Indo-US pact

New Delhi: India and the US are close to inking a pact under which their militaries can refuel ships and aircraft in cashless transactions that are balanced at the end of year, a senior US officer said on Saturday. Under the Logistics Support Agreement that is currently with the Cabinet Committee on Security, the two countries can also “borrow” military equipment wherever this is required instead of having to cart it all the way from home, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler, director of the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency, told reporters here.— HNS

107 workers fall ill

BEIJING: A chlorine gas leak at a newly inaugurated chemical plant sickened 107 workers, state media reported on Saturday. The leak at the Xinyu Chemical Company plant on Friday was blamed on equipment failure, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The facility had been inaugurated only one day earlier. It is located in the industrial city of Panzhihua. — AP

Chopper missing

KUALA LUMPUR: Search parties scoured hilly rain forests on Saturday for six Malaysian air force personnel whose helicopter went missing during a routine flight, police said. The Royal Malaysian Air Force helicopter disappeared in foggy weather on Friday while transporting crew from Kuala Lumpur to a military base in the central state of Pahang. — AP