Celebrations marking a Jewish holiday this weekend have been moved after its traditional location near Lebanon was closed due to the threat of Hezbollah rocket fire, Israeli police said.

Every year, tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews celebrate the holiday of Lag Baomer by visiting the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on Mount Meron, in northern Israel.

A devotee knelt and gently touched his head on the dome of the Boudhanath Stupa, an iconic Buddhist monument in Kathmandu, as a mark of reverence on Thursday, which marks the birth of Buddha.

The birthday of Buddha is a holy occasion for all Buddhists, but is celebrated on different dates depending on the school of Buddhism or country.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson hosted a reception on May 23 to celebrate the "strong ties" between the U.S. Embassy and the hundreds of Lebanese who have participated in U.S. Government-sponsored international exchange programs in the United States, the embassy said.

Johnson expressed her admiration for the "remarkable achievements" of U.S. exchange alumni, emphasizing the importance the United States places on the "bridges of friendship and understanding" that alumni continue to build between the United States and Lebanon.

Walk around multicultural metropolises like Paris or Marseille, or any small village in the French countryside, and signs of faith are everywhere. Many Muslim women wear headscarves and historical Catholic churches anchor nearly every neighborhood.

But France's principle of "laïcité," loosely translated as "secularism," means no "excessive" crosses, or kippahs, or Islamic head coverings can be worn by staff, students and players in public schools, hospitals, courts and sports fields — though visitors and spectators can.