Cost of living latest as Spain is to offer free train travel to all its citizens in an effort to ease the energy and inflation crisis engulfing Europe; more than one million people across UK to receive £326 payment from government today.

Network Rail expects its annual energy bill to exceed £1 billion for the first time due to the ongoing energy crisis. 

The government-owned company said it is anticipating the cost of traction - supplying electricity to trains - will soar from £595 million in the current financial year to £885 million in 2023/24.

When combined with non-traction electricity and gas, it is forecasting that its annual energy bill will reach £1.02 billion in 2023/24, up from £670 million in the current financial year.

A Network Rail spokeswoman said: "The surge in energy prices will inevitably have an impact on all businesses and individuals, and the railway is no different."

In October last year, some freight train operators stopped using electric locomotives and switched to diesel ones after a three-fold rise in the cost of electricity.

People in Naples have burned their energy bills, Radio Genova reports.

They have also gone to the town hall.

As winter is fast approaching and the cost of living crisis continues, concerns have been raised about the number of families who will be forced to live in cold homes. 

Health experts have predicted a "significant humanitarian crisis" as more than half of UK households are expected to be in fuel poverty by January.

But what are the health implications of having a cold home?

Cold temperatures have been found to impair the functioning of the lungs and may trigger asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Studies have also found that cold affects circulatory health when indoor temperatures fall, which can result in raised blood pressure and increases in blood thickness – both of which lead to heightened risk of heart attacks and strokes.

People in colder homes might also lose some of their strength and dexterity and they may suffer exacerbated symptoms of arthritis – both of which can increase the risk of falls and unintentional injury.

Cold homes have also been linked to the exacerbation of mental health problems and dementia.

And let's not forget hypothermia – a dangerous drop in body temperature which is a medical emergency.

Colder homes are linked to an increased risk of death – researchers said that last year an estimated 6,000 people died as a direct result of cold homes, with more dying in Britain than in colder countries such as Finland.

In England, there were an estimated 63,000 excess winter deaths in 2020/21. Estimates suggest that some 10% of excess winter deaths are directly attributable to fuel poverty.

Who is most at risk?

Babies, children, older people and those with pre-existing health problems are at greatest risk of health problems as a result of living in cold homes.

Other people can be affected too, including people with a disability, people with a mental health condition, pregnant women, and those on a low income.

NHS waiting lists are the most common reason for people choosing to have private healthcare, a poll by the market research company Ipsos has found.

The survey found that while just over six-in-10 people were neither using or planning to use private health services, about a third were either using private care or considering it within the next six months.

Of those, 44% said the main reason for this was NHS waiting times were too long, followed by about 35% who said the quality of care will be, or is, better.

Some 43% said they found it too hard to get an NHS appointment, while 22% said it was to ease the pressure on the NHS.

The latest NHS England figures show that the number of people in England waiting for routine hospital treatments stood at a record 6.7 million at the end of June.

Health experts have said the record NHS backlog could be fuelling growing demand for private care, with data showing a 29% rise in people paying for healthcare out of their own pockets in 2021 compared to before the pandemic in 2019.

Jonathon Holmes, policy adviser at the King's Fund, said it was "concerning" to see so many people considering using private treatments.

He said: "It suggests the performance data we are seeing and the almost systemic performance challenges across the NHS are clearly having a very tangible impact on people's experience of care and are seeing the principle of NHS universality - free at the point of use - is not happening."

A literature festival company has been forced to close after facing "incredibly difficult challenges". 

Ways With Words, which has run events in Devon, Southwold and Cumbria, announced the news on its Facebook page. 

In July, it celebrated it's 30th anniversary with an event held in Darlington. 

"Through the first year of Covid we were unable to run any festivals, and as events were allowed to run again we were only able to host limited audiences," a statement read. 

"From there, the country has moved into an economic situation where households are facing difficult financial choices." 

It added that since 2020 a "small team" had been working to keep the events going, but it was no longer viable. 

"We will cherish the many happy memories from all our festivals over the years and we thank you for all your support," the statement added. 

Strikes in education and waste services across Scotland have been suspended after three trade unions said they would put a new pay offer to members.

The GMB, Unite and Unison are to ask members whether to back the improved deal from employers, Cosla.

The dispute has seen rubbish pile up in certain areas, and more walkouts had been planned next week.

Under the revised offer, workers earning up to £20,500 will receive increases of £2,000 a year.

There will be a £1,925 increase for those earning between £20,500 and £39,000, and a 5% increase for those earning between £39,000 to £60,000.

Those earning in excess of £60,000 will have a maximum increase of £3,000.

Teachers have been told to reject an "insulting pay offer" as Scotland's largest teaching union opens a ballot on industrial action.

A 5% pay offer from local authority body Cosla was rejected by the Educational Institute of Scotland's (EIS) executive committee last week.

A consultative ballot has now been launched to determine whether teachers want to take strike action over the "wholly unacceptable" offer.

Teachers will have until 16 September to cast their votes. 

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley urged members to reject the offer and vote for "potential strike action in pursuit of an improved pay settlement".

She said: "Teachers are increasingly angry that their pay is not keeping pace with the soaring cost of living, as inflation reaches unprecedented levels, and are impatient for the union to take action on their behalf.

She said Cosla, local authorities and the Scottish Government have "dragged their feet" while offering a series of "pitiful" pay offers.

The union is demanding a 10% pay increase.

Amazon is facing the threat of industrial action by some of its workers over pay.

More than 300 employees at an Amazon warehouse in Coventry voted in a consultative ballot that they are prepared to take action, the GMB union has announced. 

A formal strike ballot would have to be held before any action is taken.

Members will now meet to discuss the next steps, including a potential formal strike ballot, the union aadded. 

Senior organiser Amanda Gearing said: "Amazon workers are rightly furious and they are ready to walk out.

"They're being offered a 35p-an-hour increase during the worst cost of living crisis in a generation - and that's from a company worth more than £1 trillion."

Amazon said in a statement: "Starting pay for Amazon employees has increased to a minimum of between £10.50 and £11.45 an hour, depending on location.

"This represents a 29% increase in the minimum hourly wage paid to Amazon associates since 2018." 

It added that comprehensive benefits, such as private medical insurance and income protection, are also offered to employees.

A bin strike in Windsor has ended after just one day, the Trades Union Congress has announced. 

The industrial action by waste and recycling staff who are members of GMB Union took place over a pay dispute. 

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said the strikes had meant waste, recycling, food waste or garden waste collections were not able to be carried out.

The Trades Union Congress said workers stopped the strike after accepting a 17% pay rise. 

Cost-of-living support from the government will need to extend into 2023 to help defeat the tactics used by Vladimir Putin in his war in Ukraine, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has said

Such an approach is needed to send a "very clear message" to the Russian president that his strategy is not going to work, Mr Zahawi added.

Speaking at a Policy Exchange event in London, he said of forthcoming support: "You target the help, we need to target those families, those households, who literally have no headroom at all.

"Now, the £37 billion that we are midway through delivering will help so that everyone getting £400 off their energy bills will deal with about 50% of the new energy price cap rise between October and December, but that only delivers between October and December, we need to look at January and then beyond that." 

He added that the UK needed to send the message that it is "going to be resilient". 

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