LONDON – Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is recuperating at a hospital after an operation to remove a bladder growth, a friend said Friday.
The 87-year-old Thatcher went to see her doctor after experiencing some discomfort and subsequently had the growth removed, according to longtime adviser Tim Bell.
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The operation was “completely satisfactory,” Bell said. He said he couldn’t go into detail and declined to name the hospital, saying he did not want it to be inundated with calls.
Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister, has been in fragile health since she suffered a series of small strokes more than a decade ago. Although she has occasionally appeared at private functions, she has not made public statements for some time.
Thatcher was not well enough to join Britain’s queen for a lunch with former and serving prime ministers earlier this year, and two years ago she missed an 85th birthday party thrown for her by Prime Minister David Cameron at his official residence at No. 10 Downing St. But in October she was well enough to mark her birthday with a lunch out in London with her son Mark and his wife.
Thatcher’s declining health was a focus of Oscar-winning biopic “The Iron Lady,” which premiered last year.
Thatcher served as prime minister from May 1979 until her resignation in November 1990. She was the first leader to win three consecutive elections, dominating British politics throughout the 1980s.
Rebel Wilson will host annual MTV Movie Awards
LOS ANGELES – “Pitch Perfect” star and “Bridesmaids” scene-stealer Rebel Wilson is taking center stage.
MTV tapped the Australian actress to host its annual movie awards, set for April 14 in Culver City, Calif. The network made the announcement late Thursday during the finale of its popular “Jersey Shore” series.
Wilson is an actress and writer who rose to fame with her role as Kristin Wiig’s nosy roommate in “Bridesmaids.” Wilson’s other credits include “Bachelorette” and “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.”
The MTV Movie Awards have traditionally been held in June, but as the summer movie season has edged into May, the network scheduled its show earlier to give film fans a peek at the season’s blockbusters. The show has often featured exclusive film previews.
Kutcher divorcing Moore – officially
LOS ANGELES – Ashton Kutcher has filed for divorce from Demi Moore after seven years of marriage.
Court records show the actor filed his petition Friday in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences. Moore announced last year that she was ending her marriage to the actor 15 years her junior, but she never filed a petition.
Kutcher’s filing does not indicate that the couple have a prenuptial agreement.
The filing was first reported Friday by People magazine.
Kutcher and Moore married in 2005 and until recently kept their relationship very public, communicating with each other and fans on the social networking site Twitter. After their breakup, Moore changed her name on the site from @mrskutcher to @justdemi.
Kutcher stars on CBS’ “Two and a Half Men.”
– From news service reports
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