The tender offers will start fromAugust, the Nikkei newspaper said. Japan. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States launched a fresh drive on Sunday to restart Middle East peace talks, sending senior officials to the region to deal with issues ranging from Jewish settlements to Iran's nuclear ambitions. World  |  TurkeyThe visits by Middle East envoy George Mitchell, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and National Security Adviser Jim Jones were a strong signal from U.S. and of course, we bear in mind our vital interest but we understand there are needs of other partners as well," Barak said after meeting Mitchell.The envoy was to see Abbas on Monday and Netanyahu on Tuesday.Gates also plans talks in Israel. He was due to meet Netanyahu and Barak on Monday to discuss missile defense, Iran's nuclear ambitions and bilateral security issues, a senior U.S.

Palestinians say they fear settlements, deemed illegal by the World Court, could deny them a viable and contiguous state.In Damascus, Mitchell said restarting talks between Israel and Syria was a "near-term goal" for Washington. He also called for Assad's support for a broad peace effort in the region.Indirect talks between Syria and Israel, which were being mediated by Turkey, were suspended during the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip in December.Turkey said this month it was ready to resume mediation of those talks. Syria has been seeking the return of the Golan Heights, territory that Israel captured in a 1967 war.Syria remains under U.S. sanctions but Obama has decided to return a ambassador to Syria. Washington withdrew its envoy in 2005 to protest against the assassination in Beirut of Rafik al-Hariri, a Lebanese parliamentarian and former prime minister.(Additional reporting by Khaled Yacoub Oweis in Damascus)(For FACTBOX on Jewish settlements, click on [nLQ641147], for blogs and links on Israeli politics and other Israeli and Palestinian news, go to blogs.reuters /axismundi) World Turkey. OAKVILLE, Ontario (Reuters) - American Jason Dufner led the Canadian Open leaderboard at the end of play Sunday but could not collect his maiden PGA Tour win as the weather-battered tournament was forced into a Monday finish. SportsAfter three days of torrential rain, thunderstorms and lightning, officials had hoped they might dodge the miserable weather long enough to pack in 36 holes and crown the tournament's 100th champion.But shortly after third-round play began ferocious storms again rumbled across Glen Abbey forcing another lengthy six-hour delay before play was finally suspended, guaranteeing the $5.1 million event would need at least one more day to decide a winner.The last time an entire final round of a PGA Tour event went over to Monday was the 2005 Bellsouth Classic and with more stormy weather forecast the prospects of the tournament extending into Tuesday was also on the table.(Editing by Ed Osmond) Sports.

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174,; or Bruce Manning of The Manning Group PR, +1-949-716-8126,, both for The Bicycle Casino. EL PARAISO, Honduras (Reuters) - Disheartened supporters of deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya trickled home from the Nicaraguan border on Sunday, weakening protests backing his bid to return to power after a coup last month.

WorldHonduran troops manning checkpoints have prevented several thousand demonstrators from staging a show of support at the border for the leftist leader, now exiled in Nicaragua.Six miles from the border, 100 weary protesters milled around the coffee town of El Paraiso, a far cry from the massive outpouring of public backing Zelaya had called for.Lilian Ordonez, a 29-year-old teacher, came with a convoy of some 100 cars to try to reach the border, but only six made it through the checkpoints."We're going to head back to Tegucigalpa where most of the people are," she said, wiping off tears "We have to change our strategy ... People are angry but we don't have weapons and against a rifle, we can't do anything."A couple hundred Hondurans who managed to reach the border were camped out in Nicaragua with Zelaya, holed up in the town of Ocotal on Sunday planning his next move.Zelaya was accused by the Honduran Congress and Supreme Court of trying to extend presidential term limits. Soldiers arrested him and sent him into exile on June 28.The United States, Latin American governments and the United Nations want Zelaya returned to power, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized him as "reckless" when he took a few steps onto Honduran soil on Friday in a symbolic gesture in front of international media.Zelaya hit back at Clinton for the second time in two days. She should "stop avoiding the issue" of dictatorship in Honduras, he told journalists.

"Secretary Clinton should confront the dictatorship with force."Roberto Micheletti, who was appointed interim president by Congress the day after the coup, says Zelaya's removal was legal since he was acting against the Constitution. The Supreme Court ordered his arrest and Congress backed his removal.U.S. President Barack Obama has cut $16.5 million in military aid to Honduras and threatened to slash economic aid.But Obama has yet to take harsher measures and there are growing tensions with Zelaya, a close ally of Venezuela's anti-American president, Hugo Chavez.TENSIONS WITH U.S.The crisis has put Obama in a difficult position He does not want to show U.S. support for rightist coups in Latin America, but some Republicans in Congress say he has already done too much for the ousted leftist."It's been very clear from the outset that (the Obama administration) didn't really like Zelaya anyway," said Vicki Gass, an analyst with the Washington Office on Latin America."This wishy-washiness on their part is giving the impression that they are backing away from their original stance," she said.The U.S. State Department said Zelaya is expected to visit Washington on Tuesday but it was unclear from his aides whether he would make the trip and who he would meet if he does go.Micheletti seems to believe he can resist international pressure until elections in November and the world will accept the new order when a new president takes office in January.The alternative is a negotiated solution under pressure from Washington, likely modeled on a proposal by Costa Rican President Oscar Arias.