Have you ever wondered what to do with decorative candle jars once they’re empty? There are plenty of creative (and practical) ways to upcycle the containers instead of just tossing them in the trash. So next time you finish burning a scented candle, here’s how to reuse the candle jar around the home. How to remove candle wax from a jar The first and most important step to reusing candle jars is to remove the leftover wax. According to the National Candle Association (NCA), you should stop burning candles when half an inch of wax is left in the container or jar. Freezer method The most common way to remove candle wax from a jar is to place it in the freezer and leave it there overnight — a day or two is even better. This will shrink the wax so that it’s easier to remove. If the wax doesn’t come right out when you flip the jar over, you can use a spoon to gently remove it. (Breaking the wax into smaller pieces can also help.) Boiling water method In a rush? You can remove leftover wax from a jar much faster with boiling water. As someone who has cleaned and reused plenty of candle jars, this is my preferred way to remove wax. Simply boil water in a kettle and pour it into the candle jar, leaving at least an inch of space at the top. The wax will melt and rise to the surface as it cools down. Then, once the wax has solidified (be patient!), you can easily scoop it out with a spoon. How to clean candle jars Even after following the instructions above, it’s normal for there to be some wax along the walls of the candle jar. Luckily, you don’t need any fancy cleaning tools to get it looking spotless. We suggest using warm water, dish soap and a sponge to help remove any leftover residue — a damp paper towel works wonders for cleaning up wax too. The NCA says you can also try running hot water over the exterior of the candle jar and then wiping away the melted wax. Whether you use the freezer or boiling water method, the candle wick should ideally come out along with the wax. “If not, try running hot water over it to release the adhesive,” the NCA says. “Remember, avoid using knives or sharp tools for this as it could damage the jar and cause injury.” If you want to remove the label (some are pretty enough to keep on), you can soak the jar in hot water. Goo Gone can also help with any sticky adhesive that gets left behind. How to reuse candle jars Once you have a clean jar, there are so many ways to reuse it. Here are some of my favorite ideas, but the potential uses are pretty much endless. As a storage container The most straightforward way to reuse a candle jar is as a storage container — I have old candle jars holding things all over my apartment. They can be used to store small items like cotton balls and cotton swabs in the bathroom or to organize office supplies at your desk. (Taller jars are great for pens and pencils, and smaller jars for holding paper clips and rubber bands.) And if your vanity is a mess, try using an old candle jar to corral your makeup brushes. As a cocktail glass If your candle jar is made of food-safe materials, you can even use it as a cocktail glass. Not many candle manufacturers advertise their containers as food-safe, so you may have to do some digging. I’m a big fan of the candles in Paddywax’sLa Playa collection, which are designed for this — they even come with a fun cocktail recipe! As a catchall in your entryway You can also use empty jars as a catchall in your entryway for keys, headphones, and hand sanitizer — large, shallow containers work best for this. Candle jars are perfect for holding spare change too — you’ll know exactly where to go when you need a coin to scratch off a lottery ticket or the back of a gift card. As decor If you host often, you can fill empty jars with things like seashells, pine cones, or battery-powered fairy lights for an easy centerpiece idea. Candy would be a great option too. One of my favorite ways to reuse a candle jar is as a flower vase — Homesick candles, for example, are the perfect size for small bouquets. You can also reuse candle jars as decorative planters and build mini terrariums in them. (For plants that require drainage, you can keep them in their nursery pots or drill holes in the jar.) As a new candle Feeling crafty? You can refill old jars with wax to make a new candle. It’s a lot easier than it sounds! Some brands even offer refillable candle kits that come with pre-scented wax, a wick, and a wick holder.

