Why is government searching phones?

These are some of the many American citizens re-entering the country who have been subjected to searches of their cellphones and questioning about their social media.

Such invasions of travelers’ private communications are extremely intrusive and have been conducted even when officials don’t apparently have reason to think the person has done something wrong. And the government has lately increased the practice dramatically — even though recent legal decisions raise serious questions about its constitutionality.

Because people keep ever more of their personal details on their phones and computers, it is particularly egregious that the government should claim some right to unfettered access to these devices simply because a person travels abroad.

On Monday, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University — whose mission is to defend free speech in the digital age — filed a lawsuit seeking to compel the government to release information on the number of travelers whose devices have been searched, the policies related to searching cellphones containing sensitive and confidential information, and the findings of internal audits about the device search program.

Border searches of electronic devices by the Department of Homeland Security have risen exponentially in recent years, from about 5,000 device searches in 2015 to about 25,000 in 2016, according to press reports that cited DHS data. During the Trump administration, the intrusions appear to have become even more frequent; in February 2017 alone, border officials searched 5,000 devices.
And why is this happening? A US Customs and Border Protection policy since 2009 authorizes officers to seize and search a traveler’s electronic devices even if the person is not suspicious. The policy was always legally dubious, but it has become indefensible in light of the Supreme Court’s 2014 landmark decision in Riley v. California.

The court held that police generally can’t seize a person’s cellphone as part of an arrest without first obtaining a warrant that is backed by evidence that the cellphone contains evidence of a crime and is signed by a judge.

A cellphone contains “the sum of an individual’s private life,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court. The search of a smartphone is nothing like the search of a duffle bag. What people store on their cellphones — including Internet browsing history, medical records, family photos, GPS location data, financial information, and apps related to dating, addiction and hobbies — is vastly more sensitive than what people used to carry in their pockets, backpacks, or purses, or even keep in their homes.

Searches of electronic devices when there is no basis for suspicion to search them raise serious concerns relating to the freedoms of speech and association. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor observed in another recent Supreme Court case, “[a]wareness that the government may be watching chills associational and expressive freedoms.” Americans will be justifiably concerned about speaking freely if, simply because they travel internationally, the government is given unlimited authority to read through their emails, texts, social media posts and the like.

The implications may be especially significant for a free press. Suspicionless searches of cellphones threaten the ability of journalists and their sources to report on important international issues, which deprives the public of its right to know about those issues.

Numerous reports show that journalists, lawyers and activists — particularly those who cover civil wars and terrorism or travel to conflict areas — have had their cellphones and devices searched at the US border, where officers have demanded their passwords and read their communications with sources.

Those sources will likely be leery of sharing information with journalists and activists if their identities and reports may be revealed to the US government at the border.

Anecdotal evidence about how the government is using its authority to conduct suspicionless electronic device searches is disturbing but incomplete. The public has a right to see a fuller picture, as many civil liberties groups have asked the government to provide.

Our freedom of information lawsuit request seeks a range of information, but one of the items we seek may be especially revealing: We’ve asked for the database of the Treasury Enforcement Communications System that houses information about every device-search at the border, including the reason for the search, the country of origin of the traveler, and the traveler’s race and ethnicity.
The government created this database in response to concerns voiced by the Department of Homeland Security’s civil rights office several years ago about the possibility that searches might be conducted in a discriminatory or otherwise unlawful way.

Disclosure of the database — perhaps with narrow redactions to protect legitimate national security and privacy interests — would help the public understand the answer to basic questions about the government’s program: How often do border officers search travelers’ cellphones and other devices, and for what reasons?

Why did the incidence of cellphone searches sharply increase in the past 15 months? Does the department follow its own rules for taking special measures to protect searches of privileged and other sensitive content stored on cellphones, and what are those rules?

The courts should require the government to disclose this information and quickly, and the practice of delving into travelers’ private lives at the border without reason to suspect them of wrongdoing should ultimately end. Everything we know about the government’s searches of devices at the border suggests the government is dramatically expanding an unconstitutional program.

