(Image source: Flickr/White House)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

In U.S. news, President Barack Obama is asking Congress for authority to consolidate six trade and commerce agencies that he says have similar duties. CNN explains his plan.

“So that when businesses have an issue, say for instance on exports, they could, in essence, do one stop shopping, go to one place, instead of being passed around to different agencies...”

Still in the U.S., officials have identified the four Marines shown in a video appearing to urinate on corpses of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. According to CBS-- those involved could be charged with a war crime.
 

“The four Marines pictured in the video were members of a 1,000-man battalion which recently completed a combat tour in Afghanistan and returned to Camp LeJuene, North Carolina, where they apparently started showing the video around...”

In world news, Burma has released some 600 prisoners, some of which are reportedly the country’s most prominent political dissidents. The BBC says the move is a significant step toward reform. It was only last year that a civilian government replaced Burma’s long-ruling military junta. 
 

“There’s been dispute about who is actually in prison, how many political prisoners there are, … But even given all that, the stature, the high profile of some of the people being released today is a hugely significant step.”
 

In tech news, Apple has stopped the release of the iPhone 4S at Beijing and Shanghai retail stores after a riot almost erupted outside the company’s flagship store in the Chinese capital. CNBC has more.
 

“The decision comes after angry shoppers pelted the company’s flagship Beijing store with EGGS! After they were told the store would not begin sales of the popular iPhone 4S as scheduled.”

Stay with Newsy for your headlines throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Lauren Gores, highlighting the top headlines, making you smarter, faster.