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In Soviet times the only news that had a chance of being true was rumour - if, after all, the official journal of state lies was called "Pravda" (Truth) then the world of news really was turned upside down.

The poisonous legacy of this lives on in Georgian politics today. True and factual based stories - such as Grigol Vashadze's admission of state aid for Imedi and Rustavi 2 - make a lesser impact in Georgia than they would elsewhere partly because they are, in a sense, based on "official" information - documents, journalistic reports, official statements and denials.

Rumours and gossip, however, linger on and on and on. Thus the story that Nicolas Cage was to play Mikheil Saakashvili went round and round and round because nobody, it seemed, was willing to phone up his publicists and ask them - after all, if all officials lie what use would a denial be?

The Georgian Labour Party and the broadcasters seem to be locked in an endless battle over these sorts of stories - the Labour Party treat the gossip of stories of outrageous corruption in the government as fact and hold press conferences to proclaim them as such - usually claiming documentary evidence (which never seems to appear).

The broadcasters lap it up. Partly that is because they want to keep the Labour Party locked in its 7% share of the vote and so ensure that those voters don't throw their weight behind a more credible opposition candidate. Partly it is because they want to keep the Labour Party thinking it is making a difference. And partly, surely, it is because once the rumour has gone official by being reported on the media it is a step closer to death.

Now, though, it seems all these factors have combined to make the Georgian Labour Party - and the shell of Pravda - look like total idiots.

Pravda's propaganda site on Georgia - "Georgia Times" - today screams "Georgian opposition: authorities purchased villas in Scotland and France".

The opposition in question is the Labour Party and the evidence they have (for Scotland, at least) is this: one quarter in Edinburgh [Scotland's capital] is called "Georgian".

Anybody who knows Edinburgh will know exactly which quarter they mean - the New Town - and indeed, it is known as the "Georgian" part of the city.

That is because it was built during the reign of George IV - who is the man in tights shown here.

(Via OldMenshevik - which also has a picture of the New Town.)