📰 3 sources 8 articles · 22 Oct 2026, 17:26 → 22 days ago

Lebanese Cabinet decides to restrict drug purchases to reference countries and refers explosives file to Judicial Council

Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos read out the Cabinet session's decisions, which included halting the use of similar drugs imported from non-reference countries and restricting drug purchases to reference countries, and appointing members to the Railway and Public Transport Authority. The Cabinet also stressed completing the investigation into the explosives case and continuing to examine the Justice Ministry's request to refer the file to the Judicial Council, which was later announced, while Justice Minister Adel Nassar warned that the explosives touch national security.

📍 Where things stand: The explosives file has been referred to the Judicial Council following discussion in the Cabinet, with emphasis on completing the investigation, while the Justice Minister affirmed that the case touches national security as soon as any party admits ownership of the explosives.

⏱️ Timeline

22 Oct 2026, 17:26 Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos read out the Cabinet's decisions, as reported by Al Jadeed channel, without the available text including details on their content.
22 Oct 2026, 19:44 Information Minister Paul Morcos announced that the Cabinet decided to halt the use of similar drugs imported from non-reference countries and to restrict drug purchases to reference countries.
22 Oct 2026, 19:46 Morcos announced that the Cabinet appointed Joseph Aqeeki, Walid Saad, Fadi Makhlouf and Moussa Awada as members of the Railway and Public Transport Authority.
22 Oct 2026, 19:49 Morcos announced that the Cabinet stressed completing the investigation into the explosives case and continuing to examine the Justice Ministry's request to refer the case to the Judicial Council.
22 Oct 2026, 19:55 Morcos said the decision to refer the case to the Judicial Council came after discussion, noting that the Judicial Council is not necessarily faster than other courts.
22 Oct 2026, 20:01 After the Cabinet session ended, Justice Minister Adel Nassar affirmed that the explosives touch national security as soon as a party admits ownership of them, according to a video published by MTV Lebanon.
22 Oct 2026, 20:37 Morcos announced the referral of the explosives file to the Judicial Council, meaning the file moves to a new stage of the judicial process, according to lbdb.co via Lebanon Debate channel, without further details on the circumstances of the referral, the party that made the request, or the positions of the relevant parties.

Timeline written by AI from the sources below; updated as new reports arrive.

How the sources covered it

Al Jadeed limited itself to reporting that Morcos read out the Cabinet decisions without details, while Lebanon Debate presented the decisions one by one based on Morcos's statements (drugs, appointments, explosives file), whereas MTV Lebanon focused on Justice Minister Adel Nassar's warning that the explosives touch national security and published the remarks on video.

aljadeed It limited itself to noting that Information Minister Paul Morcos read out the Cabinet's decisions, without mentioning their content or details.
lebanon debate It followed the decisions sequentially and relayed their details from Morcos: halting similar drugs from non-reference countries, the names of appointees to the Railway and Public Transport Authority, and the referral of the explosives file to the Judicial Council, noting that the referral came after discussion and that the Judicial Council is not necessarily faster.
MTV Lebanon It focused on Justice Minister Adel Nassar's remarks after the session that the explosives touch national security as soon as any party admits ownership, publishing the statements in a video clip.

AI comparison of what each outlet emphasized. It describes emphasis, not accuracy.

aljadeedlebanon debateMTV Lebanon