RUSSIA / BELARUS / JAPAN :30 Nov UPDATE: Tokyo Cancels Trip Citing Putin's Health; Dictator Reveals Cause Of Putin's Injury.

              IST UPDATE LINK CHANGE:
http://www.france24.com/en/20121130-kremlin-plays-down-new-bout-putin-health-worries

       Japan's PM delayed a visit to Moscow...citing President Putin's health as the reason.
      Recently...after months of speculation...a definitive revelation about President Putin's mysterious injury...came from a close associate...Belarus dictator and proud of it... Alexander Lukashenko.

      He says Putin suffered a spinal injury during a judo match.
      Putin has been limping along and working from home...and cancelled important trips to India, Bulgaria and Turkey...though he will visit Ankara for one day next week.
      Putin recently celebrated his 60th birthday...but the Kremlin has been cryptic about his visible limp.

      Lukashenko told Reuters: 'I know he has this problem. He loves judo. He lifted a guy, threw him and twisted his spine.'
      Putin told his on-again-off-again ally Lukashenko that the spine injury would force him to cancel an ice hockey match.