THE NEWS WRAP: Uber facing court action for discriminating against the blind

Uber will have to defend itself against a lawsuit which claims the company is discriminating against the blind by refusing to transport guide dogs.

A San Jose court has ruled the plaintiffs in the case can pursue their claims because Uber is a travel service and therefore subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Aaron Zisser, a lawyer for a disability rights group who helped bring the case to court, told Reuters the plaintiffs were pleased with the decision.

“Uber is a very popular service, and it is important for riders with service animals to be able to use it like anyone else,” he said.

Guess who’s back – back again

Nokia is quietly planning to return to the phone market in 2016, Re/code reports.

The Finnish company – which was a household name due to its popular mobile phones during the 90s and early 2000s – is also planning to explore the virtual reality market according to insiders.

Microsoft finalised a takeover of Nokia’s devices and services business in April 2014 worth more than $7 billion.

Nokia is prevented from selling phones under its name until the end of this year.

You can now message someone who doesn’t follow you on Twitter

Twitter is now allowing users to private message people who don’t follow them.

“We hope these changes help you connect more easily – and directly – on Twitter with the people, causes and businesses you care about most,” the company says.

“If you do receive a Direct Message from someone you don’t want to privately converse with, you can still take steps to stop them.”

The updates are rolling out worldwide from today and require users to change their settings before strangers are able to message them.

Overnight

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 279.47 points, falling 1.54% to 17,826.30. The Aussie dollar is currently trading at around 78 US cents.

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