And for some families this Christmas is a time to mourn, reports the BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo.
Mourning reports to Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center tweek a week for check-ups and to have his medication adjusted.
The funeral for late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who passed away March 5 after a long battle with cancer, will be held on Friday, March 8. Chavez's funeral will be accompanied by seven official days of mourning, reports Reuters.
While boaters who have witnessed whales and dolphins in mourning have reported a similar awe at the sight, boats are intrusive...and it is hard to resist wanting to get closer which poses unintended risk to the whales.
The move by Dick's Sporting Goods, one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the country, to suspend the sale of semi-automatic rifles and other guns was made out of respect for the victims and their families in this "time of national mourning," CNN reported.
The official mourning period reported by key informants is a maximum 3 days for a widower and up to 4 months and 10 days for a widow.
"Few will mourn the reported death of Osama bin Laden, least of all Muslims," said Farooq Murad, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain.
8.00pm BST The Netherlands has declared Wednesday a day of national mourning, agencies report.
As the period of mourning began, reports emerged of troop movements in Pyongyang and other major cities as different factions of the military and the ruling party rushed to consolidate their positions.
The Dalai Lama, Tibet's religious leader, sent a message to his followers on the new year encouraging Tibetans to mourn in protest, reported The Times Online.
