Lebanon MPs stall lifting immunity in port blast probe

Caretaker Interior Minister Mohamed Fahmy rejects request to question head of General Security agency Abbas Ibrahim.

Lebanese legislators on Friday held up an investigation into the Beirut port blast, less than a month before its first anniversary, demanding more proof before they lift immunity for ex-ministers wanted for questioning. Hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser exploded on the dockside at Beirut port last August 4, killing more than 200 people, injuring thousands and ravaging swathes of the capital. Afterwards, it emerged that officials had known about the explosive substance being stored unsafely at the port for years.