Apple Inc.’s CEO Steve Jobs says he is taking a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

He told employees in an e-mail that his issues are more complex than thought before.

His responsibilities will be taken over by Apple’s chief operating officer, Tim Cook, while Jobs is on leave.

Apple stock trading was halted until 5 p.m. Eastern time. In early trades since the stock re-opened, AAPL’s price is down by about $10.

Read on to see the full text of his letter.

Team,

I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

Steve

The (european) student network studiVZ quits operation in italy, spain, poland and france. Service will stop the 20th of january - members will be notified via email. A German and english version will be still available for the users at meinVZ.net. This gives clear opportunity for other social networks in Europe.

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