United News of Bangladesh

Like it or not, LeBron James and the NBA are going to have to make room for the NFL no matter what day of the week Christmas Day falls. Netflix set records as the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history while the NBA had its best holiday numbers in five years according to Nielsen. The NFL and Nielsen said 65 million U.S. viewers tuned in for at least one minute of one of the two NFL games. The Baltimore Ravens' 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million while Kansas City's 29-10 win at Pittsburgh averaged 24.1 according to early viewer figures released by Nielsen on Thursday. The NBA's five-game slate averaged about 5.25 million viewers per game across ABC, ESPN and its platforms, according to the league and Nielsen. “I love the NFL,” James said in his televised postgame interview Wednesday night. “But Christmas is our day.” However, Wednesday's ratings showed that there is room for both. Even though the NBA had the sports calendar to itself on Dec. 25 for many years, the NFL has made Christmas one of its tentpole events during the regular season, joining Kickoff Weekend and Thanksgiving. Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of NFL Media, took James' comments in jest while also being joyful about the first season of the league's three-year partnership with Netflix. “The numbers speak for themselves and LeBron can have his own view, and I’m sure more people will look at that because of this," he said. "But, you know, we’re focused on the NFL and we’re thrilled with the results this year with the Christmas on Netflix and we’re excited to continue to build that over the next couple of years.” Both NFL games surpassed the previous mark of 23 million for last season’s AFC wild-card game between the Miami Dolphins and Chiefs on Peacock. Viewership for Ravens-Texans peaked with the Beyoncé Bowl. The nearly 13-minute halftime performance averaged over 27 million viewers. The viewer figures include the audience on Netflix, mobile viewership on NFL+ and those who tuned in on CBS stations in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Baltimore and Houston. Global ratings and final U.S. numbers are expected to be available on Tuesday. Read: January 2025 Netflix English Originals Lineup The NFL’s Christmas numbers decreased from last season, but not at the rate that usually happens when something goes from broadcast to streaming. Last year’s three games averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs led the way, averaging 29.48 million on CBS. Once global and Netflix’s first-party data is released, both Christmas games should surpass 30 million. The games were the second- and third-most popular live titles in Netflix history, surpassed only by the Nov, 14 fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. That bout averaged a worldwide audience of 60 million and peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, including 38 million concurrent streams in the United States. According to Netflix, 108 million worldwide viewed at least one minute of the fight card. There will be at least two NFL games on Christmas next year, but with the holiday falling on a Thursday it is more likely to be three with two afternoon and one prime time. The NFL has had three Thanksgiving Day games since 2006. “Everything Netflix put into the entire day, from the quality of the stream, the production and the graphics, made it feel like such a special Christmas Day,” Schroeder said. You had the opening with Mariah (Carey), you had Beyonce, it all took things to another level.” The biggest victory for Netflix though is that there were very few streaming complaints. The only gripe from most is that the stream did not immediately go to live action if someone tuned in after the game started. “Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, said in a statement. “We’re thankful for our partnership with the NFL, all of our wonderful on-air talent, and let’s please not forget the electrifying Beyoncé and the brilliant Mariah Carey.” Beyoncé’s performance was trending number one worldwide socially on X , formerly known as Twitter. The hashtag #NFLonNetflix also trended around the world, reaching a peak of second in Australia, third in the United Kingdom and Germany, fifth in Brazil and France, and sixth in the U.S. The NBA said all five Christmas games on its schedule — San Antonio at New York in Victor Wembanyama’s holiday debut, Minnesota at Dallas, Philadelphia at Boston, Denver at Phoenix and Lakers-Warriors — saw year-over-year viewership increases. Read more: Top 10 Netflix English Originals to Binge-Watch in December 2024 The NBA’s lineup saw an 84% rise over 2023. One reason for the increase is that all five games were on ABC, compared to two last year. The Lakers’ 115-113 victory over the Warriors — a game pitting Olympic teammates James and Stephen Curry — averaged 7.76 million viewers and peaked with about 8.32 million viewers toward the end of the contest, the league said. Those numbers represent the most-watched NBA regular season game in five years. Wednesday’s numbers pushed NBA viewership for the season across ESPN platforms to up 4% over last season. The league also saw more than 500 million video views on its social media platforms Wednesday, a new record. For the NBA, those are all good signs amid cries that NBA viewership is hurting. “Ratings are down a bit at beginning of the season. But cable television viewership is down double digits so far this year versus last year,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said earlier this month. “You know, we’re almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programing on streaming than they are on traditional television. And it’s a reason why for our new television deals, which we enter into next year, every game is going to be available on a streaming service.” Part of that new package of television deals that the NBA is entering into next season also increases the number of regular season games broadcast on television from 15 to 75. Under the 11-year agreement, ESPN and ABC will continue air the Christmas Day games.

