Show only unread content; remove item once read or option to remove items I require a view which only shows unread content or provides functionality to remove items listed in the view once the node has been accessed. Alternatively a "x" button to remove the items manually for users. 

So for example a view would show article's 1, 2, 3 &amp; 4.

Once I had visited article 1 &amp; 4 the view would now only show 2 &amp; 3.
You can filter nodes exactly this way (a node filter called timestamp I think). 

I'm not sure what the best way would be to solve the "x" button thing. Maybe add an extra binary field to the contenttype which you set via ajax (triggering a function you defined via "page callback" in hook_menu()) when clicking the "x". Then you have to add this field to your views filter as well.

Edit:

Instead of an extra CCK field you could also insert data into the history-table (uid, nid, timestamp) of drupal and pretend the user has already viewed the node. This way you would only need first views filter.