Former British prime ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and John Major have paid tribute to Margaret Thatcher, following news of her death on Monday.

Blair said Thatcher was "a towering political figure" and acknowledged she reframed the political debate in the UK and influenced the creation of New Labour.

"Very few leaders get to change not only the political landscape of their country but of the world. Margaret was such a leader. Her global impact was vast," he said.

"And some of the changes she made in Britain were, in certain respects at least, retained by the 1997 Labour Government, and came to be implemented by governments around the world.

"As a person she was kind and generous spirited and was always immensely supportive to me as Prime Minister although we came from opposite sides of politics.

"Even if you disagreed with her as I did on certain issues and occasionally strongly, you could not disrespect her character or her contribution to Britain’s national life. She will be sadly missed."

And Gordon Brown, who welcomed Thatcher back to Downing Street in 2009, said he and his wife Sarah had sent messages of condolences to her family.

"She will be remembered not only for being Britain’s first female Prime Minister and holding the office for eleven years, but also for the determination and resilience with which she carried out all her duties throughout her public life," he said.

"Even those who disagreed with her never doubted the strength of her convictions and her unwavering belief in Britain’s destiny in the world.

He added: "During our time in Number 10, Sarah and I invited Lady Thatcher to revisit Downing Street and Chequers – something which we know she enjoyed very much. But it was sad for her and her family that she lost her devoted husband Denis almost ten years ago and that she was unable to enjoy good health in the later years of her retirement."

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John Major, who replaced Thatcher as prime minister and Tory in leader in 1990, said she was a "true force of nature".

"Her reforms of the economy, trades union law, and her recovery of the Falkland Islands elevated her above normal politics, and may not have been achieved under any other leader," he said.

"Her outstanding characteristics will always be remembered by those who worked closely with her - courage and determination in politics, and humanity and generosity of spirit in private."

Leading Labour figures have steered clear of political point scoring following the news of Thatcher's death, with Ed Miliband acknowledging the former prime minister "defined the politics of the 1980s".

The Labour leader said while he disagreed with much of what she did it was possible to "greatly respect her political achievements and her personal strength".

Miliband, who hopes to follow Blair and Brown into Downing Street in 2015 said: "She will be remembered as a unique figure. She reshaped the politics of a whole generation. She was Britain's first woman Prime Minister. She moved the centre ground of British politics and was a huge figure on the world stage.

"The Labour Party disagreed with much of what she did and she will always remain a controversial figure. But we can disagree and also greatly respect her political achievements and her personal strength.

"She also defined the politics of the 1980s. David Cameron, Nick Clegg and I all grew up in a politics shaped by Lady Thatcher. We took different paths but with her as the crucial figure of that era."

SEE ALSO:

• Margaret Thatcher Dies Aged 87 Following A Stroke (LIFE IN PICTURES)

• 'The Iron Lady' Remembered In TV And Film
• First Female Prime Minister 'Transformed A Nation'
• Falkland Islands Marked Former PM's Greatest Trauma

• BLOG: Margaret Thatcher - Our Britannia, Our Chief of Men

• 'If You Want Something Said, Ask A Man; If You Want Something Done, Ask A Woman': Margaret Thatcher's Best Quotes
• David Cameron Pays Tribute To A 'Great Briton'

One week he is fending off questions about being a "nasty piece of work", the next he is pulling off almost impossible basketball shots.

Fresh from accepting a challenge to take on Pippa Middleton at table-tennis, Boris Johnson showed off his sporting prowess on a basketball court set up outside City Hall on Monday.

Given Boris' admission he would like to be prime minister, David Cameron will no doubt be setting up a hoop in the Downing Street garden to get some practise in as soon as he returns home from his European tour.

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Last week President Obama's basketball skills escaped him, as he missed 20 out of 22 attempts while shooting hoops during the White House Easter Egg Roll.

Maybe the mayor could give the president some lessons.

From Barack to Boris, Easter Bunnies to grumpy cats - check out our round-up of this week's funniest photos...

The best pictures of the week are chosen by YOU voting on our interactive slideshow.

Last Monday saw an end to Easter celebrations and the start of a new month - many of you were made a fool of on the 1st April! The Huffington Post UK decided to join in on the April Fools fun with a very convincing photo, can you guess which picture we are talking about? It made the headlines!

Andy Murray was certainly NOT made a fool of when winning the Miami Masters against David Ferrer. Also, a daredevil kayaker had a close shave paddling within feet of red-hot lava and Heidi Klum turned into a Baywatch lifeguard as she rescued her children and nanny from monster waves in Hawaii.

Obama came to the rescue of a very upset little fella and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got into sporting spirits during a visit to Scotland, playing a spot of basketball, table tennis and hockey, not to mention William being rejected when trying to give a peck to a young admirer

Happy voting and we will announce the winner on Monday morning.

An artist whose taxidermied fox earned internet fame in Russia after sparking a bushel of memes has been branded an “anti-soviet” and a “Russophobe”.

Adele Morse’s somewhat addled-looking creation became an online hit after being transplanted into iconic shots of President Vladimir Putin, Jesus, feminist punk group Pussy Riot, Josef Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Marilyn Monroe, and Keanu Reeves, to name but a few.

Some enterprising fans have also sent Stoned Fox into space, placed him on the Moscow subway and in the White House with Barack Obama.

Scroll down for more pictures of Stoned Fox

While Morse sold Stoned Fox to Mike Boorman via eBay in 2012 for the princely sum of £330, the trio have embarked on a tour of Russia where the animal will be displayed alongside some of the montages it inspired, the country's Ria Novosti reported.

But the trip, which will also see Morse lecture on how Stoned Fox came into being, has been marred by controversy.

Unhappy with Stoned Fox's appearance alongside Bolshevik revolution leader Lenin, representatives of the Communist Party of Russia have denounced the fox as “a serious danger to Russia’s youth” and accused Morse of “defaming with impunity our people and our country."

Press secretary Veronika Murashkina adds Morse is: "Spreading lampoon in which the fox is depicted next to the image of Lenin and other national leaders."

What’s more, several outlets have quoted Morse as claiming Stoned Fox “looks a bit sad and drunk and that’s how Russians feel”, a quote she vehemently denies.

SEE ALSO:

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In a blog post she wrote: “This is a complete misquote. I did not say this, and I also do not think this!

“I understand that Russia has a folkloric history with foxes and the nation has a much different view of foxes than we do in London.”

According to The Telegraph’s Moscow correspondent, Morse has also been described as “an unfriendly emissary from England.”

It adds Communist Party representatives have asked local authorities to close down her “vile, Russophobic” exhibition at St Petersberg's Geometria café, claiming the artist had “allowed herself to mock a great people and its history.”

Prominent St Petersburg MP Vitaly Milonov has also weighed in, claiming the exhibition of the fox is propagating animal cruelty.

Despite the uproar, Morse told The Huffington Post UK she's largely had a positive reception in Russia.

Speaking on Thursday, she said: "I had a press conference yesterday and 120 plus journalists and all the major TV companies came.

"Amidst all of this, only four communists turned up to protest and they talked a lot of nonsense saying they think I am an agent of the UK and that the fox has diseases and people will die from touching it. All of this is obviously not true."

Politicians! Want to know how the public see you? Why, simply type your name into Google followed by the word "is"!

Yes, we've been doing just that - and while there's a lot of "...is an idiot" (and worse), there are a few surprising results, too. Did you know, for example, that some people wonder if Barack Obama is Batman? Or that many Brits have strange (although not unreasonable) ideas about Danny Alexander?

From British MPs - and former MPs - to foreign leaders, take a look at our screenshots below to see how these politicians are perceived by the Googling public...

The Huffington Post pictures of the day brings you the very best images from around the world chosen by our own photo editors, Elliot Wagland, Matthew Tucker and Tahira Mirza.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the stories of the day - leave a comment at the bottom of the blog.

The Huffington Post pictures of the day brings you the very best images from around the world chosen by our own photo editors, Elliot Wagland, Matthew Tucker and Tahira Mirza.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the stories of the day - leave a comment at the bottom of the blog.

I wrote an article in the Huffington Post on 13th December 2011 titled "How Many More Syrians have to be killed before Russia and China Condemn the Syrian Regime?" At the time some 5200 pro-democracy protesters had been killed by the Syrian regime. I said rhetorically:
"Does the figure have to climb to 10 or 15 thousands before Russia and China decides enough is enough?" Now the death toll has exceeded 60,000 and is still rising, are we to wait two more years with 150,000 dead and 3 million refugees before the world acts.

