Latest news with #WelcomeBack
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Sandara Park shares Bohol pics as she welcomes summer in South Korea
It's summer in South Korea, but Sandara Park's mind is in the Philippines! On Instagram, the K-pop icon welcomed the summer with photos of her basking in the poolside heat in a resort in Bohol, donning a floral two-piece set and a knitted hat. 'So hot,' Sandara said in her caption. 'Hello Summer!!!' 2NE1 was in Manila in November 2024 for a two-night concert at the SM Mall of Asia Arena for their reunion and comeback tour, Welcome Back. Sandara has also been going back and forth to the Philippines for various events and performances. In February, she started a trip with her favorite Filipino food. Dara also met Alden Richards, who visited her on set. In May, she visited Bohol for a vacation. —Nika Roque/JCB, GMA Integrated News
The Spinoff
2 days ago
- General
- The Spinoff
How vintage clothes from Aotearoa are helping feed families in Gaza
Alex Casey talks to Dianne Ludwig from Welcome Back Slow Fashion about how her community of clothing lovers has stepped up for Gaza. Dianne Ludwig was about ready to quit running her 13k strong Instagram account Welcome Back Slow Fashion in 2023. Having spent nearly a decade posting about vintage fashion finds in Aotearoa, her enthusiasm for the work was beginning to wane. 'I was starting to get pretty over the whole thrifting scene, the opshops being full of crap and people doing these massive vintage hauls,' she says. 'In spite of lots of us wanting to have a slower way with clothes, it felt like the secondhand scene was becoming just as consumerist and depressing.' But nearly two years later, Welcome Back has been imbued with a new and urgent sense of purpose that goes beyond slow consumption and sustainability. Ludwig now almost exclusively sells donated vintage and New Zealand made pieces as a way of fundraising for families in Gaza. Her community in Aotearoa is currently directly supporting eight families to purchase extortionately priced food every week, against a backdrop of the Israeli army committing 'deadly violence' at food distribution sites in a region the UN has described as ' the hungriest place on Earth '. Ludwig wouldn't describe herself as coming from an activist background, and admits that she didn't know very much about Palestine before the current humanitarian crisis took hold. Fittingly, it was social media posts made by anther local sustainable jewellery brand Pads Pearls that alerted Ludwig to the escalating situation in the region – one that has since been declared a genocide by human rights experts and has seen Israel kill at least 56,000 Palestinians and injure over 131,848 more. 'I was just so horrified by the scale of the retaliation,' she says. 'I couldn't look away.' As she started to post more about what was happening in Palestine, Ludwig also started to get more and more DMs from people looking to donate pieces for fundraising. She sold a Zambesi bag here, a Deadly Ponies clutch there, and soon made her first significant contribution to charities supplying aid to the region. From those early fundraisers, pieces for Palestine kept coming in from across Aotearoa, including a pristine 1980s Mary Quant poncho and a pile of 'scrubby shopping bags' dropped on her front porch that were bursting with vintage Celine and Prada. Other donations weren't as much about the labels as the stories behind them. 'There was a woman who had all these beautiful hand knits that she had made over the years, with a lot of her wool dyed by her mother-in-law who is now in her 80s,' Ludwig says. 'She got in touch and said this seemed like the perfect way for them to find a new home.' It was just one of many deeply personal donations that Ludwig says speaks volumes about people's commitment to the cause. 'You can feel that people are reaching really deep into their hearts for this.' Ludwig also contacted many local fashion brands in the DMs for donations, and was equally moved by the response of one New Zealand label in particular. 'I really thought Penny Sage would just throw throw me a few scrunchies or something, but they ended up customising one of their Maisie dresses for me with the most beautiful hand-embroidered cross stitch in homage to tatreez, the traditional Palestinian style of of cross stitch,' she says. 'I was just so in awe of the fact that they would spend that much time doing it, so that was a pretty special one-off.' The lack of response from other local brands raised another question for her: where is the fashion industry when it comes to Gaza? 'We always talk about fashion being political and being the zeitgeist drawing from what's happening in the world, but I just don't see anything in our fashion media about what's happening in Gaza,' she says. In one post selling a keffiyeh-inspired Cecile Copenhagen top, she called out the 'radio silence' from the fashion world. 