Steve Jobs quits as Apple chief

25 August 2011 Last updated at 03:21 GMT Mr Jobs had been on his third medical leave since announcing his cancer diagnosis seven years ago Apple founder Steve Jobs has resigned as chief executive of the technology giant and will be replaced by its chief operating officer Tim Cook.

Mr Jobs, who underwent a liver transplant following pancreatic cancer, said he could no longer meet his chief executive's duties and expectations.

The Silicon Valley legend will become chairman of the firm.

The 56-year-old has been on medical leave for an undisclosed condition since 17 January.

In a short letter to the board of Apple, Mr Jobs wrote: "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's chief executive, I would be the first to let you know.

"Unfortunately, that day has come. I hereby resign as chief executive of Apple.

"I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

"I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you."

Apple board member Art Levinson paid tribute to Mr Job's contribution to the company: "Steve's extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world's most innovative and valuable technology company."

'Hugely successful' Continue reading the main story

This is a sad day for Apple and for the whole technology industry, as its most charismatic and successful leader of recent years brings down the curtain on an extraordinary career.

Steve Jobs addressed his brief letter of resignation not just to his company's board but to the Apple community - and millions worldwide will feel he was talking to them.

Forceful bosses whose personalities shape everything about their businesses are going out of fashion these days, for good reason many would say.

But Steve Jobs is a rare example of a chief executive who is synonymous with his company, a perfectionist who obsesses over every detail and has been the public face of just about every major product launch in the past decade.

It's difficult to imagine Apple without him - but he's leaving having revived what was an ailing business when he returned in the late 1990s, and turned it into the world's wealthiest company and one which has done more than any other in recent years to shape consumer technology.

Analysts said the move was not unexpected, and would have little impact on the day-to-day running of the company.

"Steve is [still] going to be able to provide the input he would do as a chief executive," said Colin Gillis at BGC Financial.

"But Tim has been de facto chief executive for some time and the company has been hugely successful. The vision and the roadmap is intact."

Nor will customers see any real difference, analysts said.

"At the end of the day, consumers don't buy products from Apple because they're from Steve Jobs, they buy them because they meet their needs and they're good products, and they'll continue to do that," Michael Gartenberg from Gartner told the BBC.

However, Apple shares slid more than 5% in after-hours trading, suggesting that some investors were less confident of the company's prospects without Mr Jobs at the helm.

At the same time, shares in two of Apple's main Asian rivals gained. Taiwan-based phone maker HTC rose 4.1%, while South Korea's Samsung Electronics gained 3.2%.

The firms compete with Apple in the smartphone and tablet-PC sector, and have been involved in legal battles with Apple over patent rights. Analysts said that Mr Jobs' departure may make life easier for rivals.

"Maybe this will make the playing field a bit more level," Bryan Ma of IDC Asia-Pacific told the BBC's Asia Business Report.

Revolutionary products

Mr Jobs is widely seen as the creative force that has driven Apple to become one of the world's biggest companies.

Thanks to innovative and hugely popular products such as the iPod, the iPhone and more recently the iPad, Apple has become one of the most sought after brands in the world.

Continue reading the main story

In the near term, at least the next two three years, Apple will continue to have a fantastic run because it's got its entire roadmap in place which will continue to work seamlessly”

End Quote Manoj Menon Frost & Sullivan In the three months to the end of June, the company made a profit of $7.3bn on revenues of $28.6bn. It sold more than 20 million iPhones in the period and 9.25 million iPads.

The company recently became the valuable US firm after its market capitalisation overtook that of oil company Exxon Mobil.

Mr Jobs started Apple in the 1970s and its Macintosh computers became hugely popular in the 1980s.

In 1985, Mr Jobs left the company after falling out with colleagues, only to return in 1997 and begin Apple's transformation by launching the colourful iMac computer.

The iPod, which revolutionised the personal music-player market and spawned myriad copycat devices, was launched in 2002 and lay the foundations for the company's success over the past decade.

Next came the iPhone, which similarly revolutionised the smartphone market, while the iPad confounded some initial scepticism to prove hugely popular.

Many versions of these products have been launched while Mr Jobs has been on medical leave, and new versions that have been planned for months will not be affected by his departure, analysts said.

"In the near term, at least the next two three years, Apple will continue to have a fantastic run because it's got its entire roadmap in place which will continue to work seamlessly," Manoj Menon at Frost and Sullivan told the BBC.

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Canada Liberal quits after defeat

3 May 2011 Last updated at 20:14 GMT Mr Ignatieff's Liberal Party saw its seats in the House of Commons drop from 77 to 34 Former Harvard professor Michael Ignatieff says he is resigning as the leader of Canada's Liberal Party, after a crushing defeat in the country's general election.

PM Stephen Harper's Conservative Party took 167 seats to win a majority government in Monday's election.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) became the official opposition by claiming 102 seats, while the Liberals took 34.