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years and has gained recognition in recent times as a complementary approach to managing various mental health conditions, including depression. While Yoga should not replace professional medical treatment, it can be a valuable addition to a comprehensive depression management plan. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar, Founder of Akshar Yoga Kendraa, suggested several Yoga techniques that may help alleviate symptoms of depression- 1. Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar): This flowing sequence of poses synchronizes breath with movement, promoting circulation and energy flow throughout the body. The rhythmic nature of Sun Salutations can help calm the mind and boost mood. Practicing 5-10 rounds daily, especially in the morning, may help establish a positive routine and increase motivation. 2. Backbends: Poses like Cobra (Bhujangasana), Bridge (Setu Bandhasana), and Camel (Ustrasana) open the chest and heart area. These poses are believed to counteract the physical manifestations of depression, such as slouched posture and shallow breathing. Backbends can promote feelings of openness and may help lift one's mood. 3. Inversions: Poses that invert the body, such as Headstand (Sirsasana), Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana), or even simple Legs-Up-the-Wall pose (Viparita Karani), are thought to alter blood flow and stimulate the nervous system. These poses may help shift perspective and provide a sense of renewed energy. 4. Forward Bends: Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana) and Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) can have a calming effect on the nervous system. These poses encourage introspection and may help quiet an overactive mind, potentially reducing anxiety and rumination often associated with depression. 5. Balancing Poses: Tree Pose (Vrksasana) and Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III) require focus and concentration, which can help redirect attention away from negative thoughts. The act of finding physical balance may translate to emotional balance and improved self-confidence. 6. Restorative Yoga: This gentle form of yoga uses props to support the body in passive poses held for extended periods. Restorative poses like Supported Child's Pose or Reclined Bound Angle Pose can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing stress. 7. Pranayama (Breathing Exercises): Specific breathing techniques can have a powerful effect on mood and energy levels. Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) may help balance the nervous system, while Victorious Breath (Ujjayi) can be calming and grounding. Deep belly breathing (Diaphragmatic Breathing) can activate the relaxation response and reduce anxiety. 8. Yoga Nidra: This guided meditation practice, often called "yogic sleep," involves lying in Savasana (Corpse Pose) while following verbal cues to systematically relax the body and mind. Regular practice of Yoga Nidra may help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by promoting deep relaxation and self-awareness. 9. Mantra Meditation: Repeating a mantra or positive affirmation during yoga practice or meditation can help redirect the mind from negative thought patterns. Simple mantras like "So Hum" (I am that) or personalized affirmations can be powerful tools for shifting perspective. 10. Healing walk Lift your arms up keeping them at shoulder width distance. Now, start walking with your arms raised in this position and your hands can be up in the air for 1-3 minutes. Initially this may not be possible as you will have to train the muscles of your arms and shoulders and strengthen them. Build up to 1-3 minutes gradually by starting of with a minute increase and so on until you are physically capable enough with the strength required to hold your arms up for 1-3 minutes straight. One round practice will require you to perform a minimum of three sets of these walks of minimum 1-3 minutes each. Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar insisted that by consistently practicing these Yoga techniques, individuals may experience improvements in mood, energy levels and overall well-being. The combination of physical movement, breath awareness and mindfulness inherent in Yoga practice can provide a holistic approach to addressing the complex nature of depression. Source: HT