One is entitled to ask is President Obama blind to what is happening in one of the most strategic part of the World. President Obama's lack of clear decisive strategy has emboldened Iran, Russia and al Qaeda to operate freely in Syria.

Let's be absolutely clear, The Syrian people, the opposition and the Free Syrian Army are not demanding military intervention. All Syrians with a few exceptions have rejected an Iraqi or Libyan style intervention. They don't want troops on the ground. They want no-fly, no-kill zones in the North near the Turkish borders and in the South near the Jordanian borders. This will provide protection for the Syrian refugees and may encourage more defections from the regular Syrian army to the FSA. The second thing they demand which can be easily provided by NATO is anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons. Whilst Russia and Iran are supplying armaments to the Syrian army, it makes lot of sense for the West and the so-called Friends of Syria to help the opposition. The murderous Syrian regime is getting economic and substantial military help from Russia, Iran, North Korea and Hezbollah. The Free Syrian Army is getting limited assistance from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The longer the West remains inactive, the more Islamic extremists will join the war. Inaction by the Obama administration over the last two years had encouraged the regime to kill more than 60,000 Syrians and force the displacement of 2 million Syrians. By turning a blind eye, President Obama has in effect given the green light to Al-Qaeda and other Jihadists to enter Syria. The Syrian regime has welcomed the influx of extremists to justify its war against the population.

According to Press Reports Mr. Muaz Al-Khatib, the leader of the Syrian National Coalition demanded international help to protect the civilians. He told an Arab Summit Conference in Doha, Qatar recently that more than 100,000 Syrians have been killed. It was some two years ago that Mr. Obama urged Bashar al Assad to step down. But since then he has been giving mixed signals which have been interpreted as dithering and not having a policy. The bad experience of Afghanistan and the disastrous handling of the Post-Saddam Iraq have haunted the President and incapacitated the US administration.

My gut feeling is that Obama should have listened to Senator John McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham and allowed the right weapons to reach the Free Syrian Army. As far back as February 19th 2012 the New York Times reported "The senators, John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, both Republicans, laid out a series of diplomatic, humanitarian and military aid proposals that would put the United States squarely behind the effort to topple President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. The senators, both of whom are on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that rebel fighters deserved to be armed and that helping them take on the Syrian government would aid Washington's effort to weaken Iran". Why the President ignored this important advice is beyond comprehension.

The lame excuse is that such weapons will fall into the wrong hands. A year ago nobody heard of the Al Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front rebel group and other Islamic groups but now they are springing up like mushrooms and this is not the fault of the Syrian people or the Free Syrian Army but it is primarily the fault of the divided and ineffective UN Security Council and the indifference of the international community.

The Obama administration and the West must now recognize that silence is not an option. Silence and inaction in the early 1940s led to the Holocaust and the extermination of six million Jews. Can the world turn a blind eye to the atrocities committed by a murderous thuggish regime against its own people? Verbal condemnation is insufficient. Action is required and very quickly. In his excellent piece in the London Times on Good Friday 29th March, Amir Taheri an Iranian expert on the Middle East wrote "Obama is driving Syria into the arms of jihad". Unless the President finds some moral courage, he will create another Afghanistan on the shores of the Mediterranean.

Fairly obviously, it isn't in North Korea's practical interests to go to war with the USA. Without the backing of either Russia or China (or both), it would be an unwinnable conflict, and neither of those countries' governments has been holding prominent 'death to the west' rallies of late. I'm not an expert political commentator or a spook so my opinion can only be that, opinion, but I don't think I go too far in asserting that.

But more to the point, it isn't in their ideological interests to start an all-out war either. As I understand it, Americans are rather unpopular in North Korea, to put it very mildly. They hold the position of "Yankee pigs" and "sworn enemies" (Jae Young Kim gives a nice insight into the mindset here). The portrayal of the USA in North Korea seems to be somewhat equivalent to the 'Great Satan' picture that Iran pumped out under the first Ayatollah Khomeini. If this kind of propaganda output is useful to the North Korean government - say, if they wanted to unite and maintain support for their new leader, perhaps at some sort of recent mass rally in Pyongyang - then it would be in their interest to keep to the status quo.

In Nineteen-Eighty Four the three global superpowers - Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia - supposedly exist in a state of constant warfare with no nation ever gaining the upper hand. Winston Smith, the novel's protagonist, discovers through a book supposedly written by a resistance leader that "The war is raged by each ruling group against its own subjects" - that the real object of the war is to consume the resources produced by the population without raising their standard of living, and "to preserve the special mental atmosphere that a hierarchical society needs". In other words that the war is engineered to be continuous because it is so useful to the ruling party.

