Published by
Reuters UK
Reuters UK
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon holds an election on May 15 that could see a shift of power that sends shockwaves far beyond this small country squeezed between Syria and Israel. Here is a timeline of the nation’s recent history, from assassinations and war to a devastating explosion and economic meltdown. 2005 Lebanon’s billionaire former premier Rafik al-Hariri is killed on Feb. 14 when a huge bomb explodes as his motorcade travels through Beirut; 21 others also die. Mass demonstrations erupt blaming the assassination on Syria, which had deployed troops during Lebanon’s 15-year civil war and kept…