THE devastated parents of an eight-year-old boy who was shot and killed while hunting have shared a tribute to their “loving and kind” son.

Schoolboy Jay Cartmell was shot in the head and face an isolated hillside near Warcop, in Cumbria on Saturday last week.

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A man in his 60s was arrested at the scene close to Wheatsheaf Farm, initially on suspicion of assault GBH.

He was later arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and has since been bailed.

In a statement, Jay’s parents Leigha and James Cartmell said: “We are heartbroken at the passing of our perfect little boy.

“He was loving, kind and full of mischief, the best boy that anyone could wish for and the third corner of our beautiful family ‘triangle’.

“Jay loved being outdoors, the muddier he could get the better.

“He was starting to follow in the footsteps of his Dad with his obsession for Speedway at Workington, where he first attended aged 1 years. 

“He always went to the Pit to fist bump his heroes, local racers Harry and Sam McGurk.

“Jay was a talented rider himself and was showing real promise for the sport.   

“Jay was a defender at Whitehaven Miners Football Club.  He would occasionally score a goal, albeit an own goal, but that didn’t dampen his enthusiasm. 

“His favourite player was Erling Haaland and he had a dream to move to Brazil and to meet Lionel Messi.

“Jay enjoyed fishing and rabbiting with his Dad and helped care for the family pets:- 4 lurchers, 5 ferrets and his own bearded dragon Spike which he received following a school achievement. 

“He loved school and had a talent for maths. Jay was extremely loved, not only by us, but by all who met him. 

“He had fantastic friends and always had a smile on his face. 

“We will miss him every day, but his love surrounds us and his memory will never fade.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all who have looked after Jay: The Air Ambulance Service;  PICU, Ward 12 RVI and the Snowdrop Suite at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

“Also special thanks to the Workington Speedway Supporters Club for their amazing donations; JD Autos and Fellview Surgery for their ongoing support; the Workington Comets, especially Andrew Bain, for a special gift which we will treasure forever and to Whitehaven Miners for all that they have done and continue to do in Jay’s honour.”

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What’s the buzz? The Nordics have plenty of decent mid-range hotels, but relatively few knockout five-star establishments. Former triple Olympic gold medallist Samppa Lajunen wants to change that in Helsinki with his Hotel Maria, an attempt to plug what he sees as a gap in the high-end luxury market in the Finnish capital. A one-time specialist in Nordic combined (a discipline that involves cross-country skiing and ski jumping) and now a fund manager and developer, Lajunen claims that top-level sports and hotels both rest on the idea of “high goals, all details in place, and no compromises”. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine may have put paid to plans to attract high-rollers from Russia, but the hotel has been gradually opening up and expanding into four separate buildings throughout this year.

Location, location, location: It may be located in the heart of Helsinki, only a few hundred metres from the sea, main railway station and Senate Square, but the hotel sits on a surprisingly quiet side street, Mariankatu, in the Kruununhaka neighbourhood. The main building is one the Finnish army used from 1885 to house military officers and even snipers, and some of the suites have the narrow windows they once looked out of. Most sights in the Finnish capital are in easy walking distance.

Checking in: The yellow colonnaded facade is suitably imposing, but as soon as you pass the doorman into the interior there are Nordic cool vibes. The reception is well lit, with three cascading art deco chandeliers, conveying a sense of ice and snow that is especially suitable in a city where a frigid wind often blows off the sea. The welcome is warmer than the decor, but is equally Finnish in its efficiency. A few questions, a swipe of the credit card, even some low-key Finnish humour, and check-in was complete. A porter was soon whisking my bag off to my room.

The colours throughout the hotel are light and subtle, plenty of ivory and beige thanks to head designer Jana Sasko. Finns may normally be humble folk, but Lajunen’s three gold medals take pride of place in a display cabinet. Brass and gold effects abound — such as the inlays in the entrance’s marble floor and the curvy front desk. It’s clearly aiming to project a sense of luxury, but the relaxed type.

There are 117 bedrooms, of which no fewer than 38 are suites, and beige, light grey, and marble again predominate. A surprisingly intuitive iPad is used to control the lights, sound system and even the curtains but there are also manual switches.

What to do? If there is one thing Finland does better than anywhere else, it is sauna. The hotel spa offers both sauna and steam room, and a choice of how to cool off again — a compact plunge pool or an old-fashioned bucket with a chain pull. It took me some courage but soon provided an invigorating start to the day.

There is also a small pool for swimming, two warmer pools, and a Jacuzzi. I relaxed so much there was no time to use the fitness gym or wellness studio, let alone the ballroom.