It is important to note that in Orwell's world, all the warring nations are as morally reprehensible as each other in keeping the war going to oppress their populations. Unless you're Michael Moore (who expressed such a sentiment in his 2004 film Fahrenheit 9/11) it seems clear that the USA isn't interested in keeping wars going with that particular aim in mind.

But it would suit North Korea down to the ground to have a constant enemy, a perpetual scapegoat and a creeping threat to keep the people loyal and afraid - à la Orwell. And it would be very useful to show a new leader posturing loudly against that enemy, promising to settle the score and keep the people safe. If they ever managed to actually defeat the USA in any kind of conflict they would lose the opportunity to have it as a geopolitical bogeyman, and in so doing lose a method of control over their population.

This isn't to say that Kim Jong-un isn't mad or bad enough to have a crack at the USA's stealth bombers the next time they fly exercises over the Korean peninsula. I don't claim the power to predict what North Korea's foreign policies will be this time next year, or even next month. But it would be a very unwise move to take the US on: however much Kim Jong-un might hate America, right now he needs it.

The best pictures of the week are chosen by YOU voting on our interactive slideshow.

The start of the week saw a galaxy of stars at the Empire Film Awards - Helen Mirren, Danny Boyle, Daniel Radcliffe - whilst David Beckham got a thumbs up from his chinese fans in Beijing as he showed off his large oriental tattoo.

Model Katie Price transformed into a bright pink Centaur and Helen Flanagan made us jealous of the sunny weather in Dubai as the actress frolicked on the beach.

Politics and Hollywood came together for a greater cause as William Hague and Angelina Jolie visited the Nzolo refugee camp in Democratic Republic of Congo to encourage world powers to do more to tackle rape and sexual assault in war zones.

And a week in pictures wouldn't be complete without some cute animal photos in the lead up to Easter: a baby gorilla cuddles his human surrogate mum, Ring-tailed lemurs strike a pose and a Capybara adopts daschund puppies.

Happy voting and we will announce the winner on Monday morning.

Not long ago I celebrated my 50th birthday with friends, family and even an Elvis impersonator. But the milestone set me thinking about how being a parliamentarian has changed since I was first elected as a reasonably fresh-faced MP back in 1997. And perhaps the biggest single noticeable change has been the advent of social media.

I started as a MP in the pre-twitter era and now find social media absolutely indispensable to my daily work on behalf of residents in Carshalton and Wallington. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that social media has made me a better MP today than I was when I was first elected all those years ago, because it has helped me connect with my constituents in a way which simply wasn't possible in 1997.

Politics has changed a lot since 1997. During the last televised 2010 General Election debate between the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and the Labour party, 154,342 tweets appeared containing various terms from the debate, and coming in at 26.77 tweets per second from 33,095 different people. It emphasised that shift we have seen in how people consume media and respond to it.

In fact looking back far further, I suspect in some ways the Ancient Greeks would have embraced social media as a medium for complimenting direct democracy and involving citizens in the political process, because it helps stimulate conversation, foster greater understanding of the political process and can act as a breeding ground for ideas.

So in amongst the many tweets, status updates and posts from the election debate, is the vox populi - an understanding about how the public feels and want they want from their elected representatives. And that's why politicians need to wise up and pay attention to social media if they are to succeed in modern politics.

Hillary Clinton quite rightly described social media as "a new nervous system for our planet", grasping the potential it has for recalibrating the relationship politicians have with the electorate and increasing the level of understanding we politicians have about our constituents' needs.

For me, social media has proved a vital tool for reaching my constituents, engaging them in conversation and delivering on their priorities.

It's made me a better MP because it has forced me to rethink how I was engaging with local people and modify my approach to take account of how consumer behaviour has changed since I was first elected in 1997. It has also helped reaffirm my belief that most people will engage with politics if it is pitched at them in the right way.

I've lost count of the number of times I've heard people quite wrongly deride young people for not engaging in politics and current affairs. But for me, it's simply lazy criticism and misunderstands the dynamic which should exist between politicians and the public. Because it is up to politicians to cross no man's land and find the right tools to engage with those who appear disinterested. And in the US, it's clear that social media is actually helping debunk the myth that young people and students are turned off by politics.

