Facebook unveils video chat with Skype

FACEBOOK will integrate Skype video chat into its social networking service, striking a deal to cement its role as a hub for communications.

The agreement, ann-ounced by Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg at the company’s headquarters in California, deepens its cooperation with Microsoft, which acquired Skype for $8.5 billion earlier this year.

The new service, which began rolling out yesterday, could be a huge boost for Skype, which currently has about 145 million regular users.