Juana Ramirez was just three when she was allegedly snatched from her mother Lorena in broad daylight in a Mexico City park, given a new identity by her captors, before being reunited 27 years later

One little girl was abducted in broad daylight aged just three and was brought up believing her kidnappers were her real family before one photo changed everything.

Juana went missing in the middle of the day in a park in Mexico City. Her mother Lorena Ramirez never gave up hope of finding her little girl again for 24 years.

Lorena had taken her three children to Bosque de Chapultepec, one of the largest parks in the city, with her husband and sister-in-law when Juana was snatched from them.

The family were saying their goodbyes when little Juana suddenly disappeared. Juana, who renamed herself as Rocio, has since said she felt someone grab her by the waist as her parents momentarily let go of her hand, and later woke up in a stranger’s house, according to Vox.

At the time of her abduction, Juana was given a new identity and age by her kidnappers, who told her her birthday was the day she was taken, October 1, 1995, instead of June 16 three years earlier.

Years after Juana’s abduction, the neighbours of her captors told the then-young girl the people she lived with were not her biological parents.

Following a confrontation, her “mother” told Juana she had adopted her after seeing her wandering alone in Mexico City’s Bosque de Chapultepec park.

Juana said the people who took her from her mother treated her “badly”, leading her to flee the house at just 17 to live with her now husband.

Rocio’s husband later persuaded her to research missing girls in the area in an attempt to find her real family.

She then saw a photo that chilled her to the bone. Whilst on a missing persons register she came across a photo of a girl who looked remarkably similar to her younger self.

“There was such a strong physical resemblance I said to myself ‘I’m that girl’,” she stated. However, without any contact information, she said “It took me another eight years before deciding to look for my family.”

Taking her fate into her own hands, finally one day Rocio decided to post an image on herself online to see if she could find her real family. Lorena’s daughter, Maria Jose, one of her other daughters, spotted a picture on social media of their long-lost Juana.

The photo had been posted by the then 30-year-old Rocio. When she did post the photo of her younger self, one of Lorena’s daughters, Maria Jose, saw the picture on social media and made contact.

After chatting online, the family arranged for Rocio to reunite with her long-lost mother.

Following their reunion, Lorena said: “I lost a three-year-old child and found a 30-year-old woman. I did not experience those stages of her life, it is a part of her that was stolen from me.”

Overcome with emotion, she added: “Just imagine, I suffered terribly for 27 years.” Lorena later told local press: “I couldn’t believe it. When I opened the door, I stopped and she walked in. That hug after 27 years.”

“She saw me and said ‘you are my mother’. I replied ‘yes, and you are my daughter’. ‘Thank you for the opportunity to see you again’.”

The summer window is edging towards a dramatic conclusion as Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham push for more signings ahead of the deadline. Arsenal are still in pursuit of Julian Alvarez and have held talks over Victor Osimhen, while the Gunners are stepping up their move for Ezri Konsa amid shock links to Jarell Quansah and Jack Hinshelwood. Arsenal are also said to be keen on Christian Kofane as Gabriel Martinelli, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Jesus head for the exit.

The 2014 Clint Eastwood biographical drama stars Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, a US Navy SEAL sniper, and is now available to stream on Netflix

War films are frequently lauded for being firmly grounded in history, and one of the most compelling, authentic war films ever produced is currently available on Netflix.

The 2014 biographical drama, directed by Clint Eastwood, recounts the true story of Chris Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, who became the most lethal marksman in US military history with 255 kills across four tours of the Iraq War.

Based on Kyle’s own memoir, American Sniper chronicles his transformation from a Texas ranch hand and rodeo cowboy to a US Navy SEAL sniper, documenting both his remarkable military record and the strain his service placed on his marriage to wife Taya, played by Sienna Miller.

The film opened to a limited release on Christmas Day 2014 before expanding the following January, ultimately earning over $547 million worldwide – making it Clint Eastwood’s highest-grossing film as director, and the 13th highest-grossing film of that year.

It went on to receive six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for Cooper, and won Best Sound Editing, reports the Express.

