Congress gets Starr report that paints seedy picture of lurid sex acts in White

Throwing himself on the mercy of the nation, President Bill Clinton said yesterday he had repented and was filled with sorrow over the scandal that has thrown his presidency into crisis.

Earlier, in an extraordinary and poignant speech at a national prayer breakfast of religious leaders, Mr Clinton apologised for the first time to Monica Lewinsky and her family.

'I don't think there is a fancy way to say that I have sinned,' he said. 'It is important to me that everybody who has been hurt know that the sorrow I feel is genuine.

'First and most importantly my family, also my friends, my staff, my cabinet, Monica Lewinsky and her family and the American people, I have asked all for their forgiveness.' His comments came as leaks of prosecutor Kenneth Starr's report to Congress painted a lurid picture of sex acts in the White House, and a President content to abuse his power in a long campaign to keep them secret.

On two occasions, the former intern engaged with sex acts with the President while he talked to members of Congress on the telephone, Ms Lewinsky told prosecutors.

The report details the alleged use of a cigar as a sex toy during one of the sessions - intimate details Mr Starr included in his final document to rebut Mr Clinton's claims that he had not engaged in the legal definition of sexual relations.

According to the Washington Post and New York Times, the report - expected to be released on the Internet this morning (Hong Kong time) - Mr Starr lists 11 potential grounds for impeachment, including perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of presidential power in trying to hinder investigations into his sexual activities.