THE TORY MP Teresa Gorman had to apologise to the House of Commons yesterday for failing to list directorships, shareholdings and property in the Register of Members' Interests. The humiliation of the Essex MP could mark the start of a new, tougher era in which House of Commons rules are enforced more rigorously.

Carolle Doyle joined an unusually quiet flying circus as 26 hot air balloons traversed Portugal from North to South, across the vineyards and fir forests of the Douro and finally down to the sea

With cheaper flights to Faro, now is the time to discover Portugal's most beautiful coast.

ENGLAND'S VAN PHILLIPS set his sights on a Ryder Cup place after continuing his fine form in the Madeira Island Open yesterday.

VAN PHILLIPS breathed a sigh of relief after surviving a nail- biting play-off to claim his first European Tour title at the Algarve Portuguese Open. The 26-year-old from Maidenhead took the first prize with a par four on the first play-off hole after his compatriot John Bickerton had fluffed his third shot into a greenside bunker.

VETERAN Irishman Des Smyth retained his lead in the Algarve Portuguese Open yesterday when young Swede Fredrik Jacobson slipped up at the close.

GOLF

Despite the popularity of southern Portugal as a family holiday destination, there are still some pockets that haven't been invaded by the tour operators. Jill Crawshaw knows them well

The south-western tip of Portugal offers an intriguing base to explore the Algarve.

One bank of the Guadiana River is in Spain, the other in Portugal. Jasper Winn swam across one of Europe's loveliest borders

Beaches, hilltop villages and some serious wilderness in between - Jeremy Atiyah finds something for everybody in Portugal's seven provinces

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At last I have uncovered the real reason why it has proved so difficult for me to find a house to buy. It is all to do with El Nino, which has become the global explanation for the inexplicable.

Trains are kinder to the world than cars, so the fact that railways around the world are accelerating is good news. The 1997 World Rail Speed Survey published by Railway Gazette International shows Japan has stolen the fastest train title from France with the new bullet train. It travels between Hiroshima and Kokura at an average speed of 162.7mph.