It has a 7,000-year-old history, was home to two of Christianity and Islam's most important figures … and has some of the best hummus you’re likely to eat. Tarsus – in eastern Turkey, around 180 miles from the Syrian border – is a gumbo of history, religion, and food. Twelve miles inland from the Mediterranean and around 560 miles southeast of Istanbul, Tarsus was originally built close to the Cydnus River. As the main point of access from the Taurus Mountains to the sea, the city was a major player in trade as early as 1600-1180 BCE, when it was ruled by the Hittites, an ancient civilization. In 67 BCE, under the Romans, it became the capital of Cilicia Pedias – the Cilician Plain, a vast, fertile area in modern southeast Turkey – and prospered. In ancient times Tarsus was renowned as 'a center for education, philosophy and important universities,' says Atalay Dik, a mariner and lover of his hometown, who can often be found sharing his knowledge with tourists at Saint Paul Café and Restaurant, owned by his family. 'Even now, students come from universities in Alexandria and Athens to do their Masters degrees (here).' In the footsteps of St. Paul Part of the appeal of Tarsus is that here, the past is often present. 'Tarsus is a place where you can explore centuries-old mosques and churches, and see firsthand how Christianity and Islam have coexisted and shaped the city's rich cultural tapestry,' says Jane Gundoğan, author of 'Mersin All Over,' the only English-language guidebook dedicated to the area. You don't need to imagine walking in St. Paul’s footsteps – you can do it. He was born here as Saul, a Jew, around 4 BCE. He went on to become one of the leaders of the nascent Christian religion, converting thousands to the faith. Pilgrims can visit 'St. Paul's church,' also known as the St. Paul Memorial Museum. Commissioned by the Orthodox community in 1850, it was built on the site of a much earlier place of worship dating to the 11th or 12th century. There has been no official Christian community in Tarsus since 1923, the year of the Greece-Turkey population exchange, but restoration works in 2001 returned the frescoes to their full glory. Jesus takes center stage, flanked by the four evangelists – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – in the naves on either side. Angels levitating above the apses complete the adornment. Outside is an Escher-like arrangement of staircase, repeated arches, and metal railings on the building’s exterior. From the lions’ den to Tarsus You'll likely know the Bible story of Daniel, who was thrown into a den of lions for praying to his God. The story goes that the lions left Daniel untouched, causing Darius – the king of Babylon, who had reluctantly sent him there – to recognize the Jewish God. In the Turkish version of the story, Daniel died in Tarsus, having traveled there in his old age to pray for rain during a crippling drought. According to historical records, after Tarsus was conquered by the forces of Ömer, an 11th-century caliph, a body was discovered shrouded in cloth embellished with gold thread. There was a ring on one of the fingers, etched with the image of a child standing between two lions. Ömer took this to mean that the body was Daniel's and ordered the grave be buried even deeper so as not to be discovered. The tomb remained undisturbed until renovations in 2006. Although several other countries lay claim to being the site of Daniel's grave, this – known as Danyal Peygamber Kabri – is the only one where you reach it by walking through a 19th-century mosque, among the remains of a 16th-century Ottoman bath and over the arches of a bridge that once spanned a river. The mosque is still in use, so visitors must meet Islamic standards of modesty by covering their arms and legs, and women also need a headscarf (you can borrow clothes if need be). Once down in the rather sparse room said to have been Daniel's last resting place it's common to see Muslim women kneeling in prayer next to a metal grille. Mosques and markets Not far from the tomb is the austere 16th century Ulu Camii, Tarsus' Grand Mosque, whose 33-foot minaret doubles as a clock tower. The clock was added in the 19th century and was brought over from Europe especially. Next to it is Kırkkaşık Bedesten or '40 Spoons Bazaar' – a covered market originally built as an imaret, or soup kitchen, in 1579. Topped by seven domes, the 21 rooms are a hive of activity with stores selling blue Turkish 'evil eyes,' ceramics, shawls and other souvenirs. The most popular souvenir is inspired by an epic love story. Kleopatra Iksiri, or 'Cleopatra's Potion,' is named for the Egyptian beauty who came to Tarsus to meet Roman commander Mark Antony in 41 BCE. 'Legend has it that Cleopatra possessed a mystical elixir rumored to have kept her eternally youthful,' says Gundoğan. 