families

Indian applicants for US visitor visas are facing lengthy waits for interview appointments, with estimated times varying widely by city: around 12 months in Hyderabad, 11.5 months in Mumbai, 10 months in New Delhi, 7.5 months in Chennai and 6.5 months in Kolkata. The figures are drawing attention as travelers and families plan trips months or even a year in advance.

A group of Democratic senators and congressmen sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations near schools. They argued that parents should be able to drop their children off at school without fearing detention, framing the enforcement activity as harmful to families and communities.

Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer and brother of the late Princess Diana, has publicly declared "I'm telling the truth" in remarks carried by BBC News. The statement has drawn wide attention, with more than 1.9 million people engaging with coverage of his insistence, as commentators and the public debate what claims he is defending and who they are directed at.

A victim of the September 11, 2001 attacks has been newly identified using a first-of-its-kind genetic genealogy technique, according to ABC News. The advance offers hope that more of the remaining unidentified victims of the attacks could eventually be matched to families, decades after the tragedy.

Military Bibles carried by American service members from the Civil War battlefields of Gettysburg to Antarctica are drawing attention for the handwritten prayers and messages left by families who sent loved ones off to war. The artifacts offer a personal window into how families coped with separation and feared loss across generations of American conflicts.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued guidance on how age under 21 is determined for immigration purposes, a question that matters for CSPA protections and age-out rules for children of applicants. The Center for Immigration Services highlighted the clarification, noting that age calculation has long been a thorny issue affecting families whose children turn 21 while cases remain pending.

A new report highlights how India's surrogacy ban is leaving single fathers and same-sex couples with no legal route to parenthood at home, pushing many to travel overseas for surrogacy arrangements. The ban restricts the practice to heterosexual married Indian couples, cutting off groups who previously relied on surrogacy clinics in cities like Mumbai. Families describe costly and complex journeys abroad as their only option to have children.

Rappler explores 'An Sayaw nin mga Salampati' and the enduring struggle for human rights in the Bicol region of the Philippines. The piece connects the work to local memories of martial law-era abuses and the activists and families who continue to seek accountability, framing the dance as a symbol of resilience in a region long marked by political violence.

Piers Morgan, speaking on Good Morning Britain, has revealed what he says is insider information about how the Royal Family is responding to a new bombshell book about Princess Diana. His claims have drawn heavy attention online, with viewers debating what the revelations mean for the monarchy and its relationship with Diana's legacy.

London's schools are running out of pupils, according to a Financial Times report. Falling birth rates and families leaving the capital are shrinking classroom rolls, putting school budgets and places under pressure. Commentators online are debating what the trend means for education funding and planning.

The Texas Comptroller race is drawing attention to education freedom accounts, the state's school choice program that lets families use public funds for private education expenses. The Comptroller's office plays a role in overseeing the program, making candidates' positions on it a live issue in the campaign as school choice remains contested across Texas.

Families gathered at a park in Lowell, Massachusetts, for a memorial honoring people lost to violence. The Lowell Sun reported on the gathering, which brought community members together to remember victims and support one another. Such events typically coincide with ongoing local concern about gun and street violence.