an internationally recognized symbol of resistance to the Taliban's efforts to deny women education and other rights, and more than 250,000 people have signed online petitions calling for her to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her activism.

Yousufzai's father said in October he was sure she would "rise again" to pursue her dreams after medical treatment.