What about the food? Lilja, the Maria’s main restaurant, is its pitch at a Nordic ingredients meets French-style fine dining concept that is so popular in the region. My meal suggested it is coming close to the Michelin star standard the team so obviously covet, the food delicate, delicious, and occasionally unusual. The latter is particularly true of my starter of persimmon, well balanced with a fresh ricotta, some crunch from almonds, and a subtle aniseed taste. It was followed by a decadent chicken confit and truffled potatoes.

Breakfast in a light and open dining room includes delights such as Nordic kimchi, cold smoked reindeer from Lapland and Finnish cheese, but also an à la carte menu with the omnipresent avocado toast and eggs royale.

Other guests? The war in Ukraine hasn’t just robbed the Maria of Russians but also of plenty of Asians that Finnair, the country’s flag carrier, had hoped to attract with shorter flight times to Europe by flying over Russia (Moscow has rescinded that right). So the hotel is more focused on European and American guests; business people and wealthy tourists mostly.

The damage: Double rooms including breakfast start from €350; suites run from €529 to as much as €6,000 per night.

Richard Milne is the FT’s Nordic and Baltic bureau chief. He was a guest of the Hotel Maria (hotelmaria.fi)

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BRITS planning to send Christmas cards have been warned to stock up ahead of a major price change in just hours.

Royal Mail has confirmed first-class stamps will go up in price tomorrow.

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The stamps will rise for standard letters by 30p from £1.35 to £1.65 – the second hike in a year and a 22% increase.

First-class stamps for large letters will go up from £2.10 to £2.60 – a 24% rise.

However, you can beat the hike somewhat by stocking up on stamps now so you don’t need to buy new ones come Christmas.

Martin Lewis previously said: “For years, every time stamps go up in price I’ve suggested people stock up and bulk-buy in advance.

“Provided the stamp doesn’t have a price on it and instead just says the postage class, it’s still valid after the hike.

“So you may as well stock up now, even if it’s just for Christmas cards for the next few Christmases.”

Royal Mail said it had tried to keep any price hikes on stamps as low as possible in the face of inflation and slumping demand.

It also cited the costs associated with maintaining the Universal Service Obligation for deliveries six days a week.

But Ofcom said Royal Mail could be allowed to drop Saturday deliveries for second class letters under an overhaul of the service.

Under plans being considered, second class deliveries would not be made on Saturdays and would only be on alternate weekdays.

But delivery times would remain unchanged at up to three working days.

Ofcom said no decision had been made and it continues to review the changes.

The regulator aims to publish a consultation in early 2025 and make a decision in the summer of next year.

Royal Mail has urged the Government and Ofcom to review its obligations.

The firm argues that it is no longer workable or cost-effective, given the decline in number of letter volumes being posted.

The delivery giant has previously said volumes have fallen from 20billion in 2004/5 to around 6.7billion in 2023/4.

The average household now receives four letters a week compared to 14 a decade ago.

What is rising?

Royal Mail previously raised the price of first class stamps from £1.10 to £1.25 last October, before hiking them again in April.

Right now, a first class stamp costs £1.35, which covers the delivery of letters up to 100g.

Historically, the cost of stamps has steadily increased over the years, reflecting inflation and operational costs. For example, in 2000, a First Class stamp was priced at 41p.

A second class stamp is currently priced at 85p and also covers letters up to 100g. The cost of second-class stamps isn’t rising from October 7.

The stamps can be bought individually if you buy it at a Post Office counter.

Otherwise, you can typically buy them in sets of multiple stamps.

The first class service typically delivers your post the next working day, including Saturdays, while the second class service usually delivers within 2-3 working days, also including Saturdays.

For larger letters, the cost of a first class stamp is £2.10 for items up to 100g, and a second class stamp for the same weight is £1.55.

Parcel delivery prices vary based on size and weight, starting from £3.69 for small parcels.

Additional services include the “signed for” option, which requires a signature upon delivery and adds an extra level of security.

The cost for first class signed for is £3.05, and for second class Signed for, it is £2.55.

The “special delivery” service guarantees next-day delivery by 1pm with compensation cover, with prices starting from £7.95.

Royal Mail periodically reviews and adjusts stamp prices, so it is advisable to check the latest rates on their official website or at your local Post Office.

An Israeli airstrike hit a mosque in central Gaza and Palestinian officials said at least 19 people were killed early Sunday. Israeli planes also lit up the skyline across the southern suburbs of Beirut, striking what the military said were Hezbollah targets.

