Evening Edition, September 19, 2026
Every Lexy News brief, written out. Three stories, three times a day.
Malaysia
Malaysia’s king granted former Prime Minister Najib Razak royal clemency Friday, allowing him to serve the remainder of his graft prison term under house arrest. The decision came at a suddenly convened Pardons Board meeting, a week after the board deferred Najib’s latest clemency application. Najib, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2022, when Malaysia’s top court upheld his conviction in a case linked to the looting of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad state investment fund. The decision marked an unprecedented use of house arrest as royal clemency in Malaysia.
Sources Greenwich Time
Iraq
Iraq faces a September 30, 2026 deadline under the U.S. withdrawal plan for the remaining U.S. troops in northern Iraq to leave. The Iraqi government has tied the drawdown to an ultimatum for militias to disarm, but those militias have indicated their weapons will remain after U.S. troops pull out. U.S. officials warn the consequence could be attacks on U.S.-linked targets inside and outside Iraq after the deadline. Even with that risk, U.S. officials are proceeding with the withdrawal.
Sources Abcnews Iraqinews Al Jazeera Ground
Haiti
UNICEF is warning that escalating armed violence in Haiti is worsening conditions for children as unrest, poverty and malnutrition put more pressure on families. The agency says basic services are collapsing, while recurring climate disasters are compounding the strain and making daily survival harder for children. It says the violence matters now because families face overlapping threats from hunger, poverty and service breakdowns, and UNICEF is working with partners to protect them and provide support.
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