Belarussian President changes his date of birth

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, 56, has changed his official date of birth to match that of his youngest son, national media reported Wednesday.

His official date of birth was no longer August 30, but instead August 31 - the birthday of his six-year-old son Nikolai, the president decided, DPA reported.

National news programmes informed the surprised citizens of the former Soviet republic about the change.

Lukashenko, dubbed by critics as "Europe's last dictator", has recently included his youngest son in public appearances.

Lukashenko himself said the boy was occasionally sitting on his lap during negotiations.