Export and import activities between Bangladesh and India through Dinajpur’s Hili land port remained suspended on the occasion of the Christmas Day on Wednesday. However, movement of travellers with valid documents including passports remains functional. Shahinur Islam, general secretary of the Hili Customs C&F Agents Association, said traders from the both countries decided to keep the import and export halted marking Christmas Day as today is a public holiday. Read: 131MT rice imported from India through Hili Land Port Besides, load and unload inside the land ports remained off, he said, adding that the business activities between the countries would resume from Thursday. Hili Immigration Checkpost’s Officer-in-Charge Ariful Islam said the movement of travellers remains as usual as there is no connection with suspension of the port’s business activities.  

Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has sought cooperation from all to maintain religious harmony in the country, ignoring the identity of minority and majority. He made the call while exchanging greetings with representatives of the Christian community at the State Guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka marking Christmas Day on Tuesday. "I am very glad to meet you all today. We seek religious harmony. We don’t want words like minority and majority. In this country, we are one family, and our dream is to live together as one. To make this dream a reality, everyone must come forward," he said. "We are all humans alike, and our identity as human beings should come before our religion. Every religion carries a message of peace. We must internalise that message of peace within ourselves. Only then will divisions be eliminated. If we can establish the message of peace within our hearts, we will find that peace in all religions, and there will be no divisions. Our children will have a beautiful childhood," he continued. Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain conducted the event, among others, attended by, Archbishop Vejoy N. D'Cruze, head of the Catholic Christian community in Bangladesh, Bishop Bejoy N D'Cruze, the head of the Catholic Christians of Bangladesh; Bishop Philip P. Adhikary, Chairman of National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh; President of Bangladesh Christian Association Nirmal Rosario; Ignatius Hemant Corraya, secretary general of the Bangladesh Christian Association; and Daniel Nirmal D'Costa, President of Bangladesh Christian Mohajote. Assuring full cooperation, the Christian leaders expressed hope that under the leadership of the Chief Adviser, Bangladesh would foster generosity, communal harmony, and inclusivity. Addressing the event, Archbishop Bejoy N. D'Cruze referred to the life, ideals, and message of peace of Jesus Christ. He said, "The people’s mass uprising in Bangladesh has opened doors to new possibilities. Professor Yunus has taken on the difficult responsibility of leading the country. You are knowledgeable, honest, and a trusted figure for all in Bangladesh.” Read: Necessary security measures taken for Christmas: DMP The Christian leaders also thanked the interim government for the donation of Tk 2.5 crore to the Christian Religious Welfare Trust on the occasion of Christmas. This grant has been distributed to churches across the country.  