The election marks the worst defeat in the history of the Liberal Party.

Mr Ignatieff said on Tuesday that Conservative attack ads, which made use of the more than 30 years Mr Ignatieff lived in Europe and the US, had a large impact on the outcome of the election.

"My attachment to the country, my patriotism were questioned, my motivations were questioned and that had a political effect, there's no doubt about that, but I have to also take my responsibilities," Mr Ignatieff said.

Continue reading the main story Conservatives: 167 (+24 from previous parliament)New Democrats: 102 (+66)Liberals: 34 (-43)Bloc Quebecois: 4 (-43)Greens: 1 (+1)Independent: 0 (-2)The Liberal Party dropped from 77 seats to 34 in the House of Commons, with Mr Ignatieff even losing his own seat in a suburb of the city of Toronto.

The election marks the first time in Canadian history the Liberal Party did not finish either first or second.

Mr Harper, meanwhile, pledged he would not shift his party to the right in light of it having won its first parliamentary majority.

"We got that mandate because the way we have governed and Canadians expect us to continue to move forward in the same way," he said.

Conservatives won 167 of the 308 electoral districts, earning 40% of the vote and 54% of the seats in parliament, Elections Canada reported.

US President Barack Obama called Mr Harper to congratulate him on the victory, the White House said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: "Canadians chose hope"

"The president said he looked forward to continuing his close cooperation with the prime minister," the White House said in a statement.

Mr Obama renewed his commitment to cross-border co-operation on trade, customs enforcement and security, the White House said.

Mr Harper, who took office in 2006, has previously won two elections but never before led a majority government.

Monday's vote was Canada's fourth general election in seven years.

Mr Harper went into the election having headed two successive minority Conservative governments since 2006. His party held 143 seats in the House of Commons prior to the dissolution of the last government.

Continue reading the main story Lee Carter BBC News, Toronto

Although the opinion polls predicted that the Conservatives would regain power, the scale of victory came as a surprise.

PM Stephen Harper ran a tightly-focused campaign, concentrating largely on his government's record in managing the economy, which has emerged from a recession as one of the strongest among the G7 group of countries.

The NDP had its best-ever showing, taking 102 seats. But it has been a disastrous night for the Liberal Party - it dominated Canadian politics in the 20th Century but has suffered its worst-ever result.

The Quebec separatist party, Bloc Quebecois, which has dominated politics in the French-speaking province for the past 20 years, has been almost wiped out, winning just four seats, too few to qualify for party status in the parliament in Ottawa.

The realignment of opposition parties could change the landscape for Canadian politics. There will certainly be calls for the Liberals and NDP to merge in an effort to unite the left-of-centre vote. And by choosing the federalist NDP over the separatists, Quebec may have triggered a renewed debate over its place in Canada's federation.

Analysts say the prime minister has slowly nudged the country further to the right during his five-year tenure.

He has lowered sales and corporate taxes, avoided signing climate change legislation and become a stark advocate of Arctic sovereignty.

He has also increased military spending and extended Canada's military mission in Afghanistan.

New Democratic gains

NDP leader Jack Layton jubilantly greeted his supporters in Toronto on Monday evening.

"Spring is here, my friends, and a new chapter begins," Mr Layton said.

The NDP went into the election with 36 seats, compared with 77 for the Liberals and 143 for the Conservatives.

The separatist Bloc Quebecois, which seeks independence for the predominantly French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec, suffered heavy losses, retaining only four seats out of the 47 seats it previously held.

Its leader, Giles Duceppe, lost his own seat and resigned as party head.

In a historic first, Green Party leader Elizabeth May won her seat in British Columbia, becoming the first Green to be elected to the House of Commons.

Mr Harper's government was forced into an election after a no-confidence vote in parliament.

It was found to be in contempt of parliament because of its failure to disclose the full costs of anti-crime programmes, corporate tax cuts and plans to purchase stealth fighter jets from the US.

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Clegg critic quits in fraud probe

18 April 2011 Last updated at 12:39 GMT Warren Bradley is the former leader of Liverpool City Council A senior Lib Dem councillor who urged Nick Clegg to end the coalition has stepped down as the party's leader on Liverpool City Council over fraud allegations.

Warren Bradley denies a claim he put his teenage son forward for nomination as a candidate without his knowledge.

It is understood a Labour councillor reported the matter to police. The Lib Dems have launched an internal probe.

Mr Bradley last week warned the Lib Dems face electoral oblivion.

He said the party could "disappear into the annals of history" in 5 May's English local elections if Mr Clegg did not pull out of the party's coalition with the Conservatives at Westminster.

'Not political'

Mr Bradley's resignation comes amid controversy over whether his 18-year-old son Daniel was properly nominated to stand as a candidate in Liverpool's Central Ward.