Audiences on Rotten Tomatoes appear to agree with the awards, with one reviewer calling it “one of the best military movies ever made based on the legendary sniper Chris Kyle.”

Another described the tension as almost unbearable, writing: “Extremely tense. Give me anxiety to watch. Very well acted directed amazing true story. Have a glass of whiskey while you watch it for your nerves.”

Cooper’s portrayal in particular has resonated with viewers, with one simply arguing: “Cooper should have won the Oscar.”

Another reflected on the film’s emotional impact: “Its a great movie, sad, gnarly and very realistic. Rest in peace, Chris Kyle.”

The film is not without its detractors, and its depiction of both Kyle and the Iraq War more broadly ignited considerable debate upon release, with some applauding its authenticity while others questioned its portrayal of the conflict.

Nevertheless, reviews feature descriptions such as “peak cinema,” or highlight the film’s more human, grounded approach to portraying military life. One fan noted it’s “a movie that humanizes our soldiers and the struggles they face.”

American Sniper is currently available to stream on Netflix.

The long-range weather forecast has been released

As the summer holidays begin to wind down, many of us are looking forward to the August Bank Holiday, which is the final official break before the Christmas period.

The three-day weekend is often seen as a last hurrah before heading back to school or work, but what people get up to often depends on the weather. With a number of heatwaves in Northern Ireland already this summer, some are asking whether another is on the way for August 31.

According to the Met Office, while it is still too early to tell for sure, there could be a chance of another heatwave later this month. However, it looks like there will be a split in conditions between northern and southern parts of the UK.

The long-range forecast from Thursday, August 20 until Saturday, August 29, the forecaster said conditions will be “changeable”, with many parts of the UK seeing showers or longer spells of rain.

Following this, high pressure will become increasingly probable over the north and west, including in Northern Ireland, with low pressure to the south of the UK.

The Met Office added: “This will lead to further spells of showers and longer spells of rain, but the north may see more in the way of drier conditions.

“Within this broad pattern, there is potential for Atlantic lows to spread across the UK at times, which would bring more widespread rain and perhaps strong winds. Temperatures are more likely to be above normal than below overall, though the possibility of widespread or exceptional heat is perhaps a little lower than in recent weeks.”

What will the weather be like for August Bank Holiday?

The Met Office said temperatures from Sunday, August 30 to Sunday, September 13 are likely to be “close to the climatological norm.”

The forecaster said this means a “broad northwest-southeast split in conditions, with the high becoming centred further to the south than in the latter part of August and with more changeable conditions developing towards the north and northwest. Meanwhile, drier, more settled weather is slightly more likely towards the south and east.”

It is expected that temperatures will “likely be near to or above average overall,” with a chance of “late season hot spells or heatwaves developing, especially in the south” of the UK.

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Scientists have crossed an important line in biological engineering. In a recent study, researchers used artificial intelligence to design complete sets of genetic instructions for bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria. Some of those computer-generated designs produced working viruses when they were built and tested in the laboratory.

These viruses were designed to infect bacteria rather than people. The researchers worked with bacteriophages that target E. coli, and one of the AI models they used, Evo 2, was developed with safety restrictions. Its developers excluded viruses that infect organisms such as animals, plants and humans from the data used to train it.

Even so, the experiment raises an important question: if AI becomes increasingly able to help design biological systems, are our safeguards developing fast enough?

As engineers working in vaccine manufacturing and public health security, we see good reasons to continue this research. Bacteriophages could potentially be used to treat bacterial infections, including those that are becoming harder to treat with antibiotics. But advances in biological design also create new challenges for biosecurity.

Genome language models work in a broadly similar way to AI language models that learn patterns in text. Instead of learning from words and sentences, they learn patterns in genetic code. Evo 2, for example, was trained on trillions of DNA building blocks taken from many different forms of life.

This gives researchers a powerful new way to study biology and generate possible DNA sequences. It also means that part of biological design can now happen on a computer, before anything has been made in a laboratory.

An AI-generated DNA sequence is still several steps away from becoming a real biological threat. A digital design has to be turned into physical genetic material, assembled correctly and tested under the right laboratory conditions. Each of those stages also creates an opportunity to reduce risk.

