Britain’s first run on a bank in almost a century has prompted the government to take a lead from the U.S. response to the Great Depression and promise laws that will guarantee savings should a bank collapse. New laws will be introduced in Parliament next year to extend protections to bank depositors, though critics say it is a knee-jerk political decision.

JAMMIE THOMAS

The woman from Brainerd, Minn., facing a $222,000 music-sharing verdict asked a judge on Monday to overturn it. Jurors found Thomas violated six record companies’ copyrights by offering 24 songs over the Kazaa file-sharing network. Thomas’ attorney argued that the songs could have been bought for $24, making the verdict disproportionate and punitive.