Internet services have been disrupted in parts of the Middle East following damage to an undersea cable in the Mediterranean, according to reports.

There was disruption to 70% of the nationwide network in Egypt, a government official told Reuters.

There was also disruption in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, reported the Associated Press.

India also suffered up to 60% disruption, a national industry body told Reuters news agency.

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MSNBC highlights how to invoke Rule 240 to get a new flight fast any time your flight is canceled for anything other than weather.

I invoked Rule 240—which states that in the event of any flight delay or cancellation caused by anything other than weather, the airline would fly me on the next available flight—not their next available flight, which might not leave for another 24 hours. And guess what happened? A lot of United passengers made it to Boston that day&mdash on American.

A relic of pre-deregulation airlines, the article says that most newer airlines won’t honor rule 240, but apparently most of the older airlines still respect this rule as a matter of company policy. If you know anything more about rule 240—maybe you’ve invoked it yourself?—let’s hear about it in the comments. For more details, check out Consumerist’s rather extensive guide to Rule 240. Photo by dougww.

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Better deals for UK users of Apple’s iPhone are being launched as operator O2 overhauls tariffs less than three months after the mobile hit the stores.

The lowest £35 monthly tariff is to offer about three times as many texts and minutes, while the current £55 deal will be cut to £45 from Friday.

O2 is also introducing a £75 deal, with 3,000 minutes and 500 text messages.

Apple slashed the US price two months after the iPhone’s launch, sparking rumours of slowing sales.

But the manufacturer later announced that it had sold one million iPhones ahead of its target date of the end of September. The phone had gone on sale in July.

UK customers will be switched automatically to the new deals by mid-March.

Fast-selling

Those on the £35 deal will see their allowances increase from 200 minutes and 200 text messages, to 600 minutes and 500 texts.

Users paying £55 a month will enjoy a £10 cut on a tariff offering 1,200 minutes and 500 texts.

Sally Cowdry, O2 UK marketing director, said: “The iPhone is already our fastest ever selling device and this added value will allow us to appeal to an even greater segment of the market - it is an unbeatable proposition.”

Contracts for existing customers are to continue for their 18-month term, but there will be no compensation for the previous period offering fewer minutes and texts.

Apple compensated US owners with $100 (£50) vouchers after cutting $200 (£100) off the price of the eight-gigabyte version of the iPhone.

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