The resident of a small island off the coast of Scotland has declared its independence from the United Kingdom. Stuart Hill, the owner of the island, wants it to be a crown dependency, similar to the Channel Islands. According to a statement on his Web site, Hill, who owns Forvik, a 2. 5-acre island in the Shetland Islands, declared that he no longer recognized the authority of the British government or the European Union.

Royal titles to benefit a cause are now for sale: for $180,000, one can become a duke or duchess. The cheapest title is a knighthood, for only $40,000. The titles are sold online through Nobility. co. uk by David Howe, aka King David of the Isle of Man.

An 81-year-old bottle of Scotch was auctioned at New York's first liquor auction since Prohibition and was sold for $54,000. The auction was held at Christie's sale of wines and spirits and an anonymous collector bought the pricey potable on Saturday.

A Royal Air Force fighter jet on a routine flight has accidentally dropped a 14kg practice bomb on Scotland Monday. The RAF said it has no idea whether the device survived the fall and have yet to locate the bomb. Nevertheless, it is warning the public against touching it.

Fearing a chemical attack, police did everything to evacuate a busy London street, only to find out later the cause of the commotion: A Thai restaurant's spicy chilli sauce. Local police had to close off three roads and evacuated homes as a mysterious cloud of acrid smoke hovered over the streets of Soho for three hours.