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KARAK: A man shot dead his own brother and two women over domestic dispute late Friday night here, Geo News reported. Police said that a man barged into the house of his own brother late at night and opened fire at his brother, his wife and niece. All of them died on the spot, while the accused escaped after the incident. Sources said that the two brothers disputing over a piece of land had developed an enmity.

LONDON: It's a tale of Olympian proportions: A man, a rickshaw, and a slow journey from a Chinese village to London through 16 countries. Chinese farmer Chen Guanming claimed on Thursday that his two-year odyssey to the London games took him from Thailand's floods to Tibet to snowed-in Turkey to Britain since he started in 2010. The 57-year-old, who said he had never travelled outside China before this trip, said he wanted to support the athletes and "spread the Olympic spirit". He's also seeking a last-minute ticket to attend Friday's opening ceremony. "I came to support and cheer all the people from all over the world who are participating in the sports," said Chen, who sports a silvery white beard and a small ponytail. "I'm volunteering, I'm not looking for a reward." His three-wheeled rickshaw, loaded with his possessions, is plastered with pictures of him posing in front of international landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Chen said he became inspired to come to London at the end of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, when British media invited him to the next games. He didn't have a ticket, but he promised them he would get there. According to Chen, his journey began in April 2010 in his village in eastern China's Jiangsu province, where he farms rice and other crops. Over the next two years, he said he covered 16 countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, Turkey and Italy. His worst experiences, he said, were travelling during Thailand's floods and being trapped in freezing temperatures in the snow in Turkey. He arrived in Britain by ferry from France on July 6, he said. Chen said he started arranging his visas beginning in 2009 and was helped financially by friends and kind people - especially Chinese communities - wherever he went. His account cannot be independently verified and it is not clear how he managed to traverse so many countries' borders. A BBC interview with him, however, showed tourist visa stamps in his passport from countries including Pakistan, Thailand and Iran. A YouTube video posted in May shows him in Rome, surrounded by curious passersby. John Beeston, a British insurance broker who spoke some Mandarin, said he found Chen looking lost on London's bustling streets on July 9. "We are trying desperately to get him into the opening ceremony because his story has to go around the world," he said. But Chen is proud of his epic journey even if he does not get into Olympic Stadium. ‘I came. I did it. I'm very happy to have come to beautiful London," he said. His journey doesn't end with the British capital. In a month or two, he said he plans to take a ship to the US and Canada, and he also wants to go to Brazil. "I want to go to the Rio Games too," he said.

LONDON: Medals are up for grabs in cycling and swimming on Saturday after a spectacular opening ceremony to the London Olympics was watched by more than one billion TV viewers. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II declared the Games open before seven young athletes lit the cauldron at the Olympic Stadium at the end of Friday night's humour-filled showcase devised by "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle. Departing from the tradition of choosing a gold medal winner to light the flame, the event organisers handed the honour to seven youngsters nominated by British Olympic heroes of the past at the show attended by an 80,000 crowd. Five-time gold medallist rower Steve Redgrave had brought the torch into the Olympic Stadium in east London before passing it on to a series of young runners. They embraced their mentors, including decathlete Daley Thompson and middle-distance runner Kelly Holmes, before the teenagers lit a series of torches which hydraulically lifted to create a high-tech cauldron. The queen had earlier made a royal entrance like no other in a spoof film with James Bond actor Daniel Craig, declaring the Games open as London took on the role of host nation for an unprecedented third time. After seven years of planning, the Games officially began at the ceremony in the gleaming new stadium in a once rundown area in the east of the British capital. Saturday sees the first 12 gold medals of the Games available with Britain's Mark Cavendish favourite to win the men's cycling road race while in swimming the men's 400m medley final takes place at the Aquatics Centre. International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge told the audience: "In a sense the Olympics are coming home," recognising Britain's role in developing modern sport. The chief organiser of the Games, Sebastian Coe, thanked his fellow Britons for "making all this possible". "In the next two weeks we will show all that has made London one of the greatest cities in the world," he said. The show before the cauldron was lit quintessentially British, as its creator, British film director Danny Boyle, had promised. The queen was shown parachuting from a helicopter with Craig into the stadium before the real 86-year-old monarch took her seat to loud applause. The show traced Britain's development from a bucolic past through the Industrial Revolution before fast-forwarding to the present day. The show included a tribute to Britain's state-run National Health Service while actor Kenneth Branagh, "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling and "Mr Bean" Rowan Atkinson all had roles. When the athletes paraded in, the world's fastest man Usain Bolt sauntered into the stadium carrying the Jamaican flag. The Israeli team wore black handkerchiefs in their pockets to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre when 11 of their compatriots were killed after Palestinian extremists stormed the Athletes' Village. Rogge had refused pleas to stage a minute's silence in their memory at the ceremony. The British team was greeted with a huge roar from the crowd as they marched into the stadium last -- an honour reserved for the hosts -- behind four-time Olympic champion cyclist Chris Hoy. Then came the dramatic cauldron-lighting sequence. Football star David Beckham escorted the flame in a speedboat up the River Lea before it was passed on to Redgrave to bring it into the stadium. Britain's Saturday newspapers lavished praise on the spectacular four-hour long ceremony, watched by an estimated one billion TV viewers around the world. The Times ran the headline "A Flying Start" on a souvenir wraparound photograph of the Red Arrows display team flying over the stadium while Rupert Murdoch's market-leading tabloid The Sun went simply with "Golden Wonder". The stage is now set for superstars Bolt, Michael Phelps and Roger Federer to dazzle in competition, while an army of unsung competitors are also aiming for gold. A budget of #9.3 billion ($14.5 billion, 12 billion euros) has been spent on bringing the Games back to London. In the pool, Phelps, whose eight golds in Beijing took his overall medal tally to 16, needs three more to surpass the all-time record of 18. He has seven events in which to make more Games history and anchor a US team determined to continue its dominance against Australia and a Chinese squad spearheaded by 1500m free world record-holder Sun Yang. One of his biggest challengers is teammate Ryan Lochte, who has emerged as a serious threat in the 200m medley and 400m medley. Newly crowned Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins -- who also appeared in the opening ceremony -- will fire up the home crowd in the cycling. Federer, having won a record-equalling seventh Wimbledon title, returns to the All England Club looking to add singles gold to the doubles he won with Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka four years ago. And the United States are hot favourites in the men's basketball with a Dream Team boasting NBA superstars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

