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SWEDISH BAND The (International) Noise Conspiracy say that "the sounds from the streets of Seattle, Prague, Quebec, Gothenburg and Genoa" are their main musical influences. In June 2001, during the recording of their new album A New Morning, Changing Weather, the band went to Gothenburg in Sweden.

TONY BLAIR used the European Union summit in Seville last weekend to drive through more attacks on asylum seekers. Before the summit Blair announced that he wanted to "force the pace of change" on asylum to make life even harder for desperate refugees. "Tony Blair gets on better with the centre-right leaders than with his comrades on the left," said the Financial Times.

A LIVELY lobby of Newcastle University council was held on Tuesday 18 June. Jobs are under attack at the university. Placards read "You sack-we'll strike!", "Revolt! Resist! No redundancies!" and "Grants not fees-no redundancies".

NOT THIS Time: The Story of the Simon Jones Memorial Campaign tells the story of Simon Jones, a student killed on his first day working as a casual labourer. The film will be shown at the Glastonbury festival. A further 20 showings are already organised.

Bury OVER 125 angry people last week packed a Bury council meeting that announced massive cuts in the borough's elderly care homes. The council plans to sell off the homes they close and sell the land. Only some of the money raised from the sales will be used to fund home care. The council cannot guarantee that any money will be made by the sale.

A FIREFIGHTERS' rally ended in a militant display of direct action in London last Thursday. Some 1,000 members of the firefighters' FBU union turned out for the rally in support of the national pay claim.

CRUCIAL DEBATES are going on in the Communication Workers Union about how to respond to the huge attacks postal workers face. At the union's conference last week they discussed what to do about job losses, privatisation and attacks on the union.

Bringing skies to a standstill AIR TRAFFIC control staff are calling for strike ballots. The government is terrified of strikes disrupting holiday-makers this summer. They are not officially involved in negotiations, but government officials have made it clear that strikes must be avoided at all costs. Air traffic controllers voted by over four to one to reject the latest pay offer.

WORKERS ON Arriva trains have announced ten more strike days in their ongoing fight for decent pay. RMT members are setting the agenda with selected strike action. The 690 conductors will strike on 28 June, 13 July, 25 August, 21 September, 19 October, 9 November, 14 December, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Their next strike day is on Friday 28 June. Supporters are invited to their mass picket at Leeds station.

THE FIGHT against privatisation of London Underground reaches a crucial stage next week. Ballot papers are going out to build strike action among the RMT tube workers' union. London Underground is on the point of forcing workers, including maintenance staff from the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines, into the private sector. Blair and London Underground have two aims-massive profits on the one hand and to weaken workers and trade unionists.

SUPPORTERS of Derek Simpson, the left challenger for the leadership of the AEEU section of the Amicus union, have campaigned vigorously this week. The ballot for the AEEU leadership started on Monday of this week, and closes on 12 July.

THREE THOUSAND people marched in Scotland's annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender demonstration-Pride Scotland-last Saturday in Glasgow. The joyous, celebratory march was made up of people of all ages from all over Scotland. Floats, banners and costumes made this one of the most colourful demonstrations Glasgow has seen for a while.