The East of England Co-op’s Local Giving initiative, launched in summer 2024, has raised more than £130,000 for regional charities and community groups across East Anglia, including Essex and Suffolk. The scheme empowers the co-op’s 3,000+ colleagues to select and raise funds for causes that matter most in their own communities. Angela Carpenter, community support lead at the East of England Co-op, said: "At the heart of East of England Co-op is a commitment to making a positive local impact, not just through funding, but by being an active part of the communities we serve." Last summer at the Parkfields East of England Co-op in Halstead, Essex, colleagues organised a series of wacky dress-up days and raised over £800. Damian Johnson, branch manager at Hadleigh, said: "I think it’s really important for our co-op to support our local community because we are the grassroots of East Anglia, we are the local community, we’re entrenched in it."

Audio By VocalizeEnergy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi. [File, Standard]The Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Opiyo Wandayi, has denied engaging in early campaigns during service delivery engagements across the country. According to Wandayi his role is to communicate the government projects, leaving the final decision to the electorate. Wandayi said that despite being a CS, he is still a member of the ODM party, whose constitution allows him to engage in political affairs. On the issue of division in the ODM party, Wandayi noted that it would have been the late Raila Odinga’s wish for his team to continue working with the Kenya Kwanza government.

New Sh400 million mall targets Nairobi's Eastlands retail boomThe three-storey building that will be located along Manyanja Road will sit on about half an acre next to Berean Fellowship Church. It is aimed at transforming the retail landscape. Real Estate

IMF team is in Kenya for funding talks. The Washington-based lender's team arrives in Nairobi following months of preparatory discussions between Kenyan authorities and IMF officials both in Nairobi and Washington. The talks are expected to grapple with several contentious issues that derailed the previous programme. When did the previous IMF agreement expire? However, the programme expired in April 2025 without completion of its ninth review after Nairobi failed to meet 11 of 16 performance conditions agreed with the IMF.

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1 / 7 Kokilaben looked elegant in her signature baby pink saree with a golden border. Shloka Ambani wore a light pink silk Anarkali-style suit, while Isha Ambani opted for a blue suit with a pink dupatta and minimal jewelry. Kokilaben Ambani Celebrates 92nd Birthday 2 / 7 Kokilaben Ambani, mother of businessman Mukesh Ambani and matriarch of the Reliance family, celebrated her 92nd birthday in Nathdwara. Signature Traditional Look 4 / 7 As always, Kokilaben embraced her classic traditional style, wearing a baby pink saree with a wide golden border. Shloka Ambani’s Elegant Ensemble 6 / 7 Sitting just below Kokilaben, Shloka Ambani wore a light pink silk Anarkali-style suit.

Audio By VocalizeA child views an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 24, 2026. By showcasing homegrown innovations on the first working day after the Spring Festival holiday, Hubei signalled that China's low-altitude economy, now a national strategic priority, is swiftly transforming from blueprint to reality. Among the four aircraft presented, the eVTOL from E-HAWK Technology, a 1.2-tonne vehicle, featured enclosed rotors for enhanced ground safety. With a range exceeding 1,000 km, it can reach Beijing in north China, south China's Guangzhou or Shanghai from Wuhan without recharging. Key low-altitude manufacturing firms in Wuhan have seen revenues surge by over 30 percent this year, building on a 2025 aviation industry output of 9.6 billion yuan in this city.

A political storm has erupted in the United Kingdom over a promotional video released by the Green Party ahead of a by-election in Northwest England this week. The video, created in Urdu, shows UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sparking widespread criticism. The Green Party has been accused of stirring societal divisions and using identity politics to gain votes. What the video showsThe controversial video depicts Prime Minister Starmer alongside PM Modi and Prime Minister Netanyahu, discussing issues related to Islamophobia. Mishra, a British Indian MP, added that the video raises 'serious questions' about the approach taken by the Green Party.

Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho is spearheading a robust initiative to unlock the immense economic potential of Samburu County's untapped chromite reserves. The Kenyan government, under the aggressive, reform-minded leadership of Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho, has launched a highly strategic, multi-agency initiative designed to fully commercialize the massive, unexploited chromite deposits buried deep within Samburu County. For decades, this region has been economically marginalized, heavily reliant on precarious pastoralism, and frequently battered by severe climate shocks. Samburu's deposits place Kenya directly on the radar of global industrial titans. The successful, sustainable exploitation of Samburu's chromite could fundamentally redefine Kenya's broader economic portfolio, heavily diversifying state revenue streams away from traditional agriculture and volatile tourism.

President William Ruto with his cabinet members during a past meeting/PCSThe increasing visibility of Cabinet Secretaries in political mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 General Election has sparked a national debate on the neutrality of senior state officials. However, a combination of constitutional interpretation, statutory provisions and court rulings clearly explains why cabinet secretaries are legally allowed to participate in political campaigns.

Chairperson of IEBC Dr Erastus Ethekon during the swearing-in of the commission at Supreme Court on July 11, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been sued over the alleged extension of a contract with Smartmatic International Holdings B.V to maintain Kenya’s election system and run next year's General Election. Although the IEBC chair, Erastus Ethekon, indicated they had not procured 2027 technology, lawyer Gilbert Njoroge, in his case before the High Court, claims that the commission had quietly contracted the Venezuelan firm.

The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest.

Chairperson of IEBC Dr Erastus Ethekon during the swearing-in of the commission at Supreme Court on July 11, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]The National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) has rejected a Sh63 billion budget proposal by IEBC for the 2027 general elections based on what they termed as wasteful and misplaced priorities by the commission. According to the Budget Policy Statement for the 2026/2027 financial year tabled before Parliament, the Erastus Ethekon team had requested for an additional Sh22 billion in funding of which a substantive allocation was to go towards the purchase of new KIEMS kits at Sh6.2 billion and upgrading of existing ones at ShSh3.8 billion, continuous voter registration at Sh6.9 billion, the purchase of election materials including ballot papers and logistics at Sh2 billion and the construction of a Sh1.5 billion Uchaguzi centre among others.

The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest.

Marathon star Lucy Kabuu. [File, Standard]Marathon star Lucy Kabuu has won a matrimonial estate dispute against her ex-husband Jeremiah Maina, after 12-years of wrangles both in and out of court. Kabuu and Maina have been fighting over control of the estate estimated to be worth over Sh70 million, with Kabuu claiming the majority share, while Maina is seeking 50 per cent of the property.