WASHINGTON: New figures released on Friday by the White House predict this year's federal budget deficit will end up at $1.2 trillion. That would make the fourth consecutive year of trillion dollar-plus deficits during President Barack Obama's administration. The bleak figures, while expected, are sure to add fuel to the already heated presidential campaign, in which Obama's handling of the economy and the budget are a main topic. Friday's release came as the government announced that US economic growth slowed to an annual rate of just 1.5 per cent in the second quarter of this year, as consumers cut back sharply on spending. The White House budget office also predicts for this year that the economy will grow at a modest 2.6 per cent annual rate and that the jobless rate will average 8 per cent. "The economic recovery that began in 2009 will continue at a moderate rate and unemployment will gradually decline," Jeffrey Zients, the acting White House budget director said in a blog post. "The economy still faces significant headwinds," he added. The 2012 budget year ends on Sept. 30. The White House also predicted that next year's deficit will fall just short of $1 trillion, higher than it predicted in its February budget release. The predicted deficit for 2012 actually improved by $116 billion, but much of that was because Congress didn't enact much of Obama's jobs plan. But the White House promises deficits will drop to about 3 per cent of the size of the economy by 2017, in part through $1.5 trillion in tax increases over the coming decade. The White House report - released Friday afternoon with the Olympics poised to distract voters for two weeks - again trumpets Obama's longstanding approach to tackling the deficit. It includes tax increases on families earning above $250,000, already-enacted "caps" on agency operating budgets and modest savings from federal benefit programs like Medicare and Medicaid. "Since taking office, the president has worked to restore fiscal responsibility," says the OMB report. Under Obama's budget plan, the total US debt would reach $16.2 trillion by the end of the year and soar to $25.4 trillion at the end of a decade's time. The government is likely to reach its borrowing cap - the subject of a fierce fight last summer between Obama and Republicans - late this year or early next year, which is going to require the next Congress and either Romney or Obama to act together to increase the borrowing cap. That is seen by many as an opportunity to force lawmakers to finally tackle the country's major budget problems. Romney, for his part, offers relatively few specifics on the budget but promises to bring total government spending down to 20 per cent of the US economy by the end of a first term in 2016. That is roughly in line with where it was during Republican George W. Bush's presidency. Government spending now equals 24 per cent of gross domestic product.

KARACHI: Tharparkar peacocks’ viral disease called ‘Ranikhet’ has further spread over ten Tehsils, as 16 more peacocks died on the 20th day since this epidemic broke out raising the death toll to 83 thus far. Following scores of deaths of peacocks in the rural areas of Mitthi by the mysterious disease turning into an epidemic spread over to Diplo and Nangarhar, where 16 more peacocks died in the villages, taking up the death toll to 83. Wildlife Department said that the distribution of medicines for the suffering peacocks was underway, however the local people said that the Wildlife’s four teams with one doctor only dispensing medicines, which in view of the nature and intensity of calamity was sadly lacking. On the other hand, Wildlife sources said that this epidemic generally lasts for 2 to 18 days, as the number of peacocks dying in Mitthi from where the disease started gradually coming down

