Facebook's founder has paid tribute to the Apple pioneer Steve Jobs.

Mr Jobs died early this morning at the age of 56 after a long fight with cancer.

He was described as "mentor and a friend" by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, who launched his company nearly 30 years after Apple was set up.

"Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world," said Mr Zuckerberg. "I will miss you."

World leaders including President Barack Obama and Dmitri Medvedev were among those who expressed sadness at Mr Jobs' death, just days after the latest model of the iPhone was unveiled.

Film director Steven Spielberg recalled him as "the greatest inventor since Thomas Edison.

"He put the world at our fingertips," said Mr Spielberg.

Google founder Larry Page added: "He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance."