Clegg faces questions over Rennard

NICK Clegg faces questions over a cover-up today after he admitted knowing five years ago that there were concerns about alleged sexual harassment by Lord Rennard.

The Liberal Democrat leader issued a dramatic clarification after days insisting he was unaware of the claims before Channel 4 News raised them last week.

In a statement last night, Mr Clegg said his office had heard “indirect and non-specific concerns” about the then party chief executive’s conduct in 2008, and “acted to deal with them”.

Day-Lewis triumph is Oscar history

Daniel Day-Lewis made Oscar history today – becoming the first man to be named best actor three times.

The recognition for his performance in the title role of Steven Spielberg’s biopic of US President Abraham Lincoln puts him above Hollywood legends including Dustin Hoffman and Marlon Brando who both won it twice.

Accepting his award from Meryl Streep, Day-Lewis told the audience: “I really don’t know how any of this happened.”

Osborne braced for rating reaction

GEORGE Osborne is braced for financial markets to deliver their first reaction to Britain’s loss of its prized AAA credit rating today.

Ministers and senior party figures have rallied round the Chancellor in the wake of the decision by agency Moody’s, predicting it will have little impact on the Government’s borrowing costs.

But there are fears that sterling will be hit hard in the wake of the news.

Oil investment at 30-year high

INVESTMENT in the North Sea oil and gas industry is at its highest for more than 30 years, according to a report.

The Oil & Gas UK 2013 Activity Survey, published today, said there was £11.4 billion investment in the UK’s oil and gas sector in 2012, a figure which is expected to rise to at least £13 billion this year.

It said the number of projects submitted to the Department of Energy and Climate Change and given development approval almost doubled between 2011 and 2012.

South Korea’s first woman president

PARK Geun-hye has become South Korea’s first female president and returned to the presidential mansion where she grew up with her dictator father.

As president, she will face stark divisions both in South Korean society and with rival North Korea, which detonated an underground nuclear device about two weeks ago.

South Koreans worry about a growing gap between rich and poor, and there is pressure for her to live up to her campaign suggestion that she can return the country to the strong economic growth her strong-man father oversaw.