Moscow: Russia orders Denmark to release Chechen rebel

Russian lawmakers turned up the pressure on Denmark on Saturday, demonstrating outside the country’s embassy to warn the small Scandinavian nation Moscow will not drop its demand for the extradition of a detained Chechen rebel envoy.

Akhmed Zakayev, a top aide to Chechen separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov, was arrested Wednesday in Denmark at Russia’s request on suspicion of helping plan terrorist activities, including last month’s 58-hour seizure of a packed Moscow theater which resulted in the deaths of 119 hostages.

The Danish justice minister told Russia on Friday that Copenhagen needed more evidence to extradite Zakayev, a familiar face in Western capitals where he pressed for recognition of Chechnya’s independence from Russia.

Baltimore: Hearing’s access denied in juvenile sniper suspect case

A federal judge refused to allow open access to a court hearing for 17-year-old John Lee Malvo, a suspect in the sniper shootings that terrorized the Washington area.

Magistrate James Bredar ruled Friday that public interest in the Washington-area sniper cases does not outweigh the suspect’s right to be shielded from scrutiny as a juvenile.

The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The (Baltimore) Sun and The New York Times filed a motion to be allowed to attend Monday’s hearing for Malvo.

The hearing will determine whether Malvo should be detained on federal juvenile charges related to the sniper attacks.

Florida: President signs measure expanding probe of FBI

President Bush on Saturday signed into law changes at the FBI that include expanding the authority of the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate the bureau’s agents.

The measures are part of a Justice Department reauthorization bill passed easily by Congress.

The bill makes clear that the Justice inspector general can investigate the FBI without first getting permission from the attorney general or his deputy. Attorney General John Ashcroft already had given the inspector general that power, but lawmakers wanted to prevent a future attorney general from changing that policy.

The legislation pushes the FBI to improve its computer systems and internal police force. It requires several reports to Congress, including one from the Justice Department about how it has used its electronic surveillance system formerly known as “Project Carnivore.”