'Some say it was a brew concocted from rare herbs found only in the hidden corners of Tarsus while others speculate that it was infused with the magic of the gods themselves.' It's much sought after by domestic tourists of a certain age who believe that this so-called Elixir of Youth can work wonders. Just around the corner, in the Bilal Habeşi Mescidi, a different kind of miracle took place. Bilal ibn Rabah was born into slavery in Mecca and became one of the most trusted companions of the Prophet Mohammed. Persecuted for converting to Islam in 615 CE and later emancipated, Rabah was Islam's first-ever muezzin – the official who calls the faithful to prayer. This small mosque built in his honor in the seventh century was, Dik believes, the site of the first Islamic call to prayer in Tarsus. It's widely accepted that Bilal ibn Rabah came to Tarsus and recited the call to prayer – though whether it was for the first time is disputed. Either way, despite the structure's nondescript appearance, it's thrilling to know this is where history was made. Hummus and history The hummus in Tarsus is as sensational as its history – Gundoğan, for example, calls it 'life-changing.' Hummus is served in dozens of Tarsus restaurants but those in the know head for local institution Kervan Humus, where the basic offering is anything but. A plate of slightly warm, smooth, creamy hummus comes drizzled with sizzling oil, a sprinkle of parsley, a handful of whole chickpeas, and a scattering of red pepper flakes. Feeling hungry? Try the hummus with sucuk (spicy sausage), pastırma (cured meat) or even thin slices of steak. After a hummus overload, many visitors walk off the calories in the Kızılmurat neighborhood. Past a stretch of Roman road discovered by accident in 1993, the streets are lined with old Ottoman houses, many adorned with wooden beams, white plaster walls, and cumbia, traditional windows jutting out overhead. 'It's a unique part of Tarsus because the local government officials encourage the rebuilding of Ottoman houses to their former glory,' says Gundoğan. She suggests starting at the House of St. Paul, where the apostle is said to have been born. It's not a whole house – the structure is said to have been dismantled by German soldiers in World War I and only the foundations remain, fenced off and on display under glass in the courtyard. Nonetheless, she says, 'It's a pilgrimage site that resonates with centuries of religious significance and offers a window into the life and teachings of one of Christianity’s most influential figures.' Gundoğan suggests drinking from St. Paul's well, also located on the grounds. At first glance, the well appears to be like any other, but scientific evidence dates it to the Roman period when Paul was alive. Believers attribute healing powers to the water. A glass of homemade lemonade at Saint Paul Café and Restaurant in the center of the old town might not be curative, but it's certainly refreshing. Housed in a 180-year-old building, the cafe is owned by Hikmet and Hasan Oğuzcan, cousins of Atalay Dik. Many of the possessions of the former owners have been retained, from embroidered cushions to Turkish coffee cups. The quirky sitting room even has a shower in one corner. Tarsus offers a wonderful mix: of Christianity and Islam, hummus, and Ottoman architecture. There’s even a local museum too, and it’s far from dusty, containing interesting archaeological finds and fun ethnographic tableaux showing traditional local scenes. Dik recommends visitors allow at least three days to appreciate his city. He should know. 'I’ve traveled to almost all parts of the New World but I’m very proud of my city,' he says. 'I always feel calmer when I return to Tarsus. I can breathe in culture and tolerance towards human beings more deeply, living here amongst all the ancient cultures and civilizations with antique ruins all around the city.'

As part of the 15th Beijing Olympics City Sports and Cultural Festival, a triathlon designed for youngsters kicked off in Changping district on Sunday. The event fully considers the physical characteristics of teenagers of different age groups and has set up different competition categories according to their age, namely U9, U12 and U15. In the U9 category, participants are required to finish a 300m swim, a 6.4km bike ride and a 1.6km run. For the U12 and U15 groups, the challenge includes a 300m swim, an 8km bike ride and a 1.6km run. Source: CD

China's Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City were on Saturday inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a cultural site, bringing the total number of the Asian country's sites on the list to 55. International delegates congratulated China on the world's recognition of the exceptional site as a concrete testimony of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization and its unique contribution to world civilization. On Friday, China's Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf (Phase I) was also inscribed on the World Heritage List as a natural site. The natural site is located in the Yellow Sea ecoregion, containing the world's largest continuous mudflat seashore.

