A tale of two conferences: women against women as ‘poison of patriarchy’ returns and abortion fight intensifies

Last week, anti-choice campaigners emboldened by current US politics met in New York at the same time as UN delegates gathered to address the widespread inequalities women face. The battle to protect rights has never felt more urgent

Covid ‘benevolence bump’ endures as acts of kindness 10% higher than before 2020

World Happiness Report finds volunteering more frequent in most regions as Finland tops chart again and Costa Rica and Mexico enter top 10

‘I’ve had seals nibble my toes!’ How sunkissed Cornwall became a 422-mile surf paradise

Surfing? It’s as Cornish as piracy and pasties. As a thrilling exhibition opens in ‘Britain’s California’, we enter a heady world of coffinboards, hotdogging Aussies – and bans dished out to gangs fighting on the beach

‘It’s back to drug rationing’: the end of HIV was in sight. Then came the cuts

The abrupt halt to US funding threatens to undo decades of advances, dramatically increasing infections and deaths, but some see an opportunity for Africa to lead the response

The thin-obsessed world is growing more vicious by the minute. But fat people aren’t going anywhere

It’s time to open up your big fat mouths and push back against fatphobia

Many young people find safety in the soothing world of ASMR videos – imagine if we could give them that in the real world

ASMR videos can mimic the feeling of physical touch, which a study has found is popular with young consumers. But how many intimate gestures of love, care and connection are they missing out on, asks Emma Beddington

Silence please: how book clubs without the chat help focus the mind

A Silent Book Club is growing in popularity in Melbourne as an antidote to the social pressure of group discussions

Go outside, ditch the phone, get humble: my top 10 Scandi life lessons after a decade in Denmark

After 12 years, we’ve said goodbye to one of the happiest countries on Earth. From friluftsliv (the joy of the open air) to janteloven (realising you’re no better than others) here’s what I’ve learned

Crap jobs, fewer homes, less money, toxic politics. And peak happiness eludes the young: who knew?

Given recent history and the state of the world now, perhaps the thing that makes older people happiest is not being under 45, says Guardian columnist Zoe Williams

OurChemist

Our Chemist – Health