High Earner Not Rich Yet? Meet France's Nicolas
Nicolas isn't a real person but a meme and a hashtag: 'Nicolas pays.' He's the French variation on the viral theme of millennial disillusionment, from the HENRYs of Britain — High Earners Not Rich Yet — to the quiet quitters of America. Nicolas is cruder and more populist, stereotyping his foes as chavs living on handouts or sun-tanned Costa cruisers. He's also a little whinier, given France is really not that bad a place to be (one suspects Nicolas is out of office in August). High-profile commentators have called the meme cruel, selfish and ultimately a Trojan horse for the far-right. Indeed, transport Nicolas back to the 1950s and he might feel most at home with that era's small-state, anti-foreigner poujadistes.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Behind Europe's Anguished Words on Gaza, a Flurry of Hard Diplomacy
On the morning of July 23, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France met to discuss the Gaza crisis at a 112-year-old baroque revival mansion overlooking Lake Tegel in Berlin. Mr. Macron told Mr. Merz that he was under immense pressure at home and would likely recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations in late September, according to two officials familiar with the discussion, who requested anonymity to discuss private diplomatic conversations. It was a timeline, Mr. Merz responded, that gave everyone room to consider their next move. The next day, without telling the Germans, Mr. Macron announced his decision publicly, saying that recognition of Palestine showed France's 'commitment to a just and durable peace.' It was part of a remarkable surge of Middle East diplomacy among the European powers that accelerated on July 19, with the widespread publication of horrific pictures of starving children, and peaked 10 days later with a similar announcement on a Palestinian state by Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain. Together, these moves amounted to a declaration of independence from the Trump Administration on a major strategic issue that the Europeans have long tried to approach in tandem. Interviews with a dozen officials and diplomats revealed a frantic and at times uncoordinated push for peace after years of debate, propelled by the conclusion they could no longer wait for the United States to lead or restrain Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. A key part of the diplomatic effort was an eight-point plan developed quietly by British officials over the past six months and circulated among Europeans on July 29 by Jonathan Powell, Mr. Starmer's national security adviser and a veteran mediator. Mr. Powell was an architect of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of bloody conflict in Northern Ireland, and has advised on several conflicts since. A day after Mr. Powell began circulating the British plan, 22 Arab nations signed onto a declaration that mirrored its main goals at a United Nations conference co-hosted by Mr. Macron and the Saudis. The declaration included for the first time a demand from the Arab League that Hamas disarm and give up power in Gaza. After months of incremental actions, Europe's diplomatic surge reflected the global outrage over the carnage in the enclave, but also an attempt to provide Israel with a transformative show of will from Arab nations that might unlock peace negotiations. Officials familiar with the deliberations in all three countries said the flurry of activity was driven by evidence of widespread malnutrition and starvation in Gaza, growing demands from constituents for action and a conclusion that the United States had abandoned its efforts to push for peace or curtail Israeli military action. It is unclear whether the diplomacy will make any difference on the ground. Since Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage on Oct. 7, 2023, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. But a senior adviser to Mr. Macron on the Middle East, who asked not to be identified to discuss private diplomacy, was blunt: We had to act. On Thursday, Mr. Netanyahu effectively rebuffed Europe's calls for peace when his security cabinet approved an expansion of the war in Gaza. His decision to escalate the war prompted even Mr. Merz, a strong supporter of Israel, to suspend any shipments of German arms that could be used in Gaza. 'Waiting to Die' It was mid-July when Mr. Starmer, his foreign secretary, David Lammy, and their aides realized that their long-running debate over recognizing a Palestinian state had reached a tipping point. For months, they had insisted that the time wasn't right. In the year since Labour took office, they had denounced Israel's bombardment of Gaza, imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers and demanded more aid be allowed into the territory. But as late as July 16, Mr. Lammy maintained to frustrated Labour lawmakers that recognizing Palestine was not the same as establishing a viable state for Palestinians alongside Israel. 