Week in Pictures

The Bank of England's monetary policy committee cut interest rates by half a percentage point to 1.5% – their lowest level since the central bank was founded more than 300 years ago Photograph: Andrew Winning/Reuters

L is for Lehman Brothers: Wall Street was the scene of dramatic events in September when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy after failing to find a buyer – the end of one of the oldest firms on Wall Street, with roots going back to 1850. Its core US investment banking business was then acquired by Barclays. In a momentous week, Merrill Lynch also agreed to be taken over by Bank of America for $50bn and the huge insurance group AIG was nationalised Photograph: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

The London Stock Exchange began a 'root and branch' internal investigation after it suffered a humiliating computer failure that swiftly curtailed a resurgence in shares following the rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Photograph: Felix Clay/Felix Clay

The oil price rebounded after Opec announced a surprise cut in production in an attempt to halt the recent decline in the cost of a barrel of crude. Having fallen by almost 30% in the last two months to the fringes of the symbolic $100 mark, US crude jumped back above that level Photograph: Linda Nylind/Guardian

£393.60 for every man, woman and child in the UK Photograph: Ann Pickford/Rex Features

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs launched a series of updates to the company's iPod music player line - and attempted to quell speculation about his health. The physical wellbeing of the 53-year-old has been the subject of much concern recently, with investors worried that the company could suffer a dramatic reversal of fortunes if its talismanic co-founder was forced to step down through illness Photograph: Jeff Chui/Reuters

The John Lewis Partnership has underlined the scale of the problems facing retailers by unveiling a 27% fall to £107.3m in first-half profits, but denied it was too upmarket and said its co-ownership structure allows it to weather the consumer downturn better than its competitors Photograph: Sarah Lee/Guardian

Budget clothing chain Primark returned to growth in the last three months, the latest sign that the lower-cost retailers are benefiting from the credit crunch and rising prices as shoppers increasingly look for bargains Photograph: David Devins/Newscast

The London underground network is facing a funding gap of more than £3bn as the cost of repairing the tube system spirals out of control, leaving the government with a severe financial headache Photograph: aophotography.com/aophotography.com/Alamy

A new mobile phone service aimed at the UK's burgeoning eastern European community has been unveiled as part of a drive by the new boss of Orange, Tom Alexander, to expand the UK's third largest network into new markets Photograph: David Devins/Newscast