ISLAMABAD: Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz has invited world Muslim leaders including President Asif Ali Zardari to attend a two-day extraordinary emergency Islamic summit in Makkah on the 27th of Ramazan (August 14-15). The government of Pakistan has decided to participate in the summit and will convey its willingness to Saudi Arabia next week. The summit will deliberate upon the threats of fragmentation and sedition being faced by the Muslim world and would provide an opportunity to Muslim leaders to discuss the problems of the Ummah. Diplomatic sources told The News on Friday that Pakistan would also avail itself of the opportunity to highlight the threats being faced by Pakistan and the Afghan issue will also figure prominently at the discussion. Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Abdul Aziz Ibrahim Saleh Al-Ghadeer, who is currently in Riyadh, is holding consultations regarding the summit. He is hopeful that Pakistan would participate in the summit with a delegation and the summit will play a significant role in bringing unity among the Muslim Ummah. The formal agenda is being chalked out at the headquarters of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah and would be made public in a couple of days. This will be the 12th summit of the OIC since its inception in 1969 while it would be the 4th extraordinary summit. The earlier three summits were held in Pakistan in March 1997, Doha (Qatar) in March 2003 and Makkah in December 2005. The reaction of Syrian leader Bashar-el-Asad and Iranian leader Ahmadi Nejad about the summit would be interesting to note. Ahmadi Nejad attended the last Makkah summit in 2005. It adopted a ten-year action plan to strengthen the 57-member organisation, the second largest after the UN. It is pertinent to note that Saudi King has ordered a major fund-raising programme for the Syrians to alleviate their sufferings. The Saudi Interir Ministry urged all citizens to contribute generously to the fund during the holy month of Ramazan. The announcement has come amid heightened violence across Syria, where Opposition activistssay more than 17,000 people have been killed since the popular uprising erupted in March 2011 against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Pakistan has also been sympathising with the people of Syria. Saudi Arabia and the other peace-loving countries in the Gulf region have repeatedly voiced support for Syrian rebels fighting the Assad government. Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa said he would attend the conference. OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu met Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi in Cairo last week and discussed the main issues to be taken up at the Makkah Summit. He also discussed the Syrian crisis and the situation of the Muslims in Myanmar with the Egyptian president. It is likely that the Myanmar situation will also be part of the discussions in the Makkah summit. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal has been quoted as saying that such a summit was essential to strengthen the Muslim unity and serve the interests of Islam and the Muslims. “We hope the summit will reflect the hopes and aspirations of the Ummah,” he said. King Abdullah has started sending invitations to heads of states of OIC countries to attend the summit. It is expected that a large number of the Muslim countries would be represented in the summit through their heads of states and governments. President Asif Ali Zardari will hold discussions with fellow leaders turning up for the summit, sources added.

Operating profit was 6.72tn won ($5.9bn; £3.8bn) in the second quarter, a 79% jump from a year earlier.
Samsung, which makes the Galaxy range of smartphones, overtook Nokia as the world's biggest maker of mobile phones earlier this year.
Analysts said Samsung's earnings were likely to rise further in the future.
"Given the situation that 60% of Samsung's profits come from smartphones and smartphone-related components, the growing profit in handsets sales will make up for the loss in TV or traditional electronic devices," said Kim Young-chan of Shinhan Investment Corp.
"Samsung's earnings will reach the peak in the third quarter."
Further dominance? While Samsung has been increasing its share of the smartphone market, competitors such as Research in Motion, the maker of Blackberry phones, have not been doing as well.
Analysts said they expected the model to be launched in the final quarter of this year, which they said could help Samsung's cause.
Song Myung-sub of HI Investment & Securities said that the new iPhone was coming out in October, so it will not have much impact on Samsung sales in the third quarter.
"The expected sales of Galaxy S III this quarter are 6.8 million and for the next quarter we forecast 15 million phones to be sold."
"Just this area would bring 8tn won in sales increase."
According to report by research firm Strategy Analytics, Samsung shipped 93 million mobile phones in the second quarter, accounting for 26% of the global market share.
Key risks However, the firm also faces some risks, not least from the ongoing legal battles with Apple.
The two firms are fighting cases in multiple countries over claims of patent infringement.
The cases have resulted in some of Samsung's products, such as its Nexus smartphones and the Galaxy tab 10.1 tablet PC, being banned in the US.
However, some cases have also been decided in favour of Samsung. But analysts said that the disputes were still a problem for the company.
"The biggest risk Samsung is facing might be patent issues, as stocks can respond negatively to this uncertainty," said Mr Kim of Shinhan Investment Corp.
At the same time, the electronics maker is also facing slowing demand and falling prices for memory chips.
Samsung, which is the world's biggest memory chip maker, said that sales at the division had fallen by 6% during the quarter.
"Weak memory chip prices remain the biggest concern for Samsung in the third quarter," said Seo Won-Seok of Korea Investment & Securities.