Spicer, reporter take new tone

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Instant vacation: 25 amazing travel photos

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Cappadocia, Turkey: Hot-air ballooning is a popular tourist activity in Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Central Anatolia. The area is characterized by a distinctive volcanic landscape and large network of ancient underground dwellings.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Wuhan, China: People view springtime cherry blossoms at Wuhan University in central China’s Hubei Province.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Hameem desert, United Arab Emirates: A man guides his camels across the Hameem desert, around 170 kilometers (about 106 miles) west of Abu Dhabi.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Porto, Portugal: A view over Porto from a lookout point in Vitoria. “Miradouros” is the Portuguese word for lookout spots offering impressive views.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Saint Petersburg, Russia: An aerial view of the Saint Peter and Paul Fortress, built in the 18th century on Zayachy Island, also known as Hare Island.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Beijing: Beijing’s Forbidden City was China’s imperial palace for around 500 years, from 1420 until 1912. It now houses the Palace Museum.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Petra, Jordan: The 43-meter-high facade of Al-Khazneh, also known as the Treasury, is one of the first sights to greet visitors to the ancient Jordanian city of Petra, built more than 2,000 years ago by the Nabataeans.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Annual Carnival celebrations got underway in Rio de Janeiro in February, with hundreds turning out for the Ceu na Terra (Heaven on Earth) street party on February 18.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Siem Reap, Cambodia: UNESCO World Heritage site Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure in the world. The 41-acre temple complex was built to the Hindu god Vishnu by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Washington: A tourist visits the Jefferson Memorial, dedicated to American Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, on US President’s Day on February 20.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Havana: Cuban children limber up during a baseball training session in Havana in February. Baseball is one of the country’s most popular sports.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Moscow: Moscow’s Red Square is pictured during a February snowfall. St Basil’s Cathedral appears background left, and the Kremlin’s Spasskaya tower is on the right.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Catania, Italy: Crowds gather in Catania on February 5 for a religious festival celebrating Saint Agatha, a Christian martyr and the city’s patron saint.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Tokyo: A bride and groom pose in traditional dress by a rapeseed oil field in Hamarikyu Garden in February. The flowers are expected to remain in bloom until the end of March.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

London: Chiswick House’s Magic Lantern Festival is an annual part of London’s Lunar New Year celebrations. The 2017 event takes a Silk Road theme and features more than 50 illuminations, an ice rink, street food stalls and a pop-up ice bar. The festival finishes February 26.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Potsdam, Germany: Sanssouci was the summer palace of Frederick the Great, who was King of Prussia from 1740 until 1786. It was built in the Rococo style and is regarded as Germany’s answer to France’s Palace of Versailles.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Gaza City: Palestinians enjoy the sunset on one of the city’s beaches. Gaza City is home to about half a million people.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Valle del Cauca, Colombia: Agricola Himalaya owns the only tea crops in Colombia and exports to markets in the US and Latin America. Here, a worker picks tea leaves at the Bitaco farm.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Dallol, Ethiopia: A sulfur lake is pictured in Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression. At 100 meters below sea level, it’s one of the hottest places on Earth. Temperatures here have been known to reach 125 F (51.6 C).

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Kathmandu, Nepal: A child wheels his bike through UNESCO World Heritage site Bhaktapur Durbar Square, a former royal plaza filled with temples, statues and other landmarks.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

London: A real peasouper: The south of England was wrapped in freezing fog mid-January, with London’s Houses of Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower — better known as Big Ben — pictured here in the gloam.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Budapest, Hungary: Cold weather also gripped Budapest mid-January, where sightseers gathered under the stone pillars of Margaret Bridge to take photos of ice floes floating down the River Danube.

Instant vacation: The world’s best travel photos

Srinagar, Kashmir: Traditional wooden shikara boats are moored in the popular Dal Lake tourist spot. The Zabarwan mountain range lies beyond.

Maxine Waters: ‘I cannot be intimidated’

That was Rep. Maxine Waters’ response, fired back after Fox News host Bill O’Reilly mocked her hair Tuesday.

At 78, the California Democrat’s fierce opposition and one-liners dished out against President Donald Trump’s administration have made her a darling to liberals. She’s been called “the new first lady of throwing shade” and “Auntie Maxine” for her blunt, no-nonsense style — raising her profile in the age of Trump.

She slammed the Trump administration as a “Kremlin klan” over its alleged ties to Russia and two weeks into his presidency, called for his impeachment. Her unamused facial expressions and quotable lines have made her a fixture on social media and TV.

The Los Angeles-area Democrat hasn’t won many conservative fans.

O’Reilly comments on Waters’ hair

On Tuesday, O’Reilly mocked Waters’ hair, saying, “I didn’t hear a word she said. I was looking at the James Brown wig.”

O’Reilly apologized later for his comments — after making the comparison twice. “I love James Brown. But it’s the same hair!” he had said while appearing on “Fox & Friends.”

He later said: “Whatever she says, she believes. She’s not a phony, and that’s old school.”

O’Reilly later apologized for his wig comments in a statement.