'I actually want to see two states,' Mr. Lammy, who traveled twice to the occupied West Bank before becoming foreign secretary, said during a committee hearing. But he suggested that recognizing Palestine at that moment would be more of 'a symbolic thing.' But the calculus changed quickly. On July 18, Israel announced an expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move the British government denounced as a 'flagrant breach of international law' that would critically undermine any chance of a two-state peace. The next day, the news media published pictures of starving children in Gaza, their bones protruding from emaciated bodies. It was a one-two punch, according to two senior British officials. The situation on the ground was rapidly deteriorating. Public pressure on Mr. Starmer was growing. On July 23, Sarah Champion, a Labour lawmaker, received a call from a friend in Gaza who was struggling to find food. 'My family and friends are just waiting to die now,' she said her friend told her. The next morning, Ms. Champion sent WhatsApp messages and emails to her colleagues, asking them to sign a letter calling on the prime minister to recognize Palestine. In the end, more than 255 signed. One Card to Play Mr. Macron's announcement came late on July 24. 'Peace is possible,' he wrote on social media, sharing a letter to Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority. His language reflected the pressure he felt to move quickly: 'It is urgent to implement the only viable solution to fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.' Mr. Macron had been signaling for weeks that he wanted to make the announcement, but at times appeared hesitant. A British official said the U.K. had discussed a joint recognition of Palestine, but Mr. Macron made his announcement without telling them, either. After almost two years of war, French diplomats were frustrated by Israel's refusal to curb its military action or to plan for the postwar stabilization of Gaza. Mr. Macron had lost patience with President Trump, who no longer seemed to support a two-state solution and appeared uninterested in pressuring Mr. Netanyahu. The French president wanted momentum in the quest for peace, in part to support moderate Arab states that also want progress toward a Palestinian state. With France being the only nuclear power in the European Union, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and home to both the largest Jewish and the largest Muslim communities in Western Europe, Mr. Macron knew recognition of Palestine would resonate with many other nations. 'France had basically one card to play,' said Rym Momtaz, an expert in French foreign policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 'Recognition of a Palestinian state.' 'Real Starvation Stuff' Given its Nazi history and its status as one of Israel's most important allies, Germany had always been unlikely to recognize a Palestinian state before it was established. But Mr. Merz was determined to be a part of the diplomatic efforts. A day after Mr. Macron's announcement, the German chancellor, the French president and Mr. Starmer issued a joint statement calling for an end to the war, the release of hostages, the disarmament of Hamas, a massive influx of aid and a halt to any Israeli plans to annex more territory. The trio held a call the following morning. They agreed the situation was 'appalling,' according to a British written summary of the meeting. Food was trickling into Gaza, but not fast enough. There was no prospect of a cease-fire. The three nations — known as the E3 — have more influence when they are aligned. Their unity also gives them political cover domestically. So Germany has not criticized either France or Britain on their decisions to recognize a Palestinian state, in part, a senior German official said, because it needs E3 unity to help manage its own sharp domestic critics on Gaza. On Sunday, July 27, Mr. Merz spoke with Mr. Netanyahu directly. The chancellor left the call frustrated, according to a person familiar with the conversation, who spoke anonymously given the sensitivity of the subject, after the Israeli prime minister insisted during the call that there was no starvation in Gaza and that Hamas was stealing the ample food being delivered. The next day, Mr. Merz and Mr. Macron called in to a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Starmer in Scotland. The Europeans urged Mr. Trump to pressure Mr. Netanyahu to allow more aid into Gaza, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the subject. After the meeting, Mr. Trump acknowledged the dire situation. 'That's real starvation stuff, I see it, and you can't fake that,' Mr. Trump told reporters. 'We have to get the kids fed.' A Unity Conference The day after Mr. Trump left Britain, Mr. Starmer made it official. He would recognize Palestine unless Israel moved swiftly to end the war and embark on a path toward a permanent peace. Mr. Lammy echoed his boss in a speech at the United Nations. 