State of the Union: Obama pledges to reignite economy

President Barack Obama will pledge in his annual State of the Union speech to revive the sluggish US economy by creating "good, middle-class jobs". The Democratic president will promise "smarter" rather than bigger government for "the many, and not just the few", according to advance excerpts. He is also expected to address immigration and gun control. In the Republican response, Senator Marco Rubio will urge Mr Obama to end his "obsession" with raising taxes. 'North Star' Mr Obama will speak in the House of Representatives at 21:00 local time on Tuesday (02:00 GMT Wednesday). According to pre-released excepts, he will tell his audience that his...