BRITAIN . . . SHOPPING AT HARRODS REALLY PAID OFF

A British government official resigned today after admitting taking payoffs from London's largest department store, Harrods, causing another political headache for Prime Minister John Major. Although TIME London bureau chief Barry Hillenbrand says it's not likely to create big waves, "it's going to cause Major some embarrassment. But it's not going to endanger the government." Major accepted Deputy Minister Tim Smith's resignation, calling it "unavoidable." Smith and another government official, who maintains his innocence, are accused of taking money between 1987 and 1989 in exchange for attempting to aid the store's owner, Mohamed Al-Fayed. In the mode of refined British politicos, Labour leaders seized the moment, booing and jeering Major on the floor of the House of Commons.