It will be a hot summer in this Chicago neighbor this year, not only because of the rising temperature but a ban on window-mounted air conditioner units. The prohibition is the result of an ordinance approved by the village board in March. It specifically banned the installation of window-mounted air coolers on walls that face the street or in side windows 12 feet or less from the street.

Almost 50 people reportedly lost their sight after staring at the sky in hopes of catching a glimpse of the rumored image of the Virgin Mary. Officials of India's Kottayam district reported a total of 48 individuals experiencing the condition, after medical examinations determined that their retinas were burned from staring at the sun. The cases had reportedly been constantly coming in since Friday last week.

Stricter absenteeism rules had little effect on British students after truancy rates rose 33 percent. The British government has spend almost $2 billion to overcome the problem, but 63,000 more British students skipped classes in the '06-'07 school year, compared to '05-'06. Family holidays and ailments topped the list of the reasons why British pupils skipped school. Schools Minister Kevin Brennan said 3. 47 percent of the absences were attributed to illness, especially among female students and poor pupils on free school meals. This was followed by family holidays which accounted for 0. 7 percent of the absences. The family holidays ate up 6. 8 million schools days, although 90 percent of the students who availed of this had the school's permission.

A pretzel resembling the Virgin Mary was posted on the online auction site eBay, and bids for the item have surpassed the $1 million mark. The pretzel, posted on the website by owner Michael Fleming, had received a bid of $10,950 Thursday afternoon, and was later on followed by a questionable $1. 1 million by a first-time bidder.

A man was accidentally shot in the arm after a rescuer tried to free him from the jaws of a crocodile in Northern Australia. Police said Jason Grant was collecting crocodile eggs near a popular tourist spot on the Mary River, near Darwin, when he was attacked by the reptile.