A special bond has been forged between UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Rev Ian Paisley, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) by discussing their common interest in Christianity, reports the Guardian newspaper. Spearheading a government charm offensive to win round the Presbyterian firebrand who is pivotal to the Northern Ireland peace process, the two men have reportedly been swapping religious textbooks over the past year.

A joint study involving Queen’s University and the University of Ulster has found a dramatic decrease in church attendance in Ireland, reports the “Belfast Telegraph”.