On a lake in the state of Maine, close to the Canadian border, my middle son is living on an island with 85 other boys. There is no electricity, no running water and something called a perch instead of a regular toilet.
There are plenty of wild ducks - or loons as they are known in America - but that is about it. Boats of all sizes are the only form of transport.
Welcome to the wilderness that is summer camp. This is the pioneering American spirit, alive and well and, far from being Lord of the Flies, it seems more Swallows and Amazons.
"Mum, Dad, I'm going to be a one-hundred-per-center," announced our beaming, sunburnt son when we
"I go skinny-dipping every morning before breakfast," Toby explained, "and if I do that every day for six weeks, I'll be a one-hundred-per-center."
We nodded, trying vainly to understand the significance.
"I was going on a kayaking and camping trip this weekend," Toby told us, "but I stayed behind because you were visiting.
"I wanted to," he added hastily, though not altogether convincingly.
Our son, who normally has to be yelled at to pick up his socks, was diligently sweeping out his already immaculate tent. Three other nine-year-olds were also wielding brooms and sweeping ferociously.
"We want to win Tidiest Tent," they explained - an unusual ambition for nine-year-olds. The boys then fell to discussing their favourite expeditions and their dreams for the rest of camp.
"King Kababa?" I asked faintly.
"He's the King of Pine Island," chorused the boys enthusiastically, before racing into the lake for their compulsory weekly wash with soap.
Across America, millions of children are experiencing the rituals of summer camp. President Obama's daughters are among those who have given up their regular lives for campfire, mosquito bites, homesickness, sleeping bags and communal living under the stars.
Summer camp is a huge tradition in the US which began in the 19th Century.
The writer Henry David Thoreau went to live in a cabin in New England and published an influential memoir about the benefits of life in a natural setting called Walden.
In the age of the Industrial Revolution, it was considered beneficial to teach children the values of community and self-reliance in the wilds.
"Each for all, all for each" is the motto of one of the oldest camps in New England, along with "Better faithful than famous".
These days, parents seize upon camp as a chance to unplug their children from the never-ending electronic chatter of video games, mobile phones and email.
Toby was surprised to learn that he could not telephone us from camp. There is no landline on the island - just one mobile phone in case of emergency. Parents are encouraged to write to their children and we have eagerly awaited Toby's responses.
The hastily scribbled postcards have been largely unrevealing - "The activities are fun, please send fudge. Love, Toby."
"Where's that going to go when he gets home," we wondered, marvelling at what was happening far to the north of our home in New York City.
The theory is that outdoor living provides an education just as important as the conventional academic year. Certainly, I have seen my son grow in confidence and learn skills he could never acquire in the city - like tying knots and making a bonfire.
Where else can you walk up a 4,000ft (1200-metre) mountain, camp by a lighthouse and fall asleep to the cry of loons?
The unsung heroes of camp are the counsellors, teenagers who are assigned to look after the younger children.
Simon is Toby's counsellor and the object of much hero-worship. This saintly 18-year-old had been sharing a tent with four nine-year-olds for a month now and was on a well earned day off when we visited. But his word was still law.
We had smuggled some chocolate bars into camp - an illegal act as it turned out.
"Mum, I'll take two bars to share with the others in secret but you'll have to take the rest home," insisted Toby. "I don't want to let Simon down."
With that we left the island in the middle of the lake, waving goodbye from the boat as Toby and his friends chased one another through the trees.

It follows Danny Boyle's epic opening ceremony celebration of British culture, watched by a peak audience in the UK of 26.9 million viewers.
The first gold medal will be won on Saturday morning in the women's 10m air rifle at the Royal Artillery Barracks.
Cyclist Mark Cavendish aims to claim Team GB's first gold in the road race.
'Light the fire' Huge crowds are expected to line streets in London and Surrey to watch Cavendish and Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins in the race.
Cavendish has said he hopes to "light the fire" for the GB team over the 250km route which starts and finishes on The Mall.
In other Olympic developments:

• Conservative MP Aidan Burley defends a tweet in which he referred to "leftie multi-cultural" rubbish in the Olympic opening ceremony, saying it was "misunderstood"
• The Queen is due to visit the Olympic Stadium, Anish Kapoor's Olympic Orbit tower sculpture and the Olympic Village
• An anti-Olympics protest and march from Mile End Park to Victoria Park - organised by the Counter Olympics Network - is due to take place
• David Beckham expresses his pride at helping London win their 2012 Olympics bid, despite not being picked in Great Britain's football squad
• Former NBA and England basketballer John Amaechi says Great Britain face a battle to get out of a tough group at the Olympic Games

