Pilgrims descend on Mecca for ‘smart hajj’

Mecca: Two million Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia this week for the hajj as the annual pilgrimage becomes increasingly hi-tech with apps to help the faithful navigate Islam’s holiest sites. This year the hajj comes with the ultra-conservative kingdom witnessing an unprecedented pace of change, finally ending a ban on women driving while remaining firm in the face of any dissent. This year, the Saudis have launched a “smart hajj” initiative, with apps to help pilgrims with everything from travel plans to medical care. Asefny, for example, is an app launched by Saudi Arabia’s Red Crescent to help pilgrims request emergency medical attention. AFP

Google staff protest secret work on China search engine

Washington: Hundreds of Google employees have signed a protest letter over the company’s reported work on a censor-friendly search engine to get back into China, The New York Times said. The employees are demanding more transparency so they can understand the moral implications of their work. It has been signed by 1,400 employees. The letter argues that the search engine project and Google’s apparent willingness to accept China’s censorship requirements “raise urgent moral and ethical issues”. Google withdrew its search engine from China eight years ago due to censorship and hacking. The new project is said to be code named “Dragonfly”. AFP

Johansson beats Jolie to become highest-paid actress

Los Angeles: Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has become the best-paid actress in the world, according to Forbes magazine. Johansson, 33, made $40.5 million in pre-tax earnings from June 1, 2017, to June 1, 2018, quadrupling her income from the previous year. She played Black Widow in this year’s hit Marvel movie “Avengers: Infinity War” and will return to the role in the 2019 instalment from Walt Disney Co’s Marvel Studios. Johansson beat out Angelina Jolie, who ranked second with $28 million thanks mainly to her upfront pay for “Maleficent 2”. Jennifer Aniston came in third with $19.5 million. PTI