Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet with US President Barack Obama at the White House next month, where the two leaders will chart a course seeking enhanced bilateral ties and defence cooperation between the two countries, US officials have said.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefed Afghan President Hamid Karzai on his trip to Pakistan, hoping the visit would yield positive aftermath for the two nations.

Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby called on Wednesday for United Nations inspectors to immediately investigate reports of a chemical attack near the Syrian capital that activists say has killed more than 200 people,