Humans have long built towering structures to showcase the power of empires, rulers, religions and corporations. Today, more tall buildings are popping up than ever before. But skyscrapers could soon have a new purpose: storing renewable energy. One of the biggest hurdles to a power grid dominated by clean energy is the intermittency of some renewable sources. Sometimes clouds roll in when solar energy is needed, or the wind stops blowing, and turbines can’t generate power. Other times, the sun and wind produce more electricity than is required. Storage is crucial for balancing generation and consumption. A combination of technologies — from various forms of batteries to other energy storage methods — will likely be necessary to increase capacity. Enter battery skyscrapers. At the end of May, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the architecture and engineering firm behind some of the world’s tallest buildings, announced a partnership with the energy storage company Energy Vault to develop new gravity energy storage solutions. That includes a design for a skyscraper that would use a motor powered by electricity from the grid to elevate giant blocks when energy demand is low. These blocks would store the electricity as “potential” energy. When there is demand, the blocks would be lowered, releasing the energy, which would be converted into electricity. Tall buildings are SOM’s specialty. It designed New York’s One World Trade Center, Chicago’s Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, and the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is more than 828 meters (2,700 feet) tall. “Here’s an opportunity to take this expertise … and use it for energy storage, enabling us to wean ourselves [off] fossil fuels,” Bill Baker, a consulting partner at SOM and structural engineer for the Burj Khalifa, told CNN. Net zero requires grid-scale storage If the world wants to reach net zero by 2050, grid-scale storage, or technologies connected to the power grid that can store energy and deploy it when needed, will need to be ramped up, according to the International Energy Association. Lithium-ion batteries, which are popular for electric vehicles, can’t solve the problem alone. For one, they can’t store energy for long periods. That may be fine for shifting energy from the sunniest part of the afternoon to the evening, when demand spikes, but energy may need to be stored for longer than that. Pumped storage hydropower, which is already widely used to store renewable energy, can do that. It entails a turbine pumping water from a reservoir on lower ground to one on higher ground during off-peak hours. When demand spikes, the water is released to flow through an electricity-generating turbine. But it requires hilly terrain and a lot of space. SOM and Energy Vault’s superstructure tower, which could range from 300 to 1,000 meters (985 to 3,300 feet) in height, would have hollowed out structures resembling elevator shafts for moving the blocks, leaving room for residential and commercial tenants. (The firms are also looking at integrating pumped storage hydropower into skyscrapers, using water instead of blocks). Ultimately, multi-gigawatts-hours of energy could be stored, which is enough to power several buildings, Robert Piconi, the CEO of Energy Vault, told CNN. Two energy storage experts contacted by CNN questioned if the economics of a skyscraper battery could work, given the space that would need to be used for energy storage and the structural changes that would be needed to support the extra weight. But Energy Vault and SOM are confident their solutions are commercially viable. Energy Vault has already completed a project in China which it says is the world’s first commercial-scale, non-pumped hydro gravitational energy storage system. The 150-meters-tall (492 feet) building — which has a storage capacity of 100 megawatt hours — is purpose-built to store energy and doesn’t have space for tenants. The taller the better? Enabling the use of renewable energy would help offset the carbon footprint of supertall buildings. Today, the buildings and construction sector is responsible for almost 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions. There is work underway to address that, from equipping buildings with better insulation to building with alternative materials that are less carbon-intensive, like timber. Some buildings are literally getting greener. In Milan, Italian architect Stefano Boeri has created towers covered in trees and shrubs, and he has unveiled a similar design for towers in Dubai. But buildings are getting taller and more plentiful too, at least partially to meet demand from rapid urbanization, which has driven people into cities, where limited space can mean the best way to build is up. Between 1900 and 1999, 235 buildings taller than 200 meters (656 feet) were built globally, Daniel Safarik, of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, told CNN in an email. Last year, 179 buildings of that height or more were built. When it comes to gravity-energy storage structures, the taller the better. A very tall gravity energy storage structure could offset its embodied carbon — from construction and materials — within two to four years. “If you’re going high in a superstructure anyway, we’re just piggybacking on that,” said Piconi.” SOM and Energy Vault are now looking for development partners to turn their designs into reality. SOM’s credibility in the tall buildings arena “will help address the challenge of getting the first one built,” said Piconi. Source: CNN