Ukrainians usually celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, as do the Russians. But not this year, or at least not all of them. Some Orthodox Ukrainians have decided to observe Christmas on Dec. 25, like many Christians around the world. Yes, this has to do with the war, and yes, they have the blessing of their local church. The idea of commemorating the birth of Jesus in December was considered radical in Ukraine until recently, but Russia’s invasion changed many hearts and minds. In October, the leadership of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is not aligned with the Russian church and one of two branches of Orthodox Christianity in the country, agreed to allow faithful to celebrate on Dec. 25. The choice of dates has clear political and religious overtones in a nation with rival Orthodox churches and where slight revisions to rituals can carry potent meaning in a culture war that runs parallel to the shooting war. Read more: A Christmas season without its traditional glow in Ukraine For some people, changing dates represents a separation from Russia, its culture, and religion. People in a village on the outskirts of Kyiv voted recently to move up their Christmas observance. “What began on Feb. 24, the full-scale invasion, is an awakening and an understanding that we can no longer be part of the Russian world,” Olena Paliy, a 33-year-old Bobrytsia resident, said. The Russian Orthodox Church, which claims sovereignty over Orthodoxy in Ukraine, and some other Eastern Orthodox churches continue to use the ancient Julian calendar. Christmas falls 13 days later on that calendar,, or Jan. 7, than it does on the Gregorian calendar used by most church and secular groups. The Catholic Church first adopted the modern, more astronomically precise Gregorian calendar in the 16th century, and Protestants and some Orthodox churches have since aligned their own calendars for purposes of calculating Christmas. The Synod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine decreed in October that local church rectors could choose the date along with their communities, saying the decision followed years of discussion but also resulted from the circumstances of the war. In Bobrytsia, some members of the faith promoted the change within the local church, which recently transitioned to being part of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, with no ties to Russia. When a vote was taken last week, 200 out of 204 people said yes to adopting Dec. 25 as the new day to celebrate Christmas. “This is a big step because never in our history have we had the same dates of celebration of Christmas in Ukraine with the whole Christian world. All the time we were separated,” said Roman Ivanenko, a local official in Bobrytsia, and one of the promoters of the change. With the switch, he said, they are “breaking this connection” with the Russians. “The church is Ukrainian, and the holidays are Ukrainian,” said Oleg Shkula, a member of the volunteer territorial defense force in the district that includes the village. For him, his church doesn’t have to be linked to “darkness and gloom and with the anti-christ, which Russia is today.” Read more: Russia scrubs Mariupol's Ukraine identity, builds on death In 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, granted complete independence, or autocephaly, to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Ukrainians who favored recognition for a national church in tandem with Ukraine’s political independence from the former Soviet Union had long sought such approval. The Russian Orthodox Church and its leader, Patriarch Kirill, fiercely protested the move, saying Ukraine was not under the jurisdiction of Bartholomew. The other major branch of Orthodoxy in the country, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, remained loyal to Moscow until the outbreak of war. It declared independence in May, though it remains under government scrutiny. That church has traditionally celebrated Christmas on Jan. 7.

BNP senior leaders exchanged greetings with the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas Day on Thursday, praying for turning Bangladesh into a welfare state removing darkness. They also cut a cake celebrating Christmas Day at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office. Speaking at the programme, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, "On this birthday of Jesus Christ, we should pray for unity to bring light removing the darkness so that we can build a welfare state." Read: Holding talks on EC without neutral govt pointless: BNP On behalf of BNP and its chairperson Khaleda Zia, he greeted the Christian community on the occasion of their biggest religious festival.

Montserrat Parello lost her husband eight years ago, and Christmas gatherings with children and grandchildren had helped her deal with her loneliness. But this year, the 83-year-old will be alone for the holiday at her home in Barcelona, due to the risk of infection from the coronavirus.

Even if you’re not behind the meaning behind Christmas, this holiday season is all about presents, festivities and gatherings with loved ones. Secret Santas and other gift exchanges are fantastic ways to break the ice, but there are a few more ways to exchange gifts while keeping things fresh. Here are some gift exchange ideas for you to try this Christmas.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam on Monday said that highest security measures would be taken to ensure smooth celebration of the Christmas Day and the New Year.

President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday called upon the people irrespective of religion, caste and creed to remain alert so that no-one can create anarchy using religion or through misinterpretation.

The Christian community is celebrating the Christmas Day in the country, as elsewhere across the world, on Wednesday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.