“As I have said many times, I respect Congresswoman Maxine Waters for being sincere in her beliefs,” he said. “I said that again today on Fox & Friends calling her ‘old school.’ Unfortunately, I also made a jest about her hair which was dumb. I apologize.” He also brought it up during his show “The O’Reilly Factor.”

Waters told MSNBC’s Chris Hayes that she didn’t care about O’Reilly.

“I’d like to say to women out there everywhere, don’t allow these right-wing talking heads, these dishonorable people, to intimidate you or scare you. Be who you are! Do what you do! And let us get on with discussing the real issues of this country!”

She then accused Trump of wrapping “his arms around Putin” and called for an independent investigation into the President and his associates.

#BlackWomenAtWork

The hashtag #BlackWomenAtWork was trending after O’Reilly’s comments, as tweeters began discussing challenges that black women face at work.

As one of the 20 black women in Congress, Waters has been holding her own since her election in 1991, when the halls of government had not seen many women or minorities.

In her career, she has advocated for education, affirmative action and African-American issues.

Born in St. Louis as one of 13 children, Waters grew up in a housing project. She later moved to Los Angeles after getting married.

She worked in a garment factory, but later became part of Head Start, a federal program for children from poor families. It was from there that she jumped into local politics and became a strong voice on social issues, including civil rights, women and urban issues.

Waters made waves as a new congresswomen when she burst uninvited into a 1992 meeting held by President George H.W. Bush following the LA riots. She demanded to have her voice heard, as her district included South Central LA.

Over the years, she has remained popular in her district, winning re-election by wide margins.

She was the subject of a nearly three-year investigation after being accused of improperly seeking government assistance for OneUnited Bank, a minority-owned bank in which her husband held a financial interest, during the 2008 financial meltdown. The bank received $12 million in bailout funds.

12 of the best canalside hotels in Amsterdam

But one thing beats, and links, them all: Amsterdam’s canals.

Not only do these 17th-century transport routes lend the Dutch capital a certain grandeur, they also provide locals and visitors with a great place to soak up the city’s atmosphere.

Staying in a hotel that overlooks one of these elegant canals is one of the best ways to enjoy these waterways.

Here are 12 of the best luxury five-star canalside hotels Amsterdam has to offer.

Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam

Few hotels in the city can beat the Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam for both location and looks.

The five-star venue, which originally opened in 1916 as offices, sits within the Scheepvaarthuis, or shipping house, a classic building sitting right next to the city’s Central Station.

The Scheepvaarthuis’s radical expressionist design — Art Nouveau with a Dutch twist — went on to define the Amsterdam School of architecture, heavily influencing the look of subsequent modern buildings.

The Amrâth, recently extended to 40 rooms, offers sublime views over the spacious IJ, Amsterdam’s main waterfront, and the romantic Waalseilandsgracht canal.

Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam, Prins Hendrikkade 108, Amsterdam; +31 20 552 0000

InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam

InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam: The city's "grande dame."

InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam: The city's "grande dame."

InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam: The city’s “grande dame.”

Located on the banks of the River Amstel, the InterContinental is known as the city’s grande dame, thanks to its longevity and rather formal appearance.

In 2017, the hotel is celebrating its 150th anniversary with festivities and a complete restoration of its palatial exterior.

The Royal Afternoon Tea provides the perfect chance to relax while staring out over the river.

InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam, Professor Tulpplein 1, Amsterdam; +31 20 622 6060

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam

The classically beautiful Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam is made up of six traditional canalside palaces from the 17th century.

It sits on the Herengracht, and though it’s relatively new, it’s earned TripAdvisor’s 2017 Travelers’ Choice Award for the luxury category of The Netherlands.

The luxurious but modern decor feels airy, and the tulips in the private gardens add to the Dutch feel.

One of its restaurants, the Librije’s Zusje, has two Michelin stars.

An extra bonus: the honey served at breakfast comes from the hotel’s rooftop beehives.

Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, Herengracht 542-556, Amsterdam; +31 20 718 4600

The Dylan Amsterdam

The Dylan is small and chic, a renovated boutique hotel dating back to the 17th century.

Heavy wooden joists give many of the rooms an original feel, but the decor and ambiance are very much modern and sleek.

The hotel sits on the “grachtengordel,” or Amsterdam’s central canal belt.

Shopping enthusiasts will happily stumble upon the Nine Streets upscale area just around the corner, full of boutiques and cute canalside cafes.

Dinner is served in the hotel at the brasserie Occo or the Michelin-starred Vinkeles.

