Steve Jobs expects to be back at Apple in June

Apple CEO Steve Jobs still expects to return from his medical leave at the end of June, according to an Apple director who responded to an investor at the company's annual shareholder meeting.

The investor had pressed for details about when the board of directors knew Jobs planned to step away from his daily duties.

Apple director Arthur Levinson responded only by saying that since Jobs announced 14 January that he needed to go on leave, "nothing has changed."

Jobs, who turned 54 on Tuesday, was not at the meeting.

A survivor of pancreatic cancer who looked very thin last year, Jobs said 5 January that he had a treatable hormone imbalance and would continue to run Apple.

But the following week he went on leave to treat medical issues that were "more complex" than he had believed. Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, took over daily duties.

Despite questions about how Apple's board handled the disclosures about Jobs' health, all the directors were re-elected, including former Vice President Al Gore, Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt and Levinson, who is the chairman and CEO of Genentech.

Apple shares were up $1.67, or 1.9 per cent, at $91.92 in afternoon trading.