Malala reunited with friend

The Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, shot in the head by the Taliban, is to lead calls for education to become a priority in poorer countries - on her birthday.

15-year-old Malala Yousafzai, who now lives in Birmingham after her treatment in the city, will make her first public appearance since being shot on July 12 - her 16th birthday and 'Malala Day.'

Malala says that July 12 is:

'An opportunity for every young person on the planet to get together and tell the world: we will get our education, be it at home, in school or any place. Let us work together for the rights of girls and boys. Let us build schools.'

She will give a speech about the importance of education at a United Nations gathering in New York.

Read about Malala's incredible story

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is now UN Special Envoy for Global Education, has described the schoolgirl shot by the Taliban last year as a 'shining beacon for girls education.

He said:

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl brought to the UK and treated in Birmingham after being shot in the head by the Taliban, features in a list of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.

The 15-year-old has set up education charity the Malala Fund and is now a pupil at Edgbaston High School for Girls.

She appears on one of the issue's seven separate covers.

Time managing editor Rick Stengel said: "This year we are trying something new: seven cover portraits of Time 100 honorees who reflect the breadth and depth of our list, each one profiled inside- as is our tradition- by an equally luminary voice."

A 15 year-old girl who was shot in the head for promoting women's education by the Taliban in Pakistan is to give her first public speech.

Malala Yousafzai was taken to Birmingham for life-saving surgery and now lives there.

Malala will speak on Malala Day, her 16th birthday, on 12 July in New York.

A fifteen-year-old girl who survived after being shot in the head for promoting girls' education in Pakistan has gone back to school.

Malala Yousafzai had life saving surgery in Birmingham after being targetted by the Taliban.

Malala Yousafzai said it is "the happiest moment" that she is returning to school following her attack.

She said, "I want to learn about politics, about social rights and about the law. I want to learn how to bring change in this world":

Malala Yousafzai has spent her first day at school since being attacked by the Taliban in October last year.

The 15-year-old was shot in the head for campaigning for girls' education

While making her way to Edgbaston High School for Girls in Birmingham, Malala told her father Ziauddin, "It is an honour for me and it's what I dreamed ... I'm on my way to my dream":

UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown said today is a "great day" for Malala Yousafzai.

Mr Brown said in a statement:

Malala Yousafzai, the pakistani girl who was shot in the head, at point black range, but the Taliban has completed her first day at school. She's attending the Edgbaston High School, an independent day school for girls.

She received treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

The 15 year old said, “I am excited that today I have achieved my dream of going back to school. I want all girls in the world to have this basic opportunity."

"I miss my classmates from Pakistan very much but I am looking forward to meeting my teachers and making new friends here in Birmingham”, she added.