During the annual World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings in Singapore at the end of September, finance ministers, mainly from developing countries, expressed concern that the new World Bank focus on anti-corruption policies may divert resources from poverty relief and/or attach too many pre-conditions to aid, making it impossible from some less developed countries to access it. Ministers also pushed for both institutions to change from a policy of imposing conditions on developing countries to a situation where developing countries could also have a say in how the World Bank and the IMF work with governments. Free article

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams led a party delegation, including Caitríona Ruane MLA, Mary Lou McDonald MEP, Conor Murphy MP, Alex Maskey MLA and the head of the party's unionist outreach project Martina Anderson, at talks with the head of the Church of Ireland, Archbishop Robin Eames, and a senior Church delegation on Monday, 23 October. Free article

Sinn Féin West Belfast MP Gerry Adams met British Direct Rule Minister Maria Eagle on Tuesday on matters relating to the implementation of the West Belfast Task Force and the introduction of an Irish Language Act. Free article

It is probably the most important set of decisions the coalition government will ever take, and it could mean commitments to spend over €70 billion in the 26 Counties alone, but serious questions have been raised this week about the Dublin Government's National Development Plan (NDP) - not just the efficiency of the plan, but also the question of its all-Ireland dimension and how focused the two Governments are on ensuring the best possible use of funds to invest in the transport, housing, health, energy, telecommunications and other infrastructural needs of the coming decades. Free article

Sinn Féin Social and Family Affairs spokesperson Seán Crowe TD, responding to the publication of the ESRI report on the Ex-ante Priorities for the National Development Plan 2007 - 2013, said that the report must not be used by Government as a pretext for cutbacks in social and affordable housing provision. He called on the Minister for Finance Brian Cowen to introduce tax changes to reduce demand from investors in the property market. Free article

Over 300 people gathered in Monaghan town's Dublin Street last Sunday for the unveiling of a bronze plaque commemorating former Cavan/Monaghan TD Kieran Doherty who died on hunger strike in Long Kesh prison in 1981. The plaque, at the Sinn Féin constituency office was unveiled by Michael Doherty, brother of the late TD. Free article

The Irish National Teacher's Organisation is seeking urgent meetings with both the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and the Department of Education to discuss implementation of widespread closures and amalgamations of Catholic primary schools, as announced in the media. There was no prior consultation with the INTO, the primary recognised union in the sector. Free article

Over 10,000 former employees of a subsidiary of Coca-Cola are blockading 75 Coke warehouses and bottling plants around Venezuela. Free article

West Tyrone Sinn Féin MP Pat Doherty has described as "potentially very significant" weekend media reports that the Dublin Government is, for the first time, to spend more than £1 Billion on infrastructure investment in the Six Counties Free article

Sinn Féin Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness MP has said that parties must work together Free article