The Dylan Amsterdam, Keizersgracht 384, Amsterdam; +31 20 530 2010

Pulitzer Amsterdam

Twenty-five connecting 17th- and 18th-century aristocratic canal houses make up the Pulitzer, resulting in a dazzling maze on the inside with a tranquil inner garden.

One of the best features of this stylish hotel is the possibility to walk around the city with one of the concierges, allowing guests to see Amsterdam through a local’s eyes.

Another option is to cruise the canals in the hotel’s stylish boat built in 1909.

Pulitzer Amsterdam, Prinsengracht 315 — 331, Amsterdam; +31 20 523 5235

Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam

The entrance gate of The Grand will be covered with tulips from April to mid-May.

The entrance gate of The Grand will be covered with tulips from April to mid-May.

The entrance gate of The Grand will be covered with tulips from April to mid-May.

The Grand was first a 15th-century convent, then housed royals before becoming the City Hall of Amsterdam.

Princess Beatrix, the former queen of The Netherlands, married Prince Claus in 1966 in the former council chamber here.

Though the hotel, which opened in 1992, is situated near the Red Light District, where sex workers legally ply their trade, it’s a quiet oasis away from the tourists.

Planning to visit Amsterdam in spring? The entrance gate will be covered with orange flowers for the Tulip Festival which runs from April 1 to May 14.

Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197; +31 20 555 3111

Luxury Suites

Newcomer Luxury Suites combines the services of a hotel with the independence of an apartment.

Order food or cook a homemade meal in the suite’s private kitchen.

The large and fully equipped suites overlook the Oudeschans, a wide canal at the east side of the city center, and are surrounded by typical Amsterdam warehouses.

The hotel offers packages including one for romance and another for diamond lovers.

Luxury Suites, Oudeschans 75, Amsterdam; +31 20 723 8300

Andaz Amsterdam

Andaz is located in a former library and designed by the renowned Dutch designer Marcel Wanders.

The hotel made no effort to make the interior traditional — more than 50 pieces of video art are on display, giving the place a modern feel splashed with Delft blue pottery and vases.

Andaz offers complimentary wine for a couple hours daily, as well as free bikes.

Rooms come with a choice of a view of the tranquil inner garden or the mesmerizing canal.

Andaz Amsterdam, Prinsengracht 587, Amsterdam, +31 20 523 1234

Hilton Amsterdam

Hilton Amsterdam throws one of the best herring parties in the country.

Hilton Amsterdam throws one of the best herring parties in the country.

Hilton Amsterdam throws one of the best herring parties in the country.

John and Yoko Ono held their famous “bed-in for peace” in one of the rooms here in 1969, the aptly named John and Yoko suite.
The hotel is within walking distance of the Amsterdam’s Museum Square where the Van Gogh Museum and the famous Dutch national museum Rijksmuseum are located.

The Dutch love their salted herring, and they also like to launch the season with a good party.

One of the most renowned ones is the private, invite-only, VIP, glamorous party held every year at the waterside garden in the Hilton Amsterdam.

Hilton Amsterdam, Apollolaan 138, Amsterdam; +31 20 710 6000

De L’Europe

Central as it comes, this hotel is near shopping, tourist attractions, the Red Light District, the Canal Ring and Amsterdam’s Central Station.

Built as an inn in 1636, the hotel has welcomed guests ever since.

The hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant Bord’Eau offers a great, reasonably priced three-course lunch menu.

This not only gives guests somewhere decent to eat, but also helps the ongoing campaign to convince locals that there’s more to lunch than just a sandwich.

De L’Europe, Nieuwe Doelenstraat 2-14, Amsterdam; +31 20 531 1777

NH Collection Amsterdam Doelen

NH Collection Amsterdam Doelen: Outstanding river views.

NH Collection Amsterdam Doelen: Outstanding river views.

NH Collection Amsterdam Doelen: Outstanding river views.

Rembrandt painted the famous Nachtwacht (The Night Watch) originally to be exhibited in the De Doelen, as the hotel was called in the 17th century.

After that, many VIPs booked rooms at the Doelen, such as Empress Elisabeth of Austria and The Beatles.

Stunning views over the River Amstel can be seen through the hotel’s grand windows.

All the rooms were renovated in 2016, giving it a grand but modern feeling.

NH Collection Amsterdam Doelen, Nieuwe Doelenstraat 26, Amsterdam; +31 20 554 0600

Hyatt Regency Amsterdam

Amsterdam’s newest five-star hotel officially opens in April 2017.

If a quieter stay is desired, the Hyatt — located near Amsterdam’s trendy and leafy east district — may suit.

