Docs Remove Taliban Bullet From Pakistan Girl

A team of military and civilian surgeons have removed the bullet from 14-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by the Taliban yesterday as she was returning home from school. There are conflicting reports about where the bullet was located—the AP says it was in her neck, while al-Jazeera says it was lodged in her skull—and her condition following the hours-long operation is still critical, but improving. Security is tight at the hospital where she is being treated, and ambulances are on hand to take her abroad if necessary.

The New York Times' Adam Bellick, who spent months filming a two-part documentary about Malala and her family, says he hopes the girl's "fantastically stubborn and feisty" personality will help her recover. "Malala comes across as a steady, calming force, undeterred by anxiety or risk. She is mature beyond her years. She never displayed a mood swing and never complained about my laborious and redundant interviews," he says. (More Malala Yousafzai stories.)