One safeguard can be built into the AI model itself. The developers of Evo 2 deliberately removed viruses that infect humans and other similar organisms from its training data for safety reasons. Their research found that the model performed poorly when tested on proteins from viruses that infect humans.

Such precautions will need to be tested and strengthened as AI tools for biology become more capable. Researchers have already argued that AI and biosecurity need to be considered together, so that safeguards develop alongside new capabilities.

Another checkpoint comes when digital DNA is turned into physical DNA. Companies that manufacture DNA to order can check both the requested genetic sequence and the person or organisation ordering it for potential security concerns. Researchers working on DNA synthesis screening have argued for common international approaches as this technology becomes more widely available.

Screening may also need to become more sophisticated. A system designed mainly to recognise DNA that resembles known dangerous pathogens may struggle if AI produces something genuinely new. Recent research on identifying “sequences of concern” has therefore considered what a genetic sequence might do, as well as whether it resembles one already linked to a dangerous organism.

Laboratories and research institutions provide another layer of protection. Potentially risky research can be assessed before experiments begin, including questions about how biological material will be contained, who will have access to it and whether the expected benefits justify the risks.

Research funders can also influence how security risks are managed. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), for example, has established a Trusted Research and Innovation team to help researchers and institutions identify and manage security risks in collaborative research.

Public health preparedness belongs in this discussion too. If biological design becomes faster and more accessible, health authorities will need to be able to detect and investigate unusual outbreaks quickly. The Metagenomics Surveillance Collaboration and Analysis Programme (mSCAPE), led by the UK Health Security Agency, analyses genetic material from samples to help detect and track emerging pathogens.

The programme is not specifically designed to find AI-created viruses. But its approach is relevant because scientists do not have to know exactly which pathogen they are looking for in advance. Systems capable of detecting unusual or previously unseen organisms could become increasingly valuable as biological technologies develop. Preparedness also means being able to develop diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines quickly when a new threat appears.

In our view, one of the biggest weaknesses in global biosecurity is that countries are not equally prepared. Some already have established systems for identifying and responding to biological risks, while others are still developing them. We see a similar gap in vaccine regulation, where countries vary considerably in their ability to assess new products. Biological threats can cross borders, so effective preparedness will depend on strengthening these capabilities internationally.

There are difficult trade-offs. Heavy restrictions can slow useful research, including work aimed at understanding disease or developing treatments. Weak safeguards can allow scientific capability to develop faster than the systems intended to prevent misuse.

Open science makes this harder. Evo 2 was released openly, including the code and technical information needed for other researchers to use and develop it. Openness can accelerate discovery and widen access to powerful research tools. But once such tools are widely distributed, controlling how they are used becomes harder.

No single safeguard can deal with all of these risks. Biosecurity will need to operate at several stages, from how biological AI models are developed and released to DNA screening, laboratory oversight and public health preparedness.

The recent bacteriophage study does not show that AI can design a pandemic virus. What it shows is significant enough: AI can already help design complete viral genomes that work when they are physically created.

We have an opportunity to decide what responsible safeguards should look like while this technology is still developing. Waiting for more dangerous capabilities to emerge would leave scientists, governments and public health systems trying to develop protections after they are already needed.

AI is beginning to change what humans can design in biology. Our ability to govern that power needs to develop alongside it.

First up in the latest In the Dock roundup is Connor Atkins, 30, of no fixed address, who pleaded guilty to three charges of assaulting a police emergency worker, one each of racially aggravated threatening words or behaviour towards one man, assault of  a second man, and failure to attend court and three charges of stealing sandwiches from Sainsbury’s in Scarborough.

He was jailed for six months and ordered to pay £400 to the man he racially abused, £400 each to two of the police officers and £200 to the third police officer and to the man he assaulted.

READ MORE: Defendants sentenced recently at York Magistrates Court

Stephen Ansell, 20, of Pilgrim Street, The Groves, York, pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual assault, one of assault and one of strangulation. 

He was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years on condition he wears an alcohol abstinence tag for 120 days and 25 days’ rehabilitative activities and must pay £1,500 compensation.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register for seven years, made subject to a seven-year sexual harm prevention order and was given a two-year restraining order.