Guest can take a stroll down to the nearby Oosterpark, have a drink at one of the many hip cafés in the neighborhood or visit the Tropenmuseum nearby, the museum about humans.

Indonesian dinner is available at the hotel bar and restaurant called Mama Makan.

Hyatt Regency Amsterdam, Sarphatistraat 104, Amsterdam; +31 20 554 1234

Katja Brokke is a freelance journalist and editor from Amsterdam specializing in food, travel and media. Follow her on Twitter at @KatjaSchrijft or take a look at katjaschrijft.nl.

Samsung’s new AI assistant

Samsung is preparing to launch a digital assistant called “Bixby,” the latest product to result from the tech industry’s obsession with artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.

Bixby will be featured on the new Galaxy S8, Samsung’s head of research and development Injong Rhee said in a blog post.

The S8 launches in New York next week.

Samsung is banking on the S8 to help it recover from last year’s embarrassing Note 7 debacle. The company killed off the flagship device after a recall and various fixes failed to stop some Note 7s from overheating and catching fire.

It’s also facing potential disruptions as de facto leader Lee Jaeyong’s criminal trial begins in South Korea. Lee has been caught up in a corruption scandal and is facing a list of charges including bribery and embezzlement.

Bixby will enter a market that is already crowded with competitors, including Apple’s (AAPL, Tech30) Siri, Amazon’s (AMAZON) Alexa, Google (GOOG) Assistant, Microsoft’s (MICROS) Cortana and IBM’s (IBM, Tech30) Watson. Even Facebook (FB, Tech30) CEO Mark Zuckerberg has an assistant called Jarvis.

Samsung, however, insists that Bixby is “fundamentally different from other voice agents or assistants.”

Related: What next for Samsung as chief’s ‘trial of the century’ begins

The electronics giant said that Bixby’s ability to work across supported apps sets it apart from Siri or Cortana. For example, you could direct BIxby to “find a photo of Jane and text it to Sally.”

Users will also be able to switch between using Bixby to issue voice commands and using smartphones the old fashioned way, via touch commands. That is a clumsier experience on existing assistants, which often start tasks over if you switch from voice to touch.

Unlike its competitors, the S8 will come with a dedicated Bixby button, allowing users to fire up the smartphone digital assistant the same way they would a walkie-talkie. Samsung plans to make Bixby available on all its appliances, including air conditioners and TVs.

“We believe Bixby will evolve from a smartphone interface to an interface for your life,” Rhee said.

Related: Roomba will now tell you what part of your home is dirtiest

Tech firms are betting that an increasing number of people will soon use digital assistants to interact with various devices. Research firm Tractica predicts the market for virtual digital assistants will top $15 billion by 2021.

Rhee said that Bixby would be “at the heart of our software and services evolution as a company.”

Ian Fogg, a mobile devices analyst with IHS Markit, said the statement represented a major shift for the hardware giant.

“They’ve never made such a strong statement that they need to be a software and services company before,” he said.

Some analysts remain skeptical of Bixby because it doesn’t play to the firm’s strengths. The company’s other digital assistant, the S Voice, launched in 2012 and was quickly outpaced by Siri and Google Assistant.

“I am concerned about whether a traditionally hardware-centric company like Samsung can execute well on this, especially against … heavyweights like Google,” said Bryan Ma, a smartphone analyst with research firm IDC.

However, Ma said that even Apple hasn’t perfected its digital assistant.

“It’s still only the first inning of the ballgame right now,” he said.

Last year, Samsung acquired a startup called Viv Labs in an effort to build its expertise in the area. Viv Labs is helmed by a co-creator of Apple’s Siri, and its assistant can handle complex queries from users.

Bixby was reportedly developed using Samsung’s in-house technology, but updates will incorporate Viv’s features and tech.

CNNMoney (Hong Kong) First published March 21, 2017: 7:06 AM ET

After Brexit, can EU survive?

David Cameron — May’s predecessor who lost the Brexit referendum — has reason to be puzzled by the upshot of his defeat.

Yet, as a direct result of Brexit, Berlin and Paris are now adopting the idea of variable geometry as the way forward for the EU.

This first paradox is easier to understand when seen through the lens of the conventional European practice of making a virtue out of failure.

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, had for years opposed the idea of a Europe that proceeds at different speeds — allowing some countries to be less integrated than others, due to their domestic political situation.

But now — after the colossal economic mismanagement of the euro crisis has weakened the EU’s legitimacy, given Euroskeptics a major impetus, and caused the EU to shift to an advanced stage of disintegration — Mrs Merkel and her fellow EU leaders seem to think that a multi-speed Europe is essential to keeping the bloc together.

At the weekend, as EU leaders gathered to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, leaders of the remaining 27 member states signed the Rome Declaration, which says that they will “act together, at different paces and intensity where necessary, while moving in the same direction, as we have done in the past.”

The failure to keep the EU together along a single path toward common values, a common market and a common currency will come to be embraced and rebranded as a new start, leading to a Europe in which a coalition of the willing will proceed with the original ambition while the rest form outer circles, connected to the inner core by unspecified bonds.

In principle, such a manifold EU will allow for the East’s self-proclaimed illiberal democracies to remain in the single market, refusing to relocate a single refugee or to adhere to standards of press freedom and judicial independence that other European countries consider essential. Countries like Austria will be able to put up electrified fences around their borders. It could even leave the door open for the UK to return as part of one of Europe’s outer circles.

Whether one approves of this vision or not, the fact is that its chances depend on a major prerequisite: a consolidated, stable eurozone.

One only needs to state this to recognize the second paradox of our post-Brexit reality: In its current state, the eurozone cannot provide the stability that the EU — and Europe more broadly — needs to survive.

The refusal to deal rationally with the bankruptcy of the Greek state is a useful litmus test for the European establishment’s capacity to stabilize the eurozone.

As it stands, the prospects for a stabilized eurozone do not look good. Business as usual — the establishment’s favored option — could soon produce a major Italian crisis that the eurozone cannot survive.

The only alternative under discussion is a eurozone federation-light, with a tiny common budget that Berlin will agree to in exchange for direct control of French, Italian and Spanish national budgets. Even if this were to happen, which is doubtful given the political climate, it will be too little, too late to stabilize the eurozone.

So here is the reality that Europe faces today: a proper federation of 27 member states is impossible, given the centrifugal forces tearing Europe apart. Meanwhile, a variable geometry confederacy — of the type David Cameron had requested and which the UK might want to join after 2019 — requires a consolidated eurozone. But this also seems impossible, given the current climate.

Allowing EU member states to move in different directions and at different speeds is precisely the wrong way to address to address the differing concerns of Europeans living in different countries — and it seems an odd way to unite them behind a single way forward for the continent.

In fact, Europeans are already united by two existential threats: Involuntary under-employment — the bitter fruit of austerity-driven under-investment — and involuntary migration — the result of the overconcentration of investment in specific regions.

To make the European Union work again, each and every European country must be stabilized and helped to prosper.

Europe cannot survive as a free-for-all, everyone for themselves, or as an Austerity Union built on de-politicised economic decision-making with a fig leaf of federalism in which some countries are condemned to permanent depression and debtors are denied democratic rights.

Europe, in short, needs a New Deal — perhaps similar to the New Deal that my organization DiEM25 unveiled in Rome at the weekend while the European elites were toasting their variable geometry — that runs across the continent, embracing all countries independently of whether they are in the eurozone, in the European Union or in neither.

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The world’s most beautiful island hotels

Whether you’re after a glitzy private island getaway or a low-key tropical escape, we’ve picked 15 of the world’s most stunning island hotels.

It’s built on its own 3,500-acre private island studded with lush coconut groves and ringed by pristine white sand beaches.

Each of its 25 villas — inspired by traditional Fijian bure — boast leafy tropical gardens and private infinity-edge pools.

As if that weren’t enough to keep you occupied, there’s also an equestrian center, five restaurants and countless coral reefs to be explored (via submarine, naturally).

Lacaula Island, Fiji; +679 888 0077

Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort (Mozambique)

Anantara: Understated castaway chic.

Anantara: Understated castaway chic.

Anantara: Understated castaway chic.

It doesn’t get much more far-flung than this resort, tucked away on a tiny private island in the Quirimbas Archipelago, off the northern coast of Mozambique.

But the views alone are worth the trek. Upon arrival, you’re greeted with miles of empty, powder-white sand and ocean so blue it barely looks real.

The resort itself is gorgeous, with its castaway-chic aesthetic and whimsical, Arabian Nights-inspired decor.

And though its wooden, thatched-roof villas may look simple, don’t be fooled: They’re decked out with luxe deep-soak tubs, roomy outdoor decks and plunge pools built just steps from the ocean.

Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort, Medjumbe Island, Quirimbas Archipelago, Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique; +27 10 003 8979

Southern Ocean Lodge (Australia)

Built atop scrub-covered bluffs on the southwest tip of Australia’s Kangaroo Island, this unique resort is another spot offering incredible views.

Each of its 21 glass-fronted suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows and are cantilevered to ensure jaw-dropping panoramas over Hanson Bay.

In contrast to its rugged coastal landscape, the lodge is sleek and ultramodern, built from sustainable materials like recycled gumtrees and local limestone.

It’s also luxurious: Each suite has its own private terrace, sunken lounge and standalone bathtubs, perfectly positioned to soak in the glorious views.

Southern Ocean Lodge, Hanson Bay Road, Kingscote, Australia; +61 08 8559 7347

Cap Juluca (Anguilla)

This intimate boutique hotel, situated on Anguilla’s turquoise-blue Maundays Bay, is a Caribbean classic.

Its domed, Moorish-style villas are cheerful and stylish, decorated with colorful batiks, rattan furniture and coconut wood accents.

Though the vibe is beachy and relaxed, rooms abound with posh amenities like plush Frette linens and Hermès bath products.

Added bonus: Every room is beachfront and has an ocean-facing patio.

Cap Juluca, Maundays Bay, Anguilla; +1 264 497 6666

Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea (Sicily, Italy)

Belmond Villa Sant'Andrea: Sicilian charm and jaw-dropping views.

Belmond Villa Sant'Andrea: Sicilian charm and jaw-dropping views.

Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea: Sicilian charm and jaw-dropping views.

Though you’d be hard pressed to find a hotel in Sicily that’s not picture-perfect, there’s something especially dreamy about this one.

Built as a villa in 1830, the beautifully renovated Belmond has retained the laid-back charm of a private family residence (think homemade Sicilian pastries upon check-in and fresh flowers in every room).

Suites are huge and indulgent, outfitted with enormous marble bathrooms and furnished French balconies that offer sweeping views over the Bay of Mazzarò.

Added bonus: It even has its own private stretch of beachfront, fringed by lush subtropical gardens.

Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea, Via Nazionale, 137, Taormina, Italy; +39 0942 627 1200

Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina (Hawaii)

Opened in the summer of 2016, Oahu’s newest resort — located on the quiet western side of the island — might also be its most beautiful.

The property is sleek yet earthy, and takes advantage of its gorgeous oceanfront setting with plenty of sun-drenched, indoor-outdoor spaces.

All 371 rooms are decorated in a modern Hawaiiana style, with banana-leaf wall coverings, banana leaf-printed pillows and local wood accents.

But the hotel’s pièce de résistance is its blissful adults-only infinity pool, which is tucked away from the main pool and beach area and overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, 92-1001 Olani St, Kapolei, Hawaii; +1 808 679 0079

Secret Bay (Dominica)

Perched on a clifftop on the island of Dominica, this uber-luxe hotel remains relatively undiscovered compared to other Caribbean resorts of the same caliber.

But therein lies its charm: Unlike the crowded, all-inclusive resorts of Bermuda and the Bahamas, this low-key boutique property feels like your own secret Caribbean hideaway.

Its eight treehouse-style bungalows are hidden amidst thick, jungle-like foliage and equipped with so many luxe features — hammocks, plunge pools, sundecks, personal libraries — that you won’t ever want to leave.

But you must, if only to walk down to its two stunning beaches or watch the sun set over the Caribbean Ocean from the gorgeous Vetiver Sunset Deck.

Secret Bay, Ross Boulevard, Portsmouth, Dominica; +1 767 445 4444

Soneva Jani (Maldives)

With 24 over-water villas and one sprawling island villa set on a private lagoon in the Maldives, the newest Soneva resort is one of the world’s most beautiful hotels, period.

Each of the resort’s multi-level water villas — made out of renewable plantation wood — has its own private pool and a retractable roof that allows guests to sleep beneath the stars.

Many villas also have slides that transport guests directly from the top level into the lagoon below.

Other hotel highlights include an observatory — home to the largest telescope in the Indian Ocean — and an outdoor floating cinema.

Soneva Jani, Medhufaru Island, Noonu Atoll, Republic of Maldives; +960 656 6666

The Naka Island, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa (Phuket, Thailand)

The Naka Island: Splendid isolation.

The Naka Island: Splendid isolation.

The Naka Island: Splendid isolation.

Nestled on the northwest tip of Naka Yai island, off the coast of the larger island of Phuket, this Thai resort feels blissfully isolated.

It’s not a private island resort, but it feels that way, with just 67 villas draped along miles of deserted, unspoiled beachfront.

Villas are earthy yet luxurious, made entirely of wood, stone and clay, and equipped with private pools and steam rooms.

If you can manage to drag yourself from your villa, make a beeline for the beachfront Z Bar, which serves up potent cocktails and epic sunset views.

The Naka Island, 32 Moo 5, Tambol Paklok, Amphur Thalang, Naka Yai Island, Phuket, Thailand; +66 (76) 371 400

The Cliff Hotel (Jamaica)

Though it sits directly on the ocean, this new boutique hotel isn’t your typical beach getaway.

For starters, there’s no beach: True to its name, the hotel is perched on low, jagged cliffs that jut out dramatically onto the ocean.

Unlike its colorful, kitschy neighbors, The Cliff opts for a neutral-toned, minimalist vibe that allows its striking natural setting to steal the show.

Still, its 33 rooms are as luxe as they come, outfitted with stylish hammocks, roomy balconies and, in some cases, private plunge pools.

The Cliff Hotel, West End Road, Negril, Jamaica; US 1 800 213 0583; UK 020 3002 0927

Cavo Tagoo (Mykonos, Greece)

Hugging a cliff high above the Aegean Sea, Cavo Tagoo remains a haven of peace and serenity on Greece’s most touristed island.

The vibe is refreshingly modern and minimalist: whitewashed surfaces, exposed wood and stone, and sleek, clean furnishings.

Rooms come with with whirlpool baths, ocean-facing balconies and, in some cases, private plunge pools.

No pool? No worries: The resort’s communal infinity saltwater pool has an aquarium bar and the best sunset views on the island.

Cavo Tagoo Mykonos, Aegean Coasts S.A., Mykonos, Greece; +30 22890 20100

Belmond La Samanna (St. Martin)

La Samanna: Unspoilt beaches and killer cocktails.

La Samanna: Unspoilt beaches and killer cocktails.

La Samanna: Unspoilt beaches and killer cocktails.

Easily the best resort in St. Martin, La Samanna brings tranquility and a touch of glamor to a fairly tourist-clogged island.

Its 83 lavish rooms and eight Mediterranean-style villas are hidden behind 55 lush tropical acres on the unspoilt shores of Baie Longue.

Property highlights include two infinity pools, a heavenly spa, two French-Caribbean restaurants and a 12,000-bottle wine cave.

But what you’re really here for is the Moroccan-themed beach bar, which serves up potent cocktails and killer ocean views to match.

Belmond La Samanna, 97064 St Martin, CEDEX, French West Indies; +590 590 87 6400

Nihiwatu (Sumba Island, Indonesia)

Though it’s just an hour’s flight from Bali, Nihiwatu feels worlds away: It sits on a private 1.5-mile beach backed by 560 acres of tropical jungle.

Its 28 thatched-roof villas are rugged yet luxurious, decorated with teak furnishings, traditional ikat-print fabrics and local Sumban art.

Though every villa is impressive, the Marrangga villas — which feature beds elevated on cliffside platforms overlooking the ocean — are where you want to be.

Nihiwatu, Sumba Island, Indonesia; +62 361 757 149

North Island (Seychelles)

North Island: A celebrity favorite.

North Island: A celebrity favorite.

North Island: A celebrity favorite.

Breathtaking natural beauty and innovative design come together on this heavenly private island resort in the heart of the Seychelles.

Its 11 newly renovated villas feature a glamorous, castaway-meets-Colonial vibe that blends seamlessly into its jungle-like natural surroundings.

Of course, there are five-star amenities to boot: indoor-outdoor bathrooms, deep-soak tubs and personal plunge pools, to name a few.

It’s no wonder that the resort’s guest list includes the likes of Angeline Jolie and Brad Pitt, George and Amal Clooney and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

North Island, Victoria, Mahé Seychelles; +248 4293 100

CéBlue Villas and Beach Resort (Anguilla)

Opened in 2014, CéBlue is one of Anguilla’s newest and most luxurious resorts.

It has just eight eco-friendly hideaways built into the verdant hills above tranquil Crocus Bay on the island’s northwest coast.

Lodgings are sleek and modern, and equipped with large saltwater swimming pools, 3,000-square-foot sun decks and frangipani-filled private gardens.

Thanks to the resort’s linear, terraced design, guests can enjoy panoramic views over the Caribbean Sea from every single window.

CéBlue Villas and Beach Resort, Valley Road, 1264 The Valley, Crocus Bay, Anguilla; +1 264 462 1000

Krisanne Fordham has written for Conde Nast Traveler, Fodor’s Travel, Departures and Travel + Leisure. She grew up in Sydney and now splits time between Umbria, Italy and New York.

Meet a 700-year-old man

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