One minimum wage
Mexico has scrapped its two-tier minimum salary index. Every municipality in the country now subscribes to a homogenous minimum wage: 70.10 pesos per day.
The increase for the former “B” geographical zone is 1.83 pesos daily. This is the first time a single wage has been applied since the minimum salary was mandated in the 1917 Constitution.
Brits to train teachers
The British Council in Mexico will train and evaluate 1,500 teachers of English employed at Jalisco public schools after signing an agreement this week with the state’s Department of Education. “It fills me with pride that my organization is collaborating to make Jalisco a bilingual state,” said Olga Milosevic, the British Council’s general director.
Dengue spike
Official reported cases of dengue fever in Jalisco have risen to 887 from 781 in 2014, according to heath state authorities. A sudden surge of 153 cases in week 37 of 2015 is “a red flag that has put us on alert,” noted Health Secretary Jaime Agustin Gonzalez.
Liposuction death
A 29-year-old woman has died while undergoing liposuction and breast implant surgery in Guadalajara, the Jalisco Attorney General’s Office (FGE) has confirmed. Police documents note that the operation took place at a certified clinic, Santoria Santa Isabel, in Colonia La Perla. The cause of death was given as “heart attack.”
Pope on his way
Pope Francis will visit Mexico in 2016, the Vatican confirmed this week. Sources say the Pope is keen to visit the Basilica de la Virgin de Guadalupe in Mexico City. He is also likely to visit the Mexico-U.S. border, as he has made immigration a primary focus of his papacy.
Low-cost to Baja
Mexican low-cost airline Aereo Calafia has begun operations from the Guadalajara Airport to Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, in Baja California. Daily flights are scheduled to La Paz and twice weekly to Cabo San Lucas. Prices start at 790 pesos one-way. The airline operates 33 routes to 19 destinations within Mexico, including Mazatlan, Tijuana and Puerto Vallarta. See aereocalafia.com.mx for information, reservations.
Alcohol-free day
Bars and restaurants may not approve but some state legislators want to designate November 15 as Dia Estatal Sin Alcohol (Alcohol-free Day). According to deputy Martin Lopez Cedilla, reckless alcohol consumption contributes to many of the nation’s most serious problems, such as criminal acts, violence and accidents.