Actress recalls glamour of Hammer

Hammer horror films made stars of actors like Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, but some of the most iconic images from the Hammer era are of the glamorous actresses who appeared alongside them. Madeline Smith was a familiar face on TV and in films in the 1970s. Often cast in comic roles in shows like The Two Ronnies and Doctor at Large, she appeared in three Hammer horrors - Taste the Blood of Dracula, The Vampire Lovers and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell. She also appeared in Roger Moore's first outing as James Bond in Live and Let Die, and alongside Frankie Howerd in the Up Pompeii film. The actress, now aged 60, features on the front cover of a new book by Hammer historian Marcus Hearn that celebrates two decades of Hammer glamour. Here, Madeline Smith recalls her Hammer heyday and her time as a Bond girl.

Global jump in swine flu deaths

The number of swine flu deaths reported worldwide has jumped by more than 700 in a week, latest World Health Organization figures reveal. More than 5,700 swine flu deaths were reported by 25 October, compared to nearly 5,000 the week before. The biggest rise was in the Americas where 4,175 deaths have been reported, up 636 from the week before. Meanwhile, Ukraine has shut all schools and banned public meetings for three weeks after its first swine flu death. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said the measures were to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus. Mrs. Tymoshenko said there would also be restrictions on what she called non-urgent travel between different parts of Ukraine.