Michigan’s Alma Cooper, a US Army officer, was named Miss USA on Sunday, becoming the third person to hold the title this year following the shock resignation of 2023’s winner. The 22-year-old, who has a Master’s in data science from Stanford University, beat 50 other contestants in a pageant that included swimwear and evening gown competitions. Kentucky’s Connor Perry and Oklahoma’s Danika Christopherson were named first and second runners-up, respectively. Cooper is a second lieutenant who serves as a military intelligence officer, according to her social media. “As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro-Latina woman, and an officer of the United States Army, I am living the American dream,” she had told judges during a Q&A session at Sunday’s finale. “If there’s anything that my life and my mother have taught me, it’s that your circumstances never define your destiny: You can make success accessible through demanding excellence.” Cooper was crowned on stage by previous titleholder, Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii, who inherited the tiara in May after Utah’s Noelia Voigt stepped down in highly controversial circumstances. The glitzy televised event capped three months of turbulence for pageant organizers sparked by Voigt’s surprise resignation — and that of then-reigning Miss Teen USA, New Jersey’s UmaSofia Srivastava, just days later. The show featured no explicit references to the controversy, though Gankiewicz described her unexpected three-month stint as Miss USA as “the most unique reign in history.” Announcing her decision via Instagram in May, Voigt attributed her resignation to mental health reasons. But social media users quickly spotted that the first letter of the first 11 sentences of her cryptic post spelled “I am silenced,” sparking rumors of a strict non-disclosure agreement. Her resignation letter, later obtained by CNN, alleged delays in receiving prizes and a “toxic work environment” that “at best, is poor management and, at worst, is bullying and harassment.” Voigt also claimed to have been sexually harassed during a public appearance due to the Miss USA organization’s failure to provide an “effective handler.” Srivastava, who won the Miss Teen USA competition (a companion event, under the same ownership, for contestants aged 14 to 19), meanwhile attributed her resignation to a clash in “personal values” with the Miss USA organization. Both women’s mothers then appeared on Good Morning America, with Srivastava’s mother, Barbara, saying the beauty queens had been “ill-treated, abused, bullied and cornered,” and that “the job of their dreams turned out to be a nightmare.” Organizers and the pageants’ parent company, the Miss Universe Organization, did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment at the time of the double resignation. Miss USA president Layla Rose released a statement at the end of May, reported by the Los Angeles Times, refuting Voigt’s allegations. New rules, groundbreaking firsts The evening’s proceedings began with an elimination, as the 51 contestants were narrowed down to a top 20 based on judges’ scores from Saturday’s preliminary competition. The results of a swimwear competition saw the field reduced to 10 ahead of an eveningwear parade. The final five were then asked the same question: “How can we bridge the gap between different cultures and foster understanding and respect?” The televised finale, which was hosted by Garcelle Beauvais from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and E! News presenter Keltie Knight, saw the contest return to California for the first time since 2007. Judges included shoe designer Jojo Bragais and former Miss USA titleholders Carole Gist and Lu Parker. Sunday marked the first Miss USA pageant to take place since its owner, the Miss Universe Organization, lifted a longstanding age restriction banning women over 28 from participating. Several finalists benefited from the new rule, including 41-year-old Kristina Johnson of Arizona and contestants from Montana, North Dakota, Maryland and Indiana, who are all in their 30s. In other firsts, Maryland’s Bailey Anne Kennedy became the first transgender contestant from her state to appear at the finals, and Shavana Clarke of Connecticut arrived as the “first openly lesbian Miss USA state titleholder,” according to organizers. Sunday’s finale comes three days after Addie Carver of Mississippi was named Miss Teen USA, a title that had remained vacant since Srivastava’s resignation (last year’s first runner-up, Stephanie Skinner, declined to take on the title). Seventeen-year-old Carver is a dance teacher, cheerleader, and choreographer who has used her platform to discuss young people’s mental health, telling judges of her own struggles following her father’s death. “As the next Miss Teen USA I want to make it my mission to know that every little girl who is just like me once is never alone,” she said on stage Thursday evening. Cooper will now go on to compete in the Miss Universe 2024 contest, which will be held in Mexico later this year. Source: CNN