By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations human rights investigators called on the Obama administration on Tuesday to prosecute the accused September 11 masterminds in a civilian court, declaring that U.S. military tribunals would not be fair.

The White House is reviewing options to bring the 9/11 detainees to justice and U.S. officials said on Friday senior administration officials may recommend that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspects in the 2001 attacks face a military trial.

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. and Russian arms control officials began on Tuesday what both sides hope will be a final push to clinch a treaty cutting their strategic nuclear arsenals, officials said.

Dozens of negotiators from each country were taking part in the START talks which resumed at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Geneva after a 10-day break for consultations in their capitals, they said.

By Phil Stewart

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told troops in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday they would soon be part of a "decisive phase" in the war -- an operation to impose control over the Taliban heartland of Kandahar province.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's ruling Congress party officials met on Wednesday to douse a political standoff over a contentious womens' quota bill after two of its allies quit and left the government less elbow room to pass economic legislation.

Already under fire over issues such as food inflation and a proposed hike in fuel prices, India's coalition government has been hit by turmoil trying to push through legislation reserving a third of parliamentary seats for women.

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sees risks to the economic recovery and says it is not the moment to change course as he prepares for an election by June.

Brown, the former finance minister, will set out his views on how he thinks a recovery can be assured and future growth created in a speech at Thomson Reuters offices in Canary Wharf later on Wednesday.

By Rob Taylor and Sunanda Creagh

CANBERRA/JAKARTA (Reuters) - A suspected mastermind of the Bali bombings was killed in a police raid in Indonesia in the latest blow to an Islamist militant movement in the world's most populous Muslim country.

Dulmatin, who once trained with al Qaeda in Afghanistan, was one of three militants killed in a shootout with police at an Internet cafe, Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday.

By Ransdell Pierson and Joe Rauch

NEW YORK/CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) - Bank of America said on Tuesday it will no longer charge overdraft fees on debit card purchases as of this summer, a move that may cost millions in fee income.

The change will eliminate one of the most common overdraft charges for Bank of America customers.

By Joan Gralla

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The $120 billion that New York state owes in debt, health and pension benefits for public workers puts it in the danger zone, and getting down to the safety zone requires a $20 billion cut, a study said Tuesday.

By this measure, California has more outstanding long-term obligations -- over $159 billion -- but can better afford them than New York, according to the analysis by the Citizens Budget Commission.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A senior executive with an Atlanta-based energy services company was found dead on Tuesday after going missing during a business trip to New Orleans, city police said.

Searchers pulled the body of Douglas Schantz, the president of AGL Resources' wholesale energy-trading unit Sequent Energy Management, from the Mississippi River on Tuesday afternoon, the New Orleans Police Department said in a statement.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kobe Bryant delivered yet another game-winning shot to help the Los Angeles Lakers snap a three-game losing streak with a 109-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

Bryant netted 32 points and made a fade-away 17-foot jump shot along the baseline with 1.9 seconds remaining to give the defending NBA champions a much-needed win.

By Liu Zhen and Nick Mulvenney

BEIJING (Reuters) - The Chinese company ordered to stop making soccer World Cup mascots because of poor working conditions in their factory hit back at the accusations on Wednesday, saying they were victims of South African politicking.

FIFA's branding company Global Brands Group (GBG) said on Tuesday that Shanghai Fashion Plastic Products Co. Ltd (SFPPC) must halt production of the Zakumi, the tournament mascot, until it improved working conditions.

DENVER (Reuters) - Mikael Samuelsson's hat-trick inspired a stirring fightback for the Vancouver Canucks in a 6-4 victory over Northwest Division rivals the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.

The Canucks trailed 3-0 in the second before Samuelsson tallied three times in 12 minutes to pull the visitors to within 4-3 by the start of the final period after Peter Mueller had added a fourth goal for the Avalanche.