Sporting a new, colorful cover design, “Nights” magazines have started circulating in Aruba as well as Curacao, Bonaire and St. Maarten. The name Nights has been given more emphasis with a new logo giving it a crisp appearance, complemented by stunning cover close-ups. The 17th anniversary, 2005 edition made its debut on the island on December 6, with a print run of 245,000 copies ensuring that the magazine will be readily available throughout the year in most retail locations, including all of the island’s hotels.

Delta Airlines, America’s third-biggest air carrier, has just commenced operations in Argentina and is planning to pour some $80 million worth of investment into the South American nation. The U.S. company is now making a daily flight between the Argentine capital and the city of Atlanta.

New tourist interest of great historical value has emerged from the keys of Jardines del Rey, a Cuban travel destination north of the island nation’s central region, as archeologists there unearthed evidence of aboriginal life previous to Christopher Columbus’s arrival in 1492. Dr. Jorge Calveras Roses, chief of the expedition, said his team of experts collected nearly a hundred samples –including fragmented ceramics, hammers made of seashells and flint, pierced shells and other pieces- from seven different points.

Caribbean News Digital has learned that Francisco Fernandez has just taken over as new marketing and sales manager for Tropical Hotels to supervise operations in Madrid and overseas. He´ll also be at the helm of all coordination efforts conducted by Tropical Garden Hotel and ABAMA in the fields of marketing and sales. Mr. Fernandez has served as head of the marketing division for a number of hotel companies and lodgings, including Confortel Hotels, Occidental Hotels & Resorts and the Husa Princess Hotel.

Five German tourists charged with ransacking the heritage of Algeria´s Sahara were sentenced to three months in prison by a courthouse in the southern city of Djanet. At the end of this unprecedented trial in the history of Algerian justice, the circuit judge also ordered the defendants to pay 350,000 euros apiece in indemnification to the African country´s Customs Office and to the management of the Tassili Park.

A deeply indebted VASP, the former leading Brazilian airline, announced Monday it will furlough half its flying personnel of 800 employees after slashing its fleet dramatically a few weeks ago in an effort to put up with a galloping financial crisis. Airport authorities in Brazil are now pressing charges on VASP after the air carrier refused a proposal to pay off its debts with that state-run institution. The Brazilian air company made short shrift of two different deadlines to get rid of a $12 million debt.