Benjamin Milne, 22, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to assaulting a medical emergency worker, two charges of assaulting an NHS security emergency worker and racial abuse of a police officer.

He was jailed for eight weeks and ordered to pay £150 to the medic, and £100 each to the police officer and the NHS security officers.

Joshua Tyssen, 36, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two offences of breaching a restraining order and was jailed for two weeks.

Alex Brooks, 30, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine. He was jailed for four weeks and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs.

Kenneth Hodgson-Cook, 42, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to criminal damage of a car.  He was also re-sentenced for other offences.

He was given a 20-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months on condition he does six months’ drug rehabilitation and must pay £300 compensation.

Corey Laundon, 31, of The Waterfront, Selby, pleaded guilty to sexually assault of a man.

He was given a 26-week prison sentence suspended for two years on condition he does six months’ alcohol treatment and 26 days’ rehabilitative activities. 

Laundon was put on the sex offenders’ register for seven years and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

He was ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £154 statutory surcharge.

Often the best days at the seaside are the simplest ones. You don’t need an endless supply of attractions for a great day at the coast, sometimes the best memories are made when you gather the family up in the car, pack a picnic and head to the closest beach you can find.

For many in Greater Manchester North Wales is the first port of call if you’re planning a coastal day out. Rhyl is one of the first seaside towns you come across as you head west, but it’s often dismissed by visitors in favour of larger destinations like Llandudno or the scenic beaches of Anglesey.

Rhyl isn’t the fanciest of seaside resorts; you won’t find grand Victorian piers, an endless supply of chippies or rollercoasters and rides here. But you will find a large sandy beach, picturesque dunes and a smattering of attractions the whole family will love. It also happens to be easily reached from Greater Manchester, with a drive taking around 90 minutes, perfect for a day trip.

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In fact, the town has undergone a transformation in recent years. Major sea defence works have taken place while the promenade has been raised and widened. The SC2 water park reopened and the town’s Queen’s Market also opened to customers, featuring a range of independent food outlets, local traders and pop-up events.

An £11million revamp of the promenade road and town centre is also in the works, aimed at regenerating the town with funding secured from the Local Regeneration Fund, North Wales Live reports.

So it’s an exciting time for the coastal town. Developments aside, its impressive beach is one of the main attractions for visitors.

The main beach extends for almost two miles from the Clwyd Estuary to Splash Point so there’s plenty of room for everyone. It is tidal so keep your eyes on the tide times.

Backing the beach is a large promenade, offering the perfect place for a seaside stroll overlooking the water. Along the promenade you’ll find various cafes and attractions, including crazy golf, a small family funfair and arcades.

At the western end of the beach is SC2, an adventure play centre with an indoor waterpark, outdoor splash park and soft play areas. It’s ideal for families and kids will love to cool off in the water outside. Prices start from £11.50 for adults for one hour, and £9 for children aged three to fifteen. Children under three start from £4.95, while children under one from £1.95.

One of Rhyl’s oldest and most popular attractions is the miniature railway which first opened in May 1911. It holds the title of Britain’s oldest miniature railway and takes passengers on a mile-long journey around the Marine Lake. The station is home to a small museum with hands-on exhibits for younger kids.

Train fares are £4 per adult and £3 for children aged two to fourteen, while kids under two can travel free. Marine Lake is a popular spot for crabbing, so remember to bring a bucket with you.

If you cross the River Clwyd to Kinmel Bay you’ll come across Horton’s Nose Nature Reserve and the Kinmel Dunes Local Nature Reserve. Both areas offer a tranquil place for a stroll with gorgeous views out to sea.

For more of the latest What’s On news, click here.

The horticulturist and broadcaster is known for his work on Gardeners’ World and has offered advice on countless gardening topics.

In a recent video posted on the Gardeners’ World Instagram account, he discussed a recent phenomenon people might have noticed in their gardens and allotments.

This relates to apple trees dropping their fruit far earlier than expected.

Monty Don has shared that this isn’t something to be worried about, as it’s related to the prolonged dry weather that the UK has experienced.

