UK news in brief: Cameron hints that better days are ahead

DAVID Cameron sought to reassure voters about looming cuts today as he set out his vision of a brighter future if the country's deficit is successfully tackled.

The Prime Minister said there would be "more jobs, higher growth" and a "stronger economy" once UK finances are on a better footing.

AN attack on Great Britain by Irish-related terrorists is a "strong possibility", Home Secretary Theresa May said as the country's threat level was raised to "substantial".

The head of MI5 has warned that dissident Irish republicans could mount a new wave of terrorist attacks on the British mainland.

LABOUR'S five leadership contenders will learn today who has won the race to succeed Gordon Brown.

The result was set to be announced as the final whistle blows in football matches around the country, at around 4.45pm, ending the gruelling four-month contest.

Bookmakers are tipping Ed Miliband to pip his brother David to the post, having trailed in the betting until yesterday. Diane Abbott, Ed Balls and Andy Burnham are the other hopefuls.

THE typical student takes more than 2000-worth of belongings to university but less than half of these are insured, a survey suggested today.

Nearly all students have a mobile phone with them, worth an average of 152, while 94 per cent have a laptop worth 515 and 80 per cent have an MP3 player, valued at 113, said the Santander bank.

THE Archbishop of Canterbury said he has "no problem" with gay people being bishops.

But Dr Rowan Williams indicated that Church of England tradition meant he could only back gay bishops who were not in physical homosexual relationships.

Plymouth: Police were today investigating the unexplained death of a one-month-old baby girl. Detectives were called after the girl, from Plymstock, Plymouth, was admitted to the city's Derriford Hospital on Thursday night.

South Wales: A killer who went missing from an open prison has been arrested. Wyndham Richard Thomas, 33, was given a life sentence for aggravated burglary and murder in 1997. The prisoner was arrested in the Caerphilly area after vanishing from HMP Prescoed in Monmouthshire on Wednesday.