'Exceptionally busy' Transport for London commissioner Peter Hendy said hundreds of thousands of people would be travelling across London on Saturday.
He said public transport would also be "exceptionally busy" with people making their way to watch the cycling road race and to other venues.
But he said all transport "serving the spectacular opening ceremony ran well, getting everyone to the Olympic Park on time and home again".
Britain's other big medal hopeful of the day is Scotland's Hannah Miley, 22, in the women's 400m individual medley who is ranked third-fastest in the world this year in the event.
Team GB women's pair Heather Stanning and Helen Glover will be among the first to race as the Olympic rowing events begin in Berkshire.
In total, athletes will compete in 19 sports on Saturday with medals also due to be awarded in archery, fencing, judo, swimming and weightlifting.
Great Britain's swimmers skipped Friday night's ceremony because of their early start in swimming events at the Aquatics Centre.
On Saturday night, meanwhile, 14-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps will race against rival and fellow-American Ryan Lochte in the 400m individual medley final.
"It demonstrated all that is good about British creativity," he added.
At the end of the ceremony, the Queen declared the London Olympics officially open, before seven young athletes were given the honour of lighting the ceremonial flame.
The seven, chosen by British Olympic champions, each lit a single tiny flame on the ground, igniting 205 petals, one for each competing nation or territory.
Long stems then rose towards each other to form a cauldron, signifying unity.
The flame had arrived via the Thames on a speedboat carrying David Beckham, who handed the torch to five-time rowing gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave.
The show began with iconic images of London and Britain being beamed to the world, and all four countries of the UK being represented in song with a field at the stadium turned into a meadow with live animals.
The show moved through the "great revolutions in British society", from an agricultural setting through to the Industrial Revolution itself.
Steelworkers began forging material that transformed into golden Olympic rings prompting cheers from the 80,000-strong crowd.
There were cheers too as the crowd saw a film featuring a meeting between the Queen and Daniel Craig, as agent 007 James Bond.
"Good evening Mr Bond," she said before the pair left together, heading towards the Olympic Stadium in a helicopter.
The aircraft then flew over the stadium to the sound of the Bond theme tune, as two figures parachuted down, one dressed as the monarch, before the Queen appeared in the stands.
There were also appearances from comic actor Rowan Atkinson, as Mr Bean, as well as from musicians including Mike Oldfield, Dizzee Rascal and Sir Paul McCartney.

The BBC's Ian Pannell, in Aleppo, has seen skirmishes, with a number of rebel fighters wounded or killed.
Rebels with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) say they have repelled an army incursion and destroyed tanks, but there is no independent verification.
Western nations have warned of a potential massacre in Aleppo, Syria's most populous city.
Early on Saturday morning, activists said Syrian tanks began moving in on south-western districts of the city.
Many casualties have been reported, our correspondent says, and a steady stream of vehicles carrying families is leaving Aleppo.
Syrian state television said that rebels, having failed in Damascus, were now trying to turn Aleppo into a den for their terrorism.
Appeal to medics The rebels say they have destroyed a number of tanks, but their claim cannot be independently verified.
Our correspondent says the rebels are vastly outgunned and outmanned by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Activists have reported violent clashes around the Salah al-Din and Hamdanieh quarters near the centre of Aleppo.
An emergency call has gone out to doctors to come to Salah al-Din and help if they can, our correspondent says.
On Friday, the Red Crescent suspended some of its operations in Aleppo because of the heavy fighting.
Rebels had been stockpiling ammunition and medical supplies in preparation for the expected assault.
Both sides are braced for heavy casualties.
"Rebels are stationed in narrow streets, in which fighting will be difficult," a government security official told the AFP news agency.
Rebel gains The fighting comes after two weeks during which rebels made significant gains.
On 18 July, an attack at Syrian security headquarters in Damascus killed four senior officials, including the defence minister and President Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law.
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) took control of several parts of Damascus before being driven out by a government counter-offensive.
The rebels also seized several border crossings with Turkey and Iraq.
There has been fighting around Aleppo for the past week, with the government deploying fighter jets and helicopter gunships to beat back the rebels.
Until recently, Aleppo and Damascus had been relatively free of the violence that has wracked other parts of the country.
Earlier this week, thousands of government forces were moved from the border with Turkey to join fierce fighting in Aleppo, activists said.
On Friday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Syrian government to halt its offensive and demanded a clear statement that chemical weapons would not be used under any circumstances.
Syria has implicitly acknowledged that it has chemical weapons but says it will not use them against its own people, only against foreign invaders.
The former head of the UN monitoring mission in Syria, Maj Gen Robert Mood, said it was "only a matter of time" until President Assad was ousted.
On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 19,106 people had been killed since March 2011. The UN said in May that at least 10,000 people had been killed.
Syria blames the violence on foreign-backed "armed terrorist gangs".
In June, the Syrian government reported that 6,947 Syrians had died, including at least 3,211 civilians and 2,566 security forces personnel.

The US, followed by Russia and China, said they needed more time to consider the issues.
The BBC's Barbara Plett at the UN said it was a disheartening end to a month of intense negotiations.
However, the conference chairman said he was confident a treaty could be agreed by the end of the year.
Some delegates accused the US of bowing to domestic pressure from the powerful gun lobby in the run up to presidential elections, our correspondent says.
On Thursday, a bipartisan group of 51 US senators threatened to oppose any agreement that infringed on the constitutional right to bear arms.
Despite the setback, conference chairman Roberto Garcia Moritan said the eventual adoption of an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was inevitable.
"I don't have any doubt, because there is a need," he said.
"We need a treaty and we will have a treaty."
But he said he was encouraged that countries had agreed to continue pursuing a treaty and pledged his "robust" support.
The negotiations were the result of a six-year campaign by a coalition of non-governmental organisations, including Amnesty International and Oxfam.
Amnesty Secretary-General Salil Shetty expressed frustration at the delay.
"With one person dying every minute because of armed violence, there is an imperative for powerful states to lead," he said.
"President Obama has asked for more time to reach an agreement. How much more time does he want?"
The text of the draft resolution is now likely to be sent back to the UN General Assembly in the autumn.
The global arms trade is estimated to be worth between $60bn and $70bn (£40-50bn) per year.
Some 750,000 people are killed by illicit weapons each year.