'It is with the hand of history on our shoulders that His Majesty's Government therefore intends to recognize the State of Palestine,' he said. He received a standing ovation. Canada joined Britain and France soon after. Mr. Starmer's announcement surprised the Germans. They already viewed Mr. Macron's announcement as counterproductive, hardening Israel's tone and Hamas's stance in cease-fire negotiations in Qatar, which had collapsed. That same day, Mr. Powell began sharing drafts of the British plan with the allies in the hopes of seizing a moment when heightened global outrage was being met with new examples of political will. Mr. Powell and others in the British government had been working on the plan for months, and had struggled to get Arab leaders to sign on. Now, along with France and Germany, they tried again. It was unclear to the diplomats whether Mr. Trump would support the plan, which incorporated some of the same ideas that officials in foreign capitals had proposed in the past to no avail. According to two European officials, it called for: a technocratic Palestinian government for Gaza linked to a reformed Palestinian Authority; an international security force; a full withdrawal by Israel; U.S.-led monitoring of the cease-fire; and — ultimately — two independent states. The British plan also presented an 'annex of implementation' with a timeline that included the previously scheduled U.N. conference, sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, aimed at reviving efforts toward a two-state solution. The plan envisioned Arab commitments at the conference and an eventual cease-fire in Gaza, culminating in a Saudi- and French-led peace plan for two states at the U.N. General Assembly in September. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had long said he wanted to normalize relations with Israel, but insisted that the war with Gaza needed to be resolved first and that there be concrete progress toward a Palestinian state. Despite asking several times, French officials said they were unable to determine whether the United States still supported a two-state, Israeli-Palestinian peace. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacted with fury to the idea of the conference, calling it 'ill-timed' and 'a publicity stunt.' The Europeans pushed hard ahead, despite the criticism. Mr. Starmer made calls to several Arab leaders, seeking support for the road map outlined in Mr. Powell's document, including the disarmament of Hamas and the creation of a potential U.N.-led force to keep the peace after the war ended. Mr. Macron and Mr. Merz had similar discussions. The conference's final declaration surprised many veterans of Mideast diplomacy. 'Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support,' the document said, the first time such a call had been made collectively by all the Arab nations. The declaration also welcomed the idea of 'a temporary international stabilization mission' in Gaza that would operate at the direction of the United Nations. In another era, under a different Israeli government, the declaration might have been embraced by Israel as an off ramp from almost two years of brutal war. It might also have been a moment for the United States to assert its leverage as Israel's closest ally and the historic guarantor of its security. But Mr. Trump has shown little interest in pressuring Mr. Netanyahu to restrain his military or to wind down the war. The president has not objected publicly to the Israeli decision to take over Gaza City. Instead, Israel and the United States both rejected the U.N. declaration. Diplomats in Britain, France and Germany, many of whom had worked for years toward peace between Israel and Palestinians, expressed frustration at the lack of engagement by Mr. Trump, perhaps the only person in the world with the ability to push the Israeli prime minister to change course. They acknowledged that Mr. Netanyahu's actions in recent days are evidence that American power is necessary to make a real difference on the ground in the conflict. Still, several said that while they had known Mr. Netanyahu was likely to dismiss the idea, they had to try. The alternative, they said, was to simply walk away — a choice few were willing to make. Aurelien Breeden and Ségolène Le Stradic contributed reporting from Paris.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Revamped Carnival cruise ship sailing again after workers' strike
Revamped Carnival cruise ship sailing again after workers' strike originally appeared on TravelHost. Carnival Cruise Line passengers booked on upcoming cruises from New Orleans aboard Carnival Liberty can breathe a sigh of relief. Their cruise ship is on the final leg of its journey home following routine dry dock maintenance and updates in Europe. That work was unexpectedly delayed by a shipyard workers' strike in Spain in ship was forced to change shipyards to complete its maintenance and had to cancel its July 6 cruise from New Orleans due to the delay. Luckily, Carnival's ship repair partners in Marseille, France were able to expedite the completion of Carnival Liberty's updates to get the ship home in time for its next scheduled cruise. After departing the shipyard on June 30, Carnival Liberty will soon arrive home to the