Chechen Rustam Makhmudov has been charged with the 2006 murder of Anna Politkovskaya.  His lawyer says that Makhmudov had nothing to do with the crime.  Dmitry Medvedev, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden have been discussing Middle East issues in Rome, with the Russian President pushing for negotiations with Libya and Sergei Lavrov calling for a solution that is ‘acceptable to all Libyans‘.  Russia wants to act as a mediator in the conflict, and is planning to send an envoy to meet with rebels ‘in nearest time‘.  Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says that Russia is ready to consider supporting new projects in Abkhazia.