According to Facebook's UK and Ireland Policy Director, Simon Milner, with whom I hosted a recent fringe event at Lib Dem Party Conference, "the Facebook population is more politically engaged that the rest of the population" and that alone suggests that there is an audience out there on social media with a real appetite for interaction with candidates.

In fact Milner's view is backed up by Pew's research from the US which found that people on Facebook are 2.5 times more likely to come out and support their candidate at a rally or public event; 43% more likely to vote; and crucially 57% more likely to persuade a friend or co-worker to vote. So the truth is that young people are interested, but only if politicians communicate with them in the right medium. It's up to politicians to innovate and keep up with changes in the way people consume media, and right now one of the booming mediums is social media.

But quite apart from evidence from across the pond, those who criticise the current generation essentially misunderstand the role of an MP. It's our duty to get out there and engage young people, not sit in Westminster and expect them to come to us. And if you're not prepared to do that, you have no right to be an MP or profess to speak for all of sections of your community.

And that's one of the reasons I love social media - it provides me with a vehicle to reach constituents in the spaces they are most comfortable - they don't have to trek to my office or call during office hours. So I now hear from school pupils who understand more about my role as their local MP, because they have seen what I do on a daily basis via social media. And because they understand how I can help, they are more willing to get in contact and ask me to act. What's more they can do so in 140 characters or via a direct message.

I believe the next step is to take the tried and tested methods of political engagement and make them work online as well. That's why, as well as hosting regular advice surgeries in church halls and sports centres throughout my constituency, I've also been hosting regular online advice surgeries via Facebook Chat for several years - the first MP in the UK to do so.

Once every month or so I'll invite all 5,000 of my Facebook friends to an online advice surgery - simply log-in and use the chat facility to talk to me privately online. It's a chance to raise concerns over local amenities, housing, university worries, crime and anything else I can possibly help with. Yes, it involves a lot of work and generates a lot more work for my team of expert caseworkers, but it is well worth it. And quite frankly it's my job as an MP.

But the occasional online surgery isn't enough, because ultimately social media is a constant, fluid two-way conversation. There is a whole host of innovative and common-sense ways one can use social media to complement traditional work as an MP and help foster understanding of an MP's role.

These days when I'm about to head off to meet Southern Rail to discuss train services in my constituency, I'll ask my followers and friends via social media if there are any questions they would like me to put to rail bosses. Questions typically flood in. I then put each and every one to the team at Southern Rail, following up on any points they are unable to answer on the spot. When I return to the office or find myself with a spare moment, I respond directly to my constituents posting the answers I have received from Southern Rail, thus illustrating the role an MP can play in getting straight to the heart of any problems people may have.

I only wish more MPs were doing the same, because I believe that if they were, the public would begin to understand that the vast majority of MPs work very hard and are in public life for the right reasons. I also believe the public would start to see more 'bang for their buck' and understanding the role MPs play in getting things done. And it's by innovating in this way that I believe social media has made me a better MP.

Social media has helped me overcome the barriers that previously existed to having that kind of relationship with my constituents. Instead of assuming that people are simply apathetic, social media recognises that people live busy lives. And we as MPs must recognise this too in order to fulfil our roles effectively as champions for the views of our community.

LA Galay were back at the White House to celebrate another championship season with President Barack Obama along with ice hockey outfit LA Kings, making their first visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Galaxy retained their Major League Soccer Cup in 2012 as David Beckham bowed out with silverware while the Kings won their first Stanley Cup.

Obama voiced his appreciation not just of the team's successes last year, but also their community work.

"We found out that both these teams are full of some pretty stand-up players and coaches. They’re out in the community year-round. They’re changing lives, they’re making a difference," Obama beamed.

"As Coach Arena of the Galaxy says, 'The soccer is very much secondary. If we can have an impact on the lives of young kids, we want to be a part of that.'"

Obama expressed his "hearty congratulations" to both teams and lauded their "pretty good comeback" stories. The Galaxy triumphed despite an injury-plagued season and the Kings became the first hockey side in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup after entering the play-offs as an eighth seed.

The Huffington Post pictures of the day brings you the very best images from around the world chosen by our own photo editors, Elliot Wagland, Matthew Tucker and Tahira Mirza.

We would love to hear your thoughts on the stories of the day - leave a comment at the bottom of the blog.