Big Easy, refreshed and ready to welcome passengers for a season of seven-day Western Caribbean and Bahamas cruises. The newly refurbished ship will be among the first to call on Celebration Key, Carnival's new exclusive cruise destination in The Bahamas, which opens on July 19. Doug Parker shared more details on both the impacts of the shipyard strike and what Carnival cruise passengers can expect at Celebration Key, on the July 10 edition of Cruise News Liberty returns to service following disrupted dry dock work Transcript: This is Cruise News Today with Doug Parker. Good morning, here's your cruise news for Thursday, July 10th. Well, Carnival Liberty is heading back to the U.S. after a delayed dry dock in Europe. Yeah, the ship was originally scheduled to start service on July 3rd, but due to a strike at a Spanish shipyard, it forced repairs to wrap up in Marseille, France instead. Carnival has since filed a lawsuit against the yard that defaulted on the is set to arrive in New Orleans on July 12th. The vessel will welcome guests a day later for a seven-night Western Caribbean sailing. Carnival says updates were made to public areas, including the addition of a new Heroes Tribute Bar and Cruise Line shares new details on Celebration Key And in a little over a week, Carnival Cruise Line's new private cruise port, Celebration Key, opens on Grand Bahama Island, with Carnival Vista being the first ship to call there next Saturday. Now, Brand Ambassador John Heald shared some new details, including ADA accessible transportation, a cashless system on the island, and 14 free food trucks. Each guest will receive one complimentary entree. You can buy the rest. He also said it would take around 10 minutes to walk from the ship to the beach. Complimentary chairs, umbrellas, and towels will also be provided. The Celebration Key investment cost an estimated $600 Caribbean drops Labadee, Haiti port from another cruise And Royal Caribbean is adjusting the itinerary for its Liberty of the Seas sailing departing August 21st from Cape Liberty, New Jersey. The nine-night sailing will now skip Labadee, Haiti, replacing it with a stop in Grand Turk. The change is likely due to ongoing unrest in Haiti, although the cruise line didn't specify a reason. Royal Caribbean just said that the adjustments are intended to improve guest cruise line stocks were mixed on Wednesday. If you have a lead on a story, let us know: tips@ This week's Cruise Radio Podcast, a review of Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas, where you listen to your favorite podcasts. I'm Doug Parker with Cruise News Today. Have yourself a great Thursday. (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by TravelHost on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘I'm tired of corporate America': My wife and I have $1.65 million. I'm 61. Can I retire already?
I'm 61 and my wife is 57. We are happily married. We have zero debt outside of her leased vehicle. We own our house outright and we pay property taxes and homeowners insurance ($5,500 and $4,500 per year, respectively). My wife has a pension as a retired teacher, but we aren't going to draw on that for some time. She spent half her 28-year career in private schools. After 14 years in public schools, her pension won't be more than $1,000 to $1,500 a month when we decide to take it. I plan to work until 80. Can I contribute to my IRA while taking RMDs? 'I have a great mortgage rate': I need $80K to buy my husband out of our home. Do I raid my $180K Roth IRA? We have $1.65 million in retirement funds. I've added $16,900 to these retirement funds in the first six months of 2025. I don't hate working, but I am tired of corporate America. My annual income is $108,000, and I earn $40,000 to $60,000 in commissions. Life doesn't suck, but it's a constant drain to sign more sales when the product is problematic and the market is mature. My annual Social Security income is projected to be about $28,000 annually. I've not figured out my wife's Social Security income. My middle son is a CFP and he, like you, doesn't believe people should take Social Security until they're full retirement age (my FRA is 67). He says that if I wait until 65 to retire, I can get $100,000 with pensions and Social Security. I'd retire at 62 just to get out of the grind, but healthcare costs prevent that. We're in pretty good health. My wife is a crossfit trail runner, and I just had a knee replaced because of my past running. Can I retire at 62 and live a comfortable life? Eager to Stop Working Related: My daughter wants a larger share of my estate than my son to compensate for unequal treatment by her father. We're all salespeople, in a way. If we're not selling a product, we're selling ourselves. Especially as workers get older, it's important to keep innovating and improving and generating ideas. With experience comes great responsibility to make that lifetime of work, well, work. You've sold me: The answer is yes. But I don't envy you having to sell a product to clients, especially if you don't really believe in it. Whether it's a timeshare or the