get latest posts

latest

<ul>
  <?php $the_query = new WP_Query( 'showposts=5' ); ?>
	<?php while ($the_query -> have_posts()) : $the_query -> the_post(); ?>
	<span class="latestpostmeta"><?php the_time('M jS, Y') ?> </span></li>
	<li><a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" title="<?php the_title(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></li>
	<li><?php the_excerpt(__('(more…)')); ?></li>
	<?php the_post_thumbnail(); ?>
	<?php endwhile;?>
</ul>