Monty Don explains why apples are falling off fruit tree branches

The 71-year-old explained that some apples falling from trees is in direct response to drought as it’s seeking to protect itself.

He said: “If you find your apple trees are dropping apples left, right and centre, don’t worry, it’s a result of the drought, but the tree is looking after itself.

“All these apples, which are covering the ground, are no windfalls that have dropped because they’re ripe.

“These are apples that are half ripe that the trees have jettisoned.

“The tree is running out of water.

“The fruit are taking up a huge amount of that water.

“In order to save some fruit they have dropped apples.

“Now, it might seem like a disaster, but actually it means that the tree is responding to drought and handling it.”

Gardeners relieved to hear explanation about falling apples

Many gardeners said they felt reassured by Monty Don’s explanation.

One person commented: “Thank you, I was so worring [sic], not only my apple trees, also the big pear tree, fifty of them every day on the ground.”

Another wrote: “Glad to know Monty, my apple tree that I usually get loads from dropped all their apples and I have one left.”

A third said simply: “How clever is the apple tree.”

However, not everyone agreed that the situation was harmless.

One person commented: “I disagree @gardenersworldtv it is a disaster we should worry.

“Our native trees in particular can’t bounce back from drought for ever.

“This is happening across the country.

“Where trees can be watered in our gardens (by hand) they can’t in the countryside so every crab apple and hawthorn just as an example are completely reliant on what falls from the sky.

“We should all be very concerned.”

Another added: “Well, it is a disaster because yields are hugely down, due to severe drought… our food security has been impacted by the extreme weather this year.

“Yes, the tree is responding to drought, but because it is very stressed.

“Trees may be lost, especially young, dwarf or potted trees are at risk of dying.”

Have you noticed apples falling off trees in recent weeks? Let us know in the comments.

Sou Sreynich dreams of becoming a teacher. But she knows she’s far behind.

The 13-year-old first entered a classroom at 10, an age when most Cambodian children already have been in school for years. Her mother waited until she was old enough to swim, fearing the boat to school could capsize — a decision familiar to many parents on Cambodia’s Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.

Now, the price of gasoline has spiked because of the Iran war, an additional burden. Unlike outright school closures during Covid-19, the Iran war’s impact on education is less visible.

But it is falling first and hardest on the poorest families. Soaring fuel prices are making it more expensive for children and teachers to get to school, and for governments to fund education as national budgets come under strain.

On the lake, getting anywhere has always meant navigating the water. Climate change is making it harder, with increasingly unpredictable floods and droughts. Teachers at her school say 10 students have drowned over the years.

If the war continues, it could push up to 23.4 million more children like Sreynich into poverty by the end of the year, according to a recent United Nations Children’s Fund report. About 80% of those children would be in Africa and Asia.

Most mornings, a gas-powered boat chugs through Kampong Prahok, steered by students often no older than those climbing aboard. They pull up alongside floating homes, as peers in crisp uniforms clamber aboard, careful to keep their backpacks dry.

Like most on Tonle Sap, Sreynich’s family relies on fishing to survive. They earn some money picking chili peppers and gutting fish for others. Rising fuel prices because of the Iran war mean the family can’t afford to travel to deeper waters where fish are more plentiful.

When money is tight, Sreynich skips a day or two of school to work alongside her parents. She dreads every absence. “I want to complete my studies,” she said.

Vulnerable children most at risk

For families already living on the edge, the war’s ripple effects are forcing difficult choices: whether to pay for food, fuel, rent and electricity, or keep every child in school.

“The Iran war is likely going to force millions of children out of school and could force millions of children to make the decision not to enroll in the first place,” said Sabrina Hervey of the Qatar-based Education Above All Foundation.

Some children in Southeast Asia are dropping out of school to work.

Ly, 16, and her sister Nhi, 13, two of nine children from a fishing family on Vietnam’s rocky northern coast, have long drifted in and out of school as the family struggled to make ends meet.

They are identified by their first names only because of Vietnamese laws protecting vulnerable minors.

Their father lost his fishing job after the war pushed diesel prices so high that boat owners could not afford to go out to sea. Already burdened by debt, the family was surviving on his odd jobs. It wasn’t enough to keep all nine children fed and in school.