The allegation is that Warren Bradley falsely witnessed the nomination papers which were not in fact signed by his son.

In an interview with the Liverpool Daily Post, Daniel Bradley said: "I went in to see who signed for me. I did not put my name down. But I was told it was too late [to withdraw]. I went to have a look at the nomination paper and it was not my signature. I am not political at all."

But in an e-mail to Lib Dem councillors in Liverpool, Mr Bradley responded: "I have today been accused by the media of putting my son's name forward to stand for election, without his knowledge, and then to underline my intention I spoke to the press as if to reaffirm the fraud...

"I cannot say too much at this stage for obvious reasons, but to inform you I totally deny this allegation and am seeking legal advice to that end."

'Indefensible'

A Lib Dem spokesman said: "We can confirm that Warren Bradley 's resignation has been accepted with immediate effect.

"The party takes allegations of this nature extremely seriously and has launched an internal inquiry. We are also cooperating with all other relevant authorities.

"Flo Clucas will take up the role of acting leader until a leadership election can take place."

Mr Bradley's resignation comes ahead of local elections across much of England on 5 May.

In comments to Mr Clegg, leaked to the BBC last week, Mr Bradley warned that possible defeats could set the party back 40 years in Liverpool and said local councillors were "tired of defending the indefensible".

"The boil is about to come to a head and burst (probably on election night) when we lose some very well respected and experienced colleagues from Liverpool City Council."

The Lib Dems lost control of Liverpool City Council to Labour last year.

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Cowell quits as weekly UK judge

18 April 2011 Last updated at 08:21 GMT Cowell would continue to be "an enormous presence backstage", ITV said Simon Cowell will not appear as a weekly judge on the forthcoming series of the UK version of The X Factor.

ITV confirmed he would not split his time between the UK and the new US versions of the show saying it was "completely comfortable" with that.

The broadcaster said it was "talking about ways in which he can have an on-screen presence later in the series".

Cowell will lead the judges on the US X Factor. Other judges for both versions of the show have yet to be announced.

The US show is due to start screening in September while the UK show traditionally begins in August.

ITV said Cowell would continue to be "an enormous presence backstage" on the UK programme and that it would be in constant discussions with him to ensure the show "continues to evolve".

The broadcaster' s director of television ­Peter Fincham said speculation that it had pleaded with Cowell to stay as a full-time judge "makes me smile".

"I constantly hear we are in crisis but in reality we have an amazingly ­constructive relationship with Simon and are very much reading from the same page," he added.

Newspapers have speculated that Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh will return to the UK panel and that Cheryl Cole will move to the US show.

Music mogul LA Reid, former chairman of the Island Def Jam record label, has already been confirmed as a US judge alongside Cowell.

Lily Allen, Gary Barlow, Melanie B and Ozzy Osbourne have all been linked to the UK programme.

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Indonesia MP quits over porn row

11 April 2011 Last updated at 09:48 GMT A member of parliament from an Islamic party which promoted anti-pornography legislation has resigned after being caught watching porn in parliament.

Mr Arifinto of the Islamic Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) was photographed looking at the images on Friday.

He said he had inadvertently opened an email link which led him to the images.

Pornography has become one of the testing grounds of conservative Islam's influence over politics in Indonesia.

"For the recent developing media coverage, I apologise to all members of the party and parliament," Mr Arifinto - who goes by one name - told a news conference.

"I will continue to work for my party. I'm also going to continue to better myself, by repentance, reading the Koran and asking for guidance."

The BBC's Kate McGeown in Jakarta says the PKS was the driving force behind anti-pornography legislation, so that when one of its lawmakers was caught out, he was shown no mercy.

If it is proved that Mr Arifinto was indeed downloading a pornographic movie, as photography of his behaviour appears to show, he could find himself charged with a law of his own party's making.

"PKS lawmakers are human. What happened to [Arifinto] could happen to anybody else," said the head of the party's Shariah Body, Surahman Hidayat.

Members of other faiths and ethnic groups in the sprawling nation, including many moderate Muslims, have criticised the anti-pornography laws for constraining freedom of cultural expression.

Nazril "Ariel" Irham, pictured here with girlfriend Luna Maya, was jailed under pornography laws

Previously, the PKS and other conservative parties had hounded the former editor of an Indonesian edition of Playboy magazine, which carried no nudity.

In January this year, one of South East Asia's best known pop stars, Nazril Irham or Ariel as he is known, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for making and distributing sex videos on the internet. He denied distributing the videos, saying they had been stolen.

The Blackberry telephone provider, Research In Motion (RIM), has also been asked by the government to prevent pornographic content from being made available through their devices if they wish to maintain distribution in Indonesia.

Indonesia is a secular state with a long tradition of tolerance, but in recent years conservative Islamic groups have become more vocal.

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