'It's disappointing, because there are many ways into Gaza – you don't just have to be covering the suffering.' In that spirit, Ludwig shares the story of Mohammed, who she refers to as 'son'. Two years ago he was in the last year of his software engineering degree and living with his large family on a farm in Rafah. Now, he is living with next to nothing in a tent in Khan Younis, and chatting to Ludwig in Tāmaki Makaurau almost every day. 'He's 24, I'm 62, and he calls me mum,' she laughs. 'We've become really good friends, and we chat about his girlfriend, he'll ask me marriage advice because he wants to get engaged when the genocide ends, and we just laugh all the time.' But due to the rolling internet blackouts, Mohammed's communication often stops for days, sometimes weeks. 'I've been in tears worrying, but then in the middle of the night, I'll see that little circle around his Instagram Stories pop up and I've never felt more relieved in my life,' says Ludwig. Just last week, Mohammed's aunty and her two children were killed with artillery in the tent next to him. He recently attempted to travel to buy a slightly cheaper flour, and was caught up in a shrapnel bombing. 'He was lucky to survive,' says Ludwig. 'The situation is terrible.' Ludwig updates her followers regularly on how all the families are doing. 'That's one thing I really think that people have really connected with – seeing these real people who had lives just the same as our lives,' she says. 'They're just incredible people who have got a huge amount of care and empathy, in spite of everything they're going through.' From nearly giving up Welcome Back altogether, Ludwig is now grateful she held onto her platform to 'do some good' and use her eye-catching clothing as a conduit for getting other people involved. 'People say 'thank you for doing this' which embarrasses me, because I think what they are really saying is 'thank you for enabling us to help',' she says. 'A lot of people are stuck doing nothing in these times which are pretty scary, but one way to overcome that fear is just to take action.' The experience has taught her that everyone has power in their networks, no matter how big or small, to make a difference. 'I sell clothes, which doesn't seem directly related to the Palestinian struggle, but now it has become a vehicle for doing something,' she says. 'No matter what your skill set is, there's ways that we can all help.'
Pink Villa
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
WATCH: Lauren Gottlieb makes FIRST appearance post wedding, reveals WHY hubby Tobias Jones didn't accompany her to India
Lauren Gottlieb is the newly married bride in town, and we can't get over the glow on her face. The actress, who has been a part of several films and music videos, tied the wedding knot with her longtime boyfriend and fiancé, Tobias Jones, on June 11, 2025. They announced this big news on social media on June 20. It seems like just a few days after their wedding, the newly married couple are back to work as Lauren was spotted at Mumbai airport today, Monday, alone. She even revealed why Tobias hasn't come with her to Mumbai. Lauren Gottlieb arrives in Mumbai for work Today (June 23), Lauren Gottlieb was clicked at the Mumbai airport. She greeted the paparazzi and was all smiles as she interacted with them. She said "Thank you" after the photographers wished her "congratulations" on her wedding. Expressing her joy, Lauren said, "Guys, I got married." When a paparazzi asked if she came alone, Lauren revealed, "Yes, I'm alone right now. My husband - this is the first time I said that - he is working, and I'm working here. So, this is a working married couple." Lauren shared her joy of returning to the city. She then flaunted her ring as she posed for the photographers. Watch Lauren Gottlieb's video here- Lauren looked gorgeous in a red and white halter neck dress, and her glow was quite evident. She paired her outfit with minimal accessories, opting for a pair of statement earrings. Speaking about her personal life, Lauren got engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Tobias, in Aug 2023 following a dreamy proposal from the director at Aruba Ocean Villas. She had shared gorgeous pictures from their engagement ceremony. On June 11, 2025, the duo got married in an intimate ceremony in Tuscany, Italy. For the uninformed, Tobias Jones, also known as TJ, is a director and video creator by profession, recognized for his work with several reputable brands. He is based in London. Meanwhile, Lauren Gottlieb has been featured in several films, including Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor's ABCD 2, John Abraham's Welcome Back, Diljit Dosanjh's Ambarsariya, and more.
