Simon Marks

More now on the death of Oscar winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, from a suspected drugs overdose at his Manhattan apartment. Audio

President Obama has delivered his sixth State of the Union address to congress, trumpeting the country's return to economic supremecy. Audio

President Obama is to issue new guidelines later this week to curtail government surveillance, but is not expected to embrace the most far-reaching proposals of his own advisers. Audio

Israel's Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon has launched an attack on the US Secretary of State John Kerry, calling him messianic and obsessive, ahead of planned peace talks later this week. Audio

To the US, and the New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has apologised and fired an aide who allegedly orchestrated traffic mayhem to pursue a petty political vendetta. Audio

The former US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates has written a book strongly criticising President Barack Obama's handling of the war in Afghanistan. Audio

Liz Cheney, the daughter of the former US Vice-President Dick Cheney, has ended her run for a US senate seat, citing a family health crisis. Audio

The world lost a great acting talent this year when James Gandolfini - the star of the hit series The Sopranos - died in June from a heart attack. He was 51. Audio

In America, a White House panel has recommended significant curbs on the National Security Agency's sweeping electronic surveillance programmes. Audio

The United States Federal Reserve has announced plans to trim its previously aggressive bond-buying program, a move which experts say marks a turning point for the largest monetary policy experiment… Audio

India has ordered a series of reprisals against the United States over the arrest of one of its diplomats in New York. Security barricades have been removed from around the US embassy in Delhi and a… Audio

A former FBI agent who went missing while on a private business trip in Iran seven years ago was actually working for the CIA on a rogue mission. Audio

In the US, a long-awaited budget deal has been struck in Congress which staves off another government shut-down. Audio

The world's leading technology companies have joined together in a bid to force changes to US surveillance laws. Audio

Last-minute efforts to try and finally seal a security deal allowing US forces to remain in Afghanistan after the end of next year, is clouded by differences over a letter." should read "….are… Audio

In what's been described as a deeply humiliating moment for the U.S president, Barack Obama has apologised for the problems besieging his signature healthcare law. Audio

There were wins for both the Republicans and the Democrats in the first major round of elections since President Barack Obama's re-election last year. Audio

Syria's entire declared stock of 290 tonnes of chemical weapons and a thousand tonnes of chemical agents has been placed under seals which the international inspectors say are impossible to break. Audio

The head of US intelligence has told lawmakers that finding out the intentions of foreign leaders is a key goal of the nation's spying operations. Audio

The US Government won't say it has never tapped the personal phone calls of German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. Audio