Ms Pillay said forces sent to quash violence in the northern state were reported to be targeting Muslims.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says about 80,000 people have been displaced following inter-communal violence.
The agency says most of those displaced are living in camps and more tents are being airlifted in to help them.
The latest violence in Rakhine state began in May when a Buddhist ethnic Rakhine woman was raped and murdered by three Muslims.
On 3 June, an unidentified mob killed 10 Muslims.
Ms Pillay's office says that since then at least 78 people have been killed in ensuing violence but unofficial estimates are higher.
"We have been receiving a stream of reports from independent sources alleging discriminatory and arbitrary responses by security forces, and even their instigation of and involvement in clashes," Ms Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said.
"Reports indicate that the initial swift response of the authorities to the communal violence may have turned into a crackdown targeting Muslims, in particular members of the Rohingya community."
She welcomed a government decision to allow a UN envoy access to Rakhine state next week, but said it was "no substitute for a fully-fledged independent investigation".
'Scared to return' The UNHCR says that about 80,000 people had been displaced in and around the towns of Sittwe and Maungdaw.
Spokesman Andrej Mahecic said that many were too scared to return home while others were being prevented from earning a living.
"Some displaced Muslims tell UNHCR staff they would also like to go home to resume work, but fear for their safety," he said.
Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi recently called for laws to protect the rights of ethnic minority groups.
In her first statement in parliament, she said such laws were important for Burma to become a truly democratic nation of mutual respect.
Burma has undergone a series of political reforms initiated by the military-backed government.
But some parts of the country are still hit by conflict and unrest, most recently Rakhine state.

ISLAMABAD: Advisor to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik has been re-elected unopposed as Senator from Sindh on Monday, Geo News reported. According to sources, Provincial Election Commissioner Sonu Khan issued the notification pertaining to Malik’s re-election to Senate unopposed after scrutinizing his nomination papers. Earlier on Friday, Malik had submitted his nomination papers for a Senate seat from Sindh. By the end of the office hours, nobody else had filed papers with Sindh’s Election Commissioner. The seat had fallen vacant when Malik had resigned from the upper house of parliament over the issue of dual nationality. While talking to the media, Malik thanked MQM chief Altaf Hussain and Arbab Ghulam Rahim for their support.

ISLAMABAD: A five-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is hearing a number of identical petitions challenging the Contempt of Court Act 2012 The Federation of Pakistan has been made party in the constitutional petitions through the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. A five-judge bench of the apex court comprising Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Shakirullah Jan, Justice Tassadduq Hussain Jilani, Justice Jawad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing the identical petitions against the new law. In this regard, the SC had issued notices to the federation, prime minister, speaker National Assembly, chairman Senate, law minister, Cabinet division and attorney general in the last hearing. During today’s proceedings, federation’s lawyer Abdul Shakoor Paracha pleaded the court to form a full bench to hear the petitions as it is an important case. He also requested the bench to grant the federation some more time as he had been appointed on Sunday. Responding to Paracha’s request, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry said only the court has the right to form a bench, and that the court had already given ample time to the federation. He further said that the issue was significant and a decision over it was important. Moreover, Attorney General Irfan Qadir requested the court for a period of two weeks to prepare for the case. He said that a case such as the one against the contempt of court law had not been heard in the country’s history. President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Contempt of Court Bill, 2012, into law after it was passed by the National Assembly and Senate under Section 248(1) of the Constitution exempting all government office holders, including the prime minister and other ministers, from court proceedings under contempt charges. The Contempt of Court Act 2012, however, was challenged in the apex court for being violative of articles 2-A, 4, 5, 25 and 204 of the Constitution. Those who had challenged the Contempt of Court Act 2012 included Muhammad Sidduique Baloch, Mahmood Akhtar Naqvi and others. On Friday, a three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heard the petition filed by Baz Muhammad Kakar and another versus the Federation of Pakistan through Secretary, Ministry of Law.

KARACHI: Two persons including a Ranger were injured when a blast occurred near the Chinese Consulate in Clifton area of Karachi, Geo News reported. According to sources, a remote-controlled bomb blast near Chinese Consulate injured two persons including a security man who were shifted to hospital for treatment. A car and three motorbikes were also damaged due to the blast. Initial reports suggest that the bomb was fixed in a motorcycle. Police and rescue teams reached the spot while security forces have kicked off the investigation.