Pink Villa
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Who is Tobias Jones? Find all about Varun Dhawan's ABCD 2 co-star Lauren Gottlieb's husband and their wedding at Tuscan hilltop
Lauren Gottlieb, known for featuring in films like Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor-led ABCD 2, John Abraham starrer Welcome Back, Diljit Dosanjh's Ambarsariya, and more, has finally tied the wedding knot with her longtime boyfriend and fiancé, Tobias Jones. The lovebirds got hitched on June 11, 2025, but made their official announcement on social media today, June 20. Now we know you can't wait to learn all about the man who stole the heart of the gorgeous actress-dancer. So here's everything about Tobias that you shouldn't miss. Who is Tobias Jones? Based in London, Tobias Jones, also known as TJ, is a director and video creator recognized for his work with several reputable brands. He is also a popular visual effects (VFX) artist with over 43,000 followers on Instagram. Tobias did his schooling at Gordonstoun School, an elite co-educational private school in the UK. After completing his education, he took the self-employment route. Tobias Jones' relationship history with Lauren Gottlieb Lauren and Tobias got engaged to each other in Aug 2023 following a dreamy proposal from the director at Aruba Ocean Villas. The actress-dancer shared gorgeous pictures from their engagement at the time and called him the man of her dreams. Talking about their bond, she recalled, "After that first phone call we had from Los Angeles to London I just knew we were supposed to be in each others lives. For that year and a half we built the best foundation of love and respect. I feel so blessed our paths finally crossed so we could fall in love! Thank you for bringing so much love, joy, and pure happiness in my entire life," Lauren went on to call her the luckiest girl in the world for being his fiancée. All about Lauren Gottlieb and Tobias Jones' wedding It was a dreamy and intimate wedding for Lauren and Tobias in Tuscany, Italy, on June 11, 2025. The landmark moment of their life was attended by only friends and close ones. The actress announced the good news to her fans on social media with a series of heart-melting and romantic pictures, accompanied by a touching note. "We've always felt this love was out there. A once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. And when we found it, and it felt like coming home," read a part of the note. Meanwhile, several Hindi film industry friends of Lauren like Ali Fazal, Shibani Akhtar, Mouni Roy and others took to the comments section of her post sending her good wishes. Pinkvilla wishes the newlyweds a magical life ahead!
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Business Standard
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Welcome to the Jungle shoot halted; final schedule to begin soon: Report
After Paresh Rawal's exit from Hera Pheri 3, another Akshay Kumar-led ensemble comedy seems to be facing turbulence. Welcome to the Jungle, backed by producer Firoz Nadiadwala and directed by Ahmed Khan, has reportedly run into production hurdles. Several media outlets on Tuesday claimed that the film was put on hold due to financial issues. However, a Hindustan Times report quoting a source close to the project revealed that the pause is due to 'multiple reasons', not just budgetary constraints. The film, which began shooting in 2023, is part of the successful Welcome franchise. In 2007, the first movie in the franchise came out. Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, Nana Patekar, and other actors starred in the movie. Welcome Back, the franchise's second movie, came out in 2015. The main actors in it were Paresh Rawal, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, and Shruti Haasan. Both films did well at the box office. Why is 'Welcome to the Jungle' halted? The 34-member ensemble cast of Ahmed Khan's Welcome to the Jungle includes, among others, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Raveena Tandon, and Disha Patani. Last month, the film's production was put on hold. The source close to the makers shares: "70% of the shoot of Welcome to the Jungle is already done. The remaining 30% was to be scheduled in Kashmir, but because of the unfortunate Pahalgam attack, the plan got pushed." Pinkvilla had on Monday claimed that the film's production had been cancelled due to financial difficulties with the producers. The report quoted a source stating, "The film has been on floors for over a year and a half now. There are also issues of non-payment of dues to the actors and their staff. Some of the originally cast actors have exited the project, while others are still supporting it out of love for the franchise. They all believe that Welcome is a beloved franchise and are willing to adjust their dates to help complete Welcome to the Jungle". 'Welcome to the Jungle': Shooting begins However, the insider connected with the makers has denied the Pinkvilla report and added, "The entire schedule was locked, which included helicopters, over 250 horses with horsemen, and 1200 junior artists. But, everything is on track, all 34 actors are excited and set to commence the last marathon schedule and will begin post-rains in a different location." With a fantastic ensemble, Welcome to the Jungle was formally announced in 2023. A preview of the humour the movie will contain is provided by the cast's a cappella performance in the announcement video. Originally slated for release on Christmas 2025, the movie was postponed. 'Welcome to the Jungle': Cast and Crew The film, directed by Ahmed Khan, boasts a star-studded cast, including Paresh Rawal, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Arshad Warsi, Krushna Abhishek, and Kiku Sharda, among others. The female leads include Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Lara Dutta, and Raveena Tandon.
