Georgia invaded, Saakashvili dead? False TV report causes panic with the public If one of your main news channels said your country has been invaded and your president murdered – you would no doubt be extremely scared. In Georgia, that is what has just happened. On Saturday night Georgian TV channel Imedi aired a false report that caused a shockwave across the country. According to the “news,” Russia invaded Georgia after a “terror attack” on the president of South Ossetian republic, Eduard Kokoity. The report suggested that Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili and his government had been evacuated. In several minutes, however, the source “reported” the death of Saakashvili and creation of the People’s government headed by one of the opposition leaders, Nino Burdzhanadze. The program, that lasted for half an hour, also reported the “terrible bombardment” of the country’s air and seaports and only at the end, Imedi presenters pointed out that this was a “special report about possible development of the events.” At the beginning of the broadcast there was also warnings that the program showed a sequence of possible events that could only occur "if Georgian society is not brought together against Russia's plans." Despite the warnings though, the report has caused panic across the country. People began calling each other and the TV studio to find out what was really happening, said RIA Novosti news agency. Interfax news agency reported the local media outlets saying that many people called ambulances for help. "Multiple instances of heart attacks and fainting have been reported," the source quoted Georgian media. http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-03-13/georgia-...port-panic.html