The deluge struck on Saturday afternoon and continued into the night, flooding major roads, state media said.
Roof collapses, lightning strikes and electrocution from downed power lines were among the causes of the deaths.
More than 500 flights were cancelled at the main airport, the Beijing News reported.
The floods also caused a backlash on the internet, with many angry at the lack of warning and the apparent inadequacy of drainage systems.
State news agency Xinhua said 460mm (18.1 in) fell in Beijing's Fangshan district, with the capital as a whole averaging 170mm.
By Sunday evening, more than 65,000 people had to be evacuated. Beijing officials said 37 people had died, 25 of them from drowning.
Outside the capital, 17 people were reportedly missing in northwestern Shaanxi province and eight people dead in southwestern Sichuan province due to heavy rains, said another Xinhua report.
Authorities in Shaanxi's Fugu county said four bodies had been found, but it was not known if they were among the 17 missing, Xinhua said.
'Like a waterfall' British student Tom Smith, who has been living in China for a year, told the BBC the storm in Beijing was like "standing under a waterfall.
"All the manholes had vanished because the water was sitting on top of them. It looked very dangerous and very difficult to find where these holes were," he said.
British businessman Ewen Wardman saw a woman narrowly escape death after being trapped by the floods in the manhole drainage system.
"I saw a woman walking across a road. All of a sudden she was swept 100 metres down the road and came to an abrupt halt, stuck in the road with water flowing over the top of her.
"Some 20-30 people had surrounded her but only a few could help," he told the BBC. "It didn't look good at first as the water continued to flow over her head, but after about five minutes they pulled her free."
Many Chinese newspapers criticised the capital's drainage system for failing to cope with the rain storm, in contrast to the centuries-old ditches around the Forbidden City that kept the national monument relatively dry.
Hundred of thousands of people also left comments on weibo platforms - China's equivalent of Twitter.
A Tencent Weibo user from Shandong asked how, as an Olympic city, Beijing's drainage system could be so vulnerable. On Sina Weibo, a user from Shaanxi urged people to learn how to swim, calling the government was "unreliable".
"Wishing you happy-ever-after in the afterlife, let's hope at least it has better drainage," sad a Sina Weibo user from Jiangsu.
Other users blamed "sub-standard" weather forecasting and warning services.
But a report in the Global Times newspaper said people in Beijing were also offering help to those affected or stranded by the rain via social media.
Rides, meals and accommodation were among the offers of assistance posted on weibo.

The command will be based in Sansha city on Woody Island in the Paracels; a city formed in June to govern the area.
On Sunday 45 legislators were also named to the new city's congress.
The moves come amid severe tensions between China and its neighbours over ownership of the several groups of islands in the South China Sea.
China took command of the Paracel islands in 1974 following a battle with Vietnam. Taiwan also claims the islands, whose population numbers only a few thousand, mostly fishermen.
Sansha city was established in June as China's administrative base for the whole South China Sea area, including the disputed territories of the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoal.
'Mobilisation' The Central Military Commission (CMC) authorised the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Guangzhou Military Command to ''form a garrison command in'' Sansha city, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.
The troops would be ''responsible for managing the city's national defence mobilisation, military reserves and carrying out military operations'', said the brief announcement, which was also carried on the defense ministry's website.
The command will be ''under the dual leadership of the Hainan provincial sub-command and the city's civilian leaders'', it added.
No further details, including numbers to be deployed or the timing of deployment, were given.
The moves are set to add to already rife tension in the region.
Vietnam has protested against China's decision to establish the administrative city, its plans to run tourist cruises to the area by the end of the year and calls for oil exploration bids.
Diplomatic tensions are also high between China and the Philippines after a stand-off over the Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by both sides.
The South China Sea disputes sparked controversy at an Asean regional forum earlier this month when, for the first time in its 45-year history, the 10-nation bloc were unable to agree on a closing statement.

(CNN) -- The Arab League will offer Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "a safe exit" if he resigns quickly and leaves the country, a senior Arab League official said, marking the latest attempt to get Syria's longtime ruler to step down and end more than a year of daily bloodshed.

Mr Obama met survivors and families of the dead when he visited the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora.
He said he shared hugs and tears and vowed that "out of darkness a brighter day is going to come".
James Holmes, 24, has been arrested in connection with the attack, which killed 12 and injured 58.
Mr Holmes is alleged to have opened fire during a packed midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises before being detained outside the cinema.
He is currently being held in solitary confinement for his own safety and is reported to be not co-operating. Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said Mr Holmes had "lawyered up" and is not talking.
'Words inadequate' President Obama said he had visited as much as a father and husband as a president, because everyone understood what it must be like to have someone taken in this fashion.
He said: "You see young people who have come in and just two days ago or 36 hours ago or even 24 hours ago, it wasn't certain whether they would make it and now suddenly their eyes are open, they are alert, and they are talking and it reminds you that even in the darkest of days... life continues."
Mr Obama added: "I confessed to them words were inadequate but my main task was to serve as a representative of the entire country and say we are thinking about them at this moment each and every day."
The president said he had shared hugs and tears, but also laughter as the families recounted the lives of their loved ones.
Mr Oates said: "As awful as what they've been through and what they're going through has been, having the president here is very, very powerful."
Both Mr Obama and his Republican Party challenger, Mitt Romney, curtailed their election campaigns in the wake of the Aurora attack, dropping advertising in Colorado state out of respect for victims and their families.
People have been laying flowers at a memorial site near the Century cinema.
Thousands of people have also been gathering outside City Hall for an emotional vigil for the victims.
Police and army officers, and other officials were loudly applauded as they approached the stage.
Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan told the crowd: "While our hearts are broken, our community is not."
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper refused to mention Mr Holmes by name, saying the priority was the 12 victims.
He said: "July 20th should never be about remembering the killer, it should be about remembering those individuals, remembering those victims. So I ask you to help me here."
As he then read out the names, the crowd chanted, "We will remember," after each.
Gun range Mr Obama's visit comes a day after police cleared James Holmes's flat of explosives which could have killed people entering via the door.
Investigators say a computer found inside his home could provide crucial details.
Several US media outlets have reported that a Batman mask and poster were in the flat, but police have not confirmed this.
Booby traps connected to explosives had prevented police from entering it for two days until they made the devices safe.
Police said the suspect had acted with "calculation and deliberation", taking ammunition deliveries for months.
James Holmes is due to appear in court on Monday.
Authorities have established no terrorism link, nor any motive. Mr Holmes had no criminal record other than a speeding fine.
It has emerged that Mr Holmes tried to join a Colorado gun range last month but owner Glenn Rotkovic told Associated Press he warned staff not to accept him after hearing a "bizarre - guttural, freakish at best" message left by Mr Holmes on his voicemail.
The Arapahoe county coroner Michael Dobersen has released the names of the dead.
He said all the deaths were related to gunshot wounds.
The dead include a six-year-old girl and two US military servicemen.
Mayor Hogan told a memorial service for a young victim on Saturday that the community in Aurora was still reeling from the "unbelievable tragedy".
"But I think, as is evidenced by everyone who is here today, all those who were here yesterday, and all the messages of support that we have received from literally around the world, we can I think now start this process of grieving and healing."

