MPH 2008

Brown's boom will end only in bust

The Prime Minister is riding high in a time of crisis. But voters are unlikely to forget who got us here

• Rachel Sylvester

Brand USA needs urgent repair

The twin pillars of US policy have had their day. New ideas must replace them

• Francis Fukuyama

Where are our Nobel physics prizes?

Britain's proud contribution to the history of physics has been tarnished by lack of success

• Matthew Chalmers

A burning issue that isn't the credit crunch

California catches fire in its annual Armageddon

• Chris Ayres

Has capitalism failed?

The financial crisis has exposed capitalism's darkest imperfections. But it is still the best hope we have of creating wealth and opportunity for the many

Tesco cuts price of petrol by 3p a litre

Plunging oil prices prompt supermarkets to slash pump prices by 3p per litre with BP hinting at 5p per litre cut

French author wins 2008 Nobel Literature Prize

Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio was described as an author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy

Dial M for Mufti to quiz first Islamic helpline

A call centre for those seeking a fatwa is attracting 3,700 calls a day from Muslims around the world, its organisers claim

Peter Vansittart

Prolific and critically esteemed writer who brought a restlessly idiosyncratic intellect to his splendidly imagined historical novels

Jörg Haider: The Times obituary

Politician who turned his right-wing party into a powerful force in Austrian government and who alarmed the European Union