A young woman worthy of a Nobel Prize

It will be recalled that when Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize many queried on what basis he was deserving of it. He had hardly been in office. It is doubtful that he would be a worthy candidate even today. But what about Malala Yousafzai?

"Tens of thousands of people around the world have signed an online petition calling for the Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The UK government has also been urged to back the campaign, with advocates saying Malala Yousafzai represents those denied an education.

Malala's father said she was "humbled" by the support from around the world.

Doctors in the UK, where she is being treated, say she is making progress.

Malala, 15, is widely known as a campaigner for girls' education in Pakistan.

In early 2009 she wrote an anonymous diary for BBC Urdu about life under the Taliban, who had banned all girls in her area from attending school.

Meanwhile Saturday has been declared a global day of action in Malala's name aimed at getting school places for 32 millions girls around the world who are not attending classes.

The UN Special Envoy for Education Gordon Brown is in Islamabad ahead of the day to discuss ways of getting Pakistani girls currently out of school into the education system."

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Robert Fisk's predictions for the Middle East in 2013

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Mahler's Prodigal Son

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