United News of Bangladesh

Manchester City academy player Han Willhoft-King has quit professional football to pursue a law degree at Oxford University, bringing an early end to a promising career that once saw him train alongside stars like Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. The 19-year-old London-born midfielder, who previously spent more than a decade at Tottenham Hotspur, was long regarded as a rising talent and even trained with Spurs’ first team under Antonio Conte. However, recurring injuries and a growing desire for academic life pushed him to reassess his future. Willhoft-King had initially planned to study at UCLA while playing for FC Cincinnati 2, but Manchester City’s offer in mid-2024 convinced him to delay university and attempt a final push into elite football. Despite valuable exposure with City’s U-21s and occasional sessions with the senior squad, he struggled for game time and continued to deal with injuries. He ultimately decided to sit for the LNAT (entrance exam to study law at British universities) and apply to Oxford. After being accepted into Brasenose College, he chose to step away from football entirely. Explaining his decision, Willhoft-King said he no longer enjoyed the daily grind of professional football and felt “understimulated.” “I still loved it. But I always felt I could be doing more. I was wasting hours of the day. I needed something different, and Oxford excited me — the people, too. I guess that’s the reason,” he told the English press. “We would be running after the ball like dogs for half an hour, 60 minutes. It’s not a very pleasant experience, especially when you are trying to press De Bruyne or Gündogan or Foden. You can’t get near them, so the feeling of not wanting to do this overcomes being starstruck.” Willhoft-King added there was strong logic behind his choice: “You can have a football career that lasts 10–15 years. But what happens after that? By starting university education, I will achieve a much longer-term career. I made this decision thinking a bit long-term.

Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed has been awarded an honorary fellowship by Wadham College, University of Oxford, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to law, justice and human rights. In a press release, the Bangladesh Supreme Court expressed immense pride in this prestigious achievement, calling it a historic moment for both the Supreme Court and the country's judiciary. The court also extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Chief Justice on receiving this rare honour. Chinese envoy meets CJ, offers support to strengthen judiciary “This exceptional international recognition is not only a testament to the Chief Justice’s personal accomplishments but also a reflection of the global respect and prestige accorded to Bangladesh's judiciary. Undoubtedly, this honour highlights the excellence, intellectual strength, and growing international stature of justice in Bangladesh,” the statement read.

Former Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Barrister Shah Ali Farhad, has completed his Master of Public Policy (MPP) with 'Merit' from the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government. He shared the news through a post on Friday evening from his verified Facebook page. Earlier, Farhad was awarded the PM Fellowship (2021-22) to fund his studies at Oxford. During his MPP, Farhad was among 60 graduate students competitively selected by the 'Oxford Character Project' for the seven-month long 'Global Leadership Initiative', Oxford's flagship leadership programme. Apart from working at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Barrister Farhad has been involved with Bangladesh Awami League's central sub-committees on publicity and publications, and international affairs for around seven years. Read: Farhad awarded 'Prime Minister's Fellowship' to study at Oxford Before joining the PMO, Farhad worked in various capacities for five years at the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), the Awami League-backed policy think-tank. Barrister Farhad completed his LLM (Human Rights) from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) with distinction and his LLB (Hons) from the University of London. He is a barrister of the Lincoln's Inn, UK and an enrolled Advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. Barrister Farhad is a regular face on Bangladeshi TV and online talk shows and writes political op-eds.

The University of Oxford plans to test its COVID-19 vaccine in children for the first time, becoming the latest vaccine developer to assess whether its coronavirus shot is effective in young people.

A South Korean panel of experts has advised that vaccines for the novel coronavirus by AstraZeneca should be administered to people aged 65 or older following further discussion, according to the country's drug safety agency Friday.

The total of confirmed Covid cases worldwide has now surged past 100 million.

The European Medicines Agency said Tuesday that AstraZeneca and Oxford University have submitted an application for their COVID-19 vaccine to be licensed across the European Union.

New results on a possible COVID-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca suggest it is safe and about 70% effective, but questions remain about how well it may help protect those over 55 — a key concern for a vaccine that health officials hope to rely on around the world because of its low cost, availability and ease of use.

Scientists developing COVID-19 vaccines are optimistic that by the end of next year, all people everywhere will have access to safe and effective treatments against a disease which has disrupted the entire planet.

Oxford University announced to resume the trials of coronavirus vaccine candidate, that it is developing with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, after a disruption over the reported effect in a patient.