Mr Loo Choon Beng, who won a gold medal in judo in the 1975 South-east Asia Peninsula (Seap) Games, was reportedly behind the first high-tech baccarat casino scam in the Philippines. Singaporean businessman and lawyer was found dead in Guangzhou, China earlier this month. Sources told The Straits Times that the 57-year-old was found in his hotel room bed on August 3 or August 4. The former Raffles Institution (RI) student is speculated to have either died in his sleep or from complications f
Fan sites say Jennifer Lawrence ‘captured Katniss onscreen.’ By Kara Warner, with reporting by Eric Ditzian Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate Ever since production began on “The Hunger Games,” fans around the world have been waiting patiently for a first look at footage of heroine Katniss Everdeen in action . MTV News was very happy to provide that first-ever teaser, which star Jennifer Lawrence introduced to the world during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night. Given the excitement surrounding our exclusive look at footage of the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ beloved dystopian bestseller, MTV News sought out three “Hunger Games” experts to get their reactions to seeing Katniss’ survival skills first-hand. “That was epic,” gushed Samus Belle of fan site Sparks Will Fly . “I’m so excited. Especially seeing Jennifer Lawrence running through the whole arena, she looked like a hunter,” Belle said. “She just captured Katniss onscreen.” Kimmy West, of Mockingjay.net agreed with Belle on Lawrence’s spot-on portrayal: “Jennifer Lawrence is just embodying Katniss,” West said. “The big trait about Katniss is that she’s animalistic when she hunts. You can totally tell that she’s been training so much for that shot,” West explained of seeing Lawrence wield a bow and fire an arrow in the clip. “She really looks like a pro.” Our experts were so delighted to see Lawrence assume pole position in the teaser, they didn’t mind not getting to see male leads Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) in action. Hemsworth’s voice can be heard throughout the footage, however, offering Katniss words of encouragement that echo in her mind as she’s running for her life. “I think they maybe want to wait a little bit longer on [showing] Peeta to build up the excitement even more,” said Arianna Ruiz of Down With the Capitol . “And Gale is still a very important part of Katniss’ life.” “Basically, [Gale] is saying, ‘You know how to hunt,’ ‘All they want is a good show,’ ‘Show them how good you are,’ ” West said, summarizing the voiceover. “I feel like it’s a really good message to send across for the trailer because it’s showing she’s not a career tribute,” she explained of the story’s highly trained expert contestants. “She’s not someone who wants to kill anyone; she’s just wants to live after this.” Belle speculated about when fan favorite Peeta might appear in the film’s marketing campaign: “I’m a Peeta fan, but I think they will put him somewhere during the trailers because half the ‘Hunger Games’ fandom probably wants him in there at some point. “In all fairness, throughout the first part of the games, she is thinking mostly about Gale and the advice he gave her.” West added that although she is just as excited as anyone to see Peeta, she’s happy for certain elements to remain a surprise for as long as possible. “I like to be in anticipation still; I don’t want to see everything,” she explained. “I’m excited to see Effie and Haymitch and Primm and Peeta,” West said of her favorite characters. “But I think it’s good I’m still waiting for it.” Speaking of waiting for things, West thinks director Gary Ross and Lionsgate added a special bonus for fans to pick up on at the very end of the footage. “Right as you see the ‘Add us on Facebook’ stuff, and the screen turns black, and you can hear four really high-pitched whistles, kind of like if you’re not listening hard, you might miss it,” she explained of a character’s memorable communicative methods with Katniss in the book. “That’s really awesome. I was wondering what tune they were going to use, and it sounds really perfect for what I was thinking.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Exclusive ‘Hunger Games’ Sneak Peek
Brush up on your districts before Jennifer Lawrence presents an exclusive sneak peek from the movie on Sunday! By Eric Ditzian Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth in “Hunger Games” Photo: Lions Gate Welcome to the dystopian world of “The Hunger Games.” North America is no more. Natural disasters and war did away with the continent we knew and gave rise to a whole new land called Panem: 13 districts overseen by an authoritarian Capitol. Then came the Dark Days, a power-to-the-people, down-with-the-Man revolution that obliterated one district and resulted in an annual, gladiatorial tournament known as the Hunger Games. Now meet Katniss Everdeen, an impoverished teen who feeds her family thanks to some badass bow-and-arrow skills and a stubborn refusal to play by the Capitol’s rules. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark — hardly friends, nor possessing the bloodthirsty verve of their opponents — find themselves reluctant participants in the 74th Hunger Games. What happens from there forms the basis of Suzanne Collins’ page-turner of a novel, which Lionsgate is now adapting for the big screen with an eye on a March 2012 release. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the franchise or all this Katniss craziness is totally new to you, now’s the time to get up to speed on all there is to know about the Jennifer Lawrence-starring film . Because at the 2011 Video Music Awards on Sunday, MTV is set to debut the first-ever look at footage from the flick. So check out our “Hunger Games” cheat sheet for everything there is to know before the big show. The Reaping In March of 2009, Lionsgate snapped up the rights to “Hunger Games,” which was published the previous fall. It was the first volume of what would become a trilogy — and a New York Times best-seller for more than 100 weeks. The key question among fans quickly became, ‘Who will play Katniss?’ We had some initial suggestions — including “Twilight Saga: Eclipse” star Jodelle Ferland — but early reports suggested “Kick Ass” star Chlo
If the first two weeks of the preseason is any indication, the National Football League (NFL) is officially back. With the lockout threatening the start of the season (not really) for most of the spring and early summer, the return of organized activity led to a dizzying array of transactions and signings. Now that the dust has settled, here are ten storylines to follow as we approach the start of the 2011 campaign. 10. Dallas Cowboys As “America’s Team” and with Jerry Jones as your owner, the beginning of any NFL season will cast all eyes on the Cowboys by default. Tony Romo is still the starting quarterback, and with Jessica Simpson no longer around to blame for his failures on the field, the question is will he finally play to his potential and get the ‘Boys deep into the postseason after a year where they failed to post a winning record? The answer better be a resounding “yes” or head coach Jason Garrett (career backup QB that he was) may have to throw on a jersey and become a player/coach. 9. Cam Newton The overall number 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft was taken by a team that already had a young quarterback in Jimