Athens is the hottest capital city in mainland Europe and temperatures continue to rise. That’s why Eleni Myrivili was appointed as the city’s – and continent’s – first chief heat officer last summer. We meet her on Philoppapou hill to hear about how urban design can help to build resilience against rising temperatures. [Read more in the July/August issue of Monocle.](https://monocle.com/shop/product/2169322/issue-155-double-issue/)

In this digital age, do we need more forgiveness and sacrifice in our lives? And where can we look for direction? Monocle Films sat down with Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to find out how the church strives to address contemporary needs and remain relevant in the Greek society.

Technology is everywhere but that ubiquity can come at a cost to our health, wellbeing and the quality of our conversations. View our manifesto for a more dignified relationship with all things digital and learn to be a little kinder and more cautious online.

Norrbotten in Sweden is blessed with natural resources but more recently has been turning heads because of its growing roster of innovative start-ups. We bear witness to the region's effort to change heavy industries into clean businesses.

The first edition of a Georgian festival that’s bringing together musicians from the Caucasus to discuss their shared future.

From social media to mass surveillance, we know that we are losing the ability to be private, to have lives for us and our children that are off-grid. But we can regain some control. This is how.

We gathered together a peerless group of thinkers, entrepreneurs, reporters and makers for our fifth annual conference. It was a unique mix of debate, dinner and hospitality; we look back at some of the moments that made our sunny 2019 edition such a success.

From the revived Le Corbusier Pavilion to a slick airport extension, we take lessons in living better from this year’s winning city.

What makes cities tick: security, nightlife, infrastructure? Join us on a round-the-world trip of places that we’d like to call home.

Taking an interest and making connections have been at the heart of our unmissable annual gatherings. Tune in for a preview of the Monocle Quality of Life Conference programme, which is packed with thought-provoking ideas and inspiring speakers. This is where you need to be. Book your ticket [here](https://conference.monocle.com/payment/).

Prompted by Brexit, among other things, we’ve embarked on a design update. We’ve changed up the paper stock and fired up presses just outside of Hamburg to keep Monocle at the top of the pile. Join us for a tour of the on-page innovations in the [April issue of the magazine](https://monocle.com/shop/product/1473872/issue-122/).

Many seamen see icebreaking as a career pinnacle. We peek into the snug cabins, well-kitted kitchen and memorabilia-filled gym to see what serving on icebreaker ‘Kontio’ is really like. You can also catch up with episode one [here](https://monocle.com/film/affairs/icebreakers-rescue-know-how/).

Finland has obvious natural advantages that have helped it become an icebreaking powerhouse but the country’s dominance in the field is startling. We travel to the Bay of Bothnia to bear witness to the beginning of the icebreaking season. You can also watch episode two [here](https://monocle.com/film/affairs/icebreakers-life-on-board/).

Throughout the long Finnish winter, the country’s ports are kept open by a small but determined fleet of icebreakers. Monocle Films hops on board to see how it’s done.

With its liberal and energetic approach to diplomacy, and a growing influence in art and sport, Belgium has plenty to offer on the world stage.

We join the conga of the top 25 nations that got it right (and wrong) in this most delicate of diplomatic skills.

From a thriving economy to potent soft-power credentials, we unpack what keeps Canada on the up.

Our conference has become a key gathering for people who want to create better cities, homes and lives. Bringing together a global audience who see the bigger picture, it's a unique mix of debates, dinner and hospitality. So how can you get involved? We look back at the moments that made the sunny 2018 edition in Zürich such a success. [Next stop: Madrid. Buy your ticket for the 2019 edition of the conference](https://conference.monocle.com/).

With a cosmopolitan capital, picturesque countryside and improving – albeit fluctuating – security, Lebanon is on the up.

Celebrations have been erupting in Ethiopia and Eritrea as their 20-year conflict comes to an end. We board the first flight between Addis Ababa and Asmara since 1998 to capture the mood as friends and families are finally reunited.