The rebels told the BBC's Paul Wood, undercover near the Syrian capital, that the deaths of four top officials were a severe blow to the government.
Our correspondent says Islamist rebels where he is are receiving weapons and money from outside.
Fighting continued overnight.
Government forces recaptured parts of Damascus, the suburbs of Barzeh and Mezzeh, which had fallen into rebel hands.
There and in other quarters, activists said a number of suspected rebels or sympathisers were summarily executed.
Syrian state TV on Monday showed images of Syrian forces going house to house and kicking down doors in Damascus, searching for any remaining rebel fighters.
Fighting was also reported in Syria's second city, Aleppo.
'Transitional government' After an emergency meeting in Qatar, Arab League foreign ministers called on President Assad to resign rapidly, and offered his family safe passage out of Syria.
However, the BBC's Jim Muir, in neighbouring Lebanon, says the call appears to have fallen on deaf ears.
Mr Assad held a meeting with his new army chief of staff and gave him instructions, reportedly including a drive to crush armed rebels.
The meeting followed last week's attack in Damascus, in which four senior officials were killed in what the Syrian government described as a suicide blast.
Rebels outside Damascus, speaking to the BBC's Paul Wood, say the assassinations were a blow to the government.
They told our correspondent the once-feared secret police were now a spent force, and the government was relying entirely on a weakened military.
Our correspondent, who is near Damascus, says the rebels are divided, between the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the Salafists (hardline Islamists).
The Salafists are better armed, he says, because they are receiving weapons and money from outside.
Call for aid Meanwhile, the EU is to tighten sanctions and an arms embargo against President Assad's government.
EU foreign ministers agreed to freeze the assets of 26 individuals and three firms close to the Syrian government.
They will be added to a blacklist which already contains the names of 129 people and 49 entities.
EU member states will also be required to send inspectors to board planes and ships believed to be carrying weapons or suspicious supplies to Damascus.
The inspections will only take place on the territory or in the territorial waters of EU states.
Britain and France are calling for more EU aid to refugees from Syria.
"We now have to step up our humanitarian assistance for the people fleeing across the borders," said UK Foreign Secretary William Hague.
The EU should also "give more practical support to the Syrian opposition, including helping them prepare for Syria after Assad," Mr Hague said as he arrived for talks in Brussels.
On Sunday, the US signed an agreement to give Jordan an additional $100m (£64m) to help refugees fleeing from Syria.
Battle for control The elite fourth division of the Syrian army, commanded by President Assad's brother Maher, led the attack on the Barzeh area of Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
In Mezzeh, government forces "executed" at least 20 men in the area, some activists told the Reuters news agency by telephone.
The battle for control of Aleppo is still going on.
State TV played down the scale of the violence, saying troops were merely hunting down "terrorists".
Rebel commanders have vowed to take it over completely and use it as a base for liberating the whole country, but state TV said many armed rebels had fled across the border to Turkey.
BBC sources in Syria also confirmed that rebels were now in control of the Bab al-Salam border crossing with Turkey. Turkey is not allowing non-Syrian nationals through so the border remains effectively closed.
There were also reports of violence in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour on Sunday. Witnesses told Reuters that it was being attacked with artillery and rockets from helicopter gunships.
On Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 19,106 people had been killed since March 2011. The UN said in May that at least 10,000 people had been killed.
Syria blames the violence on foreign-backed "armed terrorist gangs".
In June, the Syrian government reported that 6,947 Syrians had died, including at least 3,211 civilians and 2,566 security forces personnel.