latest kitchen appliance, it's an uphill struggle. With tariffs expected to drive up the cost of automobiles, used-car salesmen are having an easier time. Having nothing to do versus having a lot on your plate won't necessarily release you of all stress and anxiety. I'm one of those oddballs who actually likes it when Mondays roll around again — there's a time on Sunday, around 6 p.m., when I am anxious to get back to work. Your combined Social Security, when you choose to collect it, and your 401(k), coupled with your wife's pension and the fact that you don't have any mortgage payments to worry about, set you up comfortably for retirement. I did some back-of-the-envelope calculations. Let's say your wife earned $50,000 a year over the course of her career and you earned close to your current salary, and you both had $4,500 collectively in benefits ($3,000 for you and $1,500 for your wife). That's worth waiting for if you expect to live long lives. Your Social Security estimates are based on the fact that your wife will be entitled to collect up to 50% of the amount of your Social Security benefits, given that they are greater than hers. To qualify, you must be married for at least 10 years. The rules are different for survivor benefits, which you get after the person whose record is being used dies. Surviving spouses, at full retirement age or older, generally get 100% of the worker's basic benefit amount, the IRS says. People 65 and older choose their Medicare coverage every year during open enrollment season, which runs from mid-October until December. You will be able to switch between traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan during that period, enroll in or change Part D prescription drug plans and also add Medigap, a type of supplemental insurance. Medicare Advantage's open enrollment period, meanwhile, runs from Jan. 1 to March 31 every year. During that time, beneficiaries aged 65 or above can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or ditch their Medicare Advantage plan and return to original Medicare. There are proposals to auto-enroll people in Medicare Advantage. You can read about that here. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B — the part of Medicare that covers doctor's visits, routine cancer screenings, home healthcare and other outpatient services — costs $185 for 2025, according to AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons. There are costs associated with basic Medicare (Parts A and B). Beneficiaries are not generally required to pay a premium for Part A because they have worked for 10 or more years and had their Social Security taxes withheld. 'Part B beneficiaries with annual individual incomes greater than $106,000 will pay more than the standard premium, though how much more depends on their income,' AARP adds. 'Income-related monthly adjustments affect roughly 8% of people with Part B insurance.' The annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries is $257 in 2025, up from $240 in 2024. 'Medicare beneficiaries typically pay 20% of the cost for each Medicare-covered service or item after they've met their deductible,' AARP adds. That's a long way of saying that waiting at least until you have Medicare is a good plan; otherwise, you could be spending upwards of $15,000 a year on health insurance, and that's $15,000 that could be making money in your 401(k). If you gave up work now, you'd be losing $200,000 or thereabouts in commissions over the next four years; that's more than millions of Americans make from their regular salaries. Your job may be trying, but all those sales you make add up to a nice lifestyle and solid retirement. Every little helps. Case in point: Your recent $16,900 contribution to your retirement fund will grow to roughly $33,200 in 10 years at a 7% annual return, while your $1.65 million will grow to a more impressive $3.1 million in 10 years at a similar return, also compounded monthly. I'm estimating your annual expenses at $75,000, if you retired at 62, taking into account your Social Security benefits and your wife's modest but very helpful pension, your $1.65 million 401(k) would last you until you're both 100 years of age. So, on paper your retirement dreams are possible. Congratulations. Now you just have to sell it to your wife. Related: My wife asked for a divorce after 21 years. She wants to buy a house with our savings, but promises to help pay my mortgage. Previous columns by Quentin Fottrell: My husband will inherit $180K. I think we should invest the money. He wants to pay off his $168K mortgage. Who's right? 'I'm at a loss': My boyfriend of nearly 10 years is naming his elderly parents as beneficiaries and giving them power of attorney. Am I right to be upset? 'We have no prenuptial agreement': Will my wife be able to take my money if I transfer it to my retirement account? . Trade Desk's stock sees its worst drop ever, and analysts wonder if Amazon is to blame Amazon documentary exposes 'neglect and pain' in many nursing homes. It's only going to get worse. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