The strike in Gaza hit a mosque where displaced people were sheltering near the main hospital in the central town of Deir al-Balah. Another four people were killed in a strike on a school sheltering displaced people near the town.

The Israeli military said both strikes targeted militants, without providing evidence.

An Associated Press journalist counted the bodies at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue. Hospital records showed that the dead from the strike on the mosque were all men, while another man was wounded.

In Beirut, the strikes reportedly targeted a building near a road leading to Lebanon’s only international airport and another formerly used by the Hezbollah-run broadcaster Al-Manar.

Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire across the Lebanon border almost daily since the day after Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Israel declared war on the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip in response. As the Israel-Hamas war reaches the one-year mark, nearly 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory, and just over half the dead have been women and children, according to local health officials.

Nearly 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in the latest conflict, most of them since Sept. 23, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

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Here is the latest:

Beirut’s southern suburbs hit by more than 30 strikes overnight

BEIRUT — The southern suburbs of Beirut were hit by more than 30 strikes overnight, the heaviest bombardment since Sept. 23, when Israel began a significant escalation in its air campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported Sunday.

The targets included a gas station on the main highway leading to the Beirut airport and a warehouse for medical supplies, the agency said.

Some of the overnight strikes set off a long series of explosions, suggesting that ammunition stores may have been hit.

Macron calls for a halt to arms exports for the war in Gaza

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron called for “a halt to arms exports for use in Gaza,” saying it’s urgent to avoid escalating tensions in the region, his office said.

Macron drew strong criticism from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by saying “the priority is … that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza.” He made the comments in an interview with France Inter radio, which was recorded on Tuesday and aired Saturday.

France doesn’t deliver any weapons to Israel, Macron said.

Netanyahu released a video statement in which he called out the French president by name and referred to such calls as a “disgrace.”

In a statement, Macron’s office said “France is Israel’s unfailing friend. Mr. Netanyahu’s words are excessive and irrelevant to the friendship between France and Israel.”

“We must return to diplomatic solutions,” it added.

The statement also said that Macron had demonstrated his commitment to Israel’s security when France mobilized its military resources in response to the Iranian attack. French authorities did not provided details about France’s role.

Macron has called for an immediate cease-fire in both Gaza and Lebanon.

Apparent Israeli airstrike kills at least 18 in central Gaza, Palestinian officials say

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An apparent Israeli airstrike early Sunday killed at least 18 people in central Gaza, Palestinian medical officials said.

The strike hit a mosque sheltering displaced people near the al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah, the hospital said in a statement.

An Associated Press journalist counted the bodies at the hospital morgue. Hospital records showed that the dead were all men. Another two men were critically wounded, the hospital said.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment about the strike on the mosque.

The latest strikes add to the mounting Palestinian death toll in Gaza, which is now nearing 42,000 according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths, but many of the dead were women and children.

New explosions in south Beirut suburbs as Israel expands bombing in Lebanon

BEIRUT — Powerful new explosions rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs late Saturday as Israel expanded its bombardment in Lebanon, also striking a Palestinian refugee camp deep in the north for the first time as it targeted both Hezbollah and Hamas fighters.

Thousands of people in Lebanon, including Palestinian refugees, continued to flee the widening conflict in the region, while rallies were held around the world marking the approaching anniversary of the start of the war in Gaza.

The strong explosions began near midnight after Israel’s military urged residents to evacuate areas in Beirut’s Haret Hreik and Choueifat neighborhoods. AP video showed the blasts illuminating the densely populated southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. They followed a day of sporadic strikes and the nearly continuous buzz of reconnaissance drones.

Israel’s military confirmed it was striking targets near Beirut and said about 30 projectiles had crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory.

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‘Complicated’

‘Substantial economic benefits’

Using Ceramic Welding Buckets

The thermite reaction is violent, burning at temperatures exceeding 3,000 degrees Celsius (5,432 degrees Fahrenheit) and causing molten metal to be expelled in all directions.

Moreover, thermite cannot be extinguished by conventional methods, such as cutting off its oxygen supply, since oxygen is already part of its chemical structure.

Attempts to douse burning thermite with water can be catastrophic, as the intense heat can split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, creating an explosive mix.

Ukrainian forces have adapted their dragon drones by suspending ceramic welding buckets or using thermite bombs from cluster munitions.

For instance, ZAB-2.5T bomblets, found in certain RBK aerial bombs, serve as effective payloads. As this innovative technology continues to develop, the battlefield tactics employed by Ukraine are becoming increasingly sophisticated,