The girls dropped out of school and moved to Vietnam’s capital Hanoi to work long hours in a restaurant, where they were exposed to sharp tools, hot surfaces and heavy lifting.

For 13-year-old Nhi it was also illegal because of child labor laws.

In April, the Hanoi-based nonprofit Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation intervened and the two returned to school.

The war’s impact has unfolded slowly but is devastating, said Michael Brosowski with the foundation.

When families reach a financial breaking point, they tend to go into triage — keeping some children enrolled while pulling others out to work, he said. The children not in school are far more vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking and homelessness.

“It’s the tipping point for a lot of families,” Brosowski said.

Higher fuel prices are driving up costs of nearly every part of education, from getting students and teachers to school to stocking classrooms with pencils and chalk. It’s more expensive for teachers and aid workers to reach remote communities. Governments are also grappling with rising food and energy bills, leaving less money for education.

In Cambodia, everything already costs more on Tonle Sap since supplies have to be brought in by boat.

“Even the electricity to run this lab is 10-times higher,” said Samphors Vorn of the nonprofit Aide et Action, which supports the school.

Iran war disrupts education worldwide

Developing countries reliant on imported energy have been the most exposed to disruptions from the war. Rising fertilizer costs and falling remittances also are straining these smaller economies.

The war is threatening years of progress in education and poverty reduction in Bangladesh, whose economy already was under strain.

Pressure on the government’s finances, driven by rising costs for fuel and subsidies, could leave it with less money to spend on health care and education, warned a report by the U.N. Development Programme.

In some South Asian nations, girls are likely to be affected more because families tend to prioritize sons, said Arshad Malik of the nonprofit Save the Children International. Economic hardships could mean more girls dropping out of school and an increase in child marriages, he said.

South Asia accounts for 45% of the world’s child brides, the highest share of any region, according to UNICEF.

More than 466 million children worldwide receive at least one meal a day at school, according to the U.N. World Food Programme. These meals help keep children in school, improve their ability to learn and concentrate, and support healthy brain development.

Such programs also could come under pressure as the conflict disrupts fertilizer shipments and raises transport costs, especially in countries in West and Central Africa that rely heavily on imported food, said Hervey, with Education Above All.

Across northern Nigeria, it is becoming more common for children to relapse into malnutrition, according to local health and aid workers.

“I’m really afraid to see what’s going to happen,” Hervey said.

The Pawground, on Portrack Lane in Stockton, has become a hit with pet owners thanks to its obstacle-filled soft play packed with slides, nets, wobble bridges and climbing equipment created especially for canine visitors.

The venue combines an indoor soft play area with an outdoor playground, giving dogs plenty of opportunities to run, climb and explore in a secure environment.

Even more pet owners are jumping on the soft play train after TikTok influencer @newgirlintoon shared her experience with the Pawground last month.

Each 56-minute session gives owners exclusive use of the space, allowing dogs to play without interruptions from unfamiliar pets – making it perfect for those with dogs that aren’t too keen on socialising.

The soft play has proved so popular that bookings are snapped up months in advance, with facilities currently fully booked until February 2027.

Owners can bring up to three dogs as part of the standard £25 booking fee, with additional dogs welcome for extra – making it a popular option for friends looking to arrange playdates with their pets.

The fully enclosed play area means dogs can roam freely while owners relax, and every visit ends with a complimentary pup cup as a reward for all that exercise.

The Pawground, Stockton (Image: The Pawground)

In the heart of Stockton, the Pawground is one of several attractions getting attention from dog lovers across the North East that are eager to find new ways to keep their pets active and entertained.

The Pawground is open on weekends between 9.00am and 5.00pm, with online booking essential due to the high demand.

For owners looking to make a full day of it, dog-friendly restaurant Chadwick & Co, located inside Barker and Stonehouse at Teesside Park, is just a short drive away.

With its combination of private play sessions, colourful obstacles and secure surroundings, The Pawground has become one of the more unusual attractions for dog owners and their pets in the region.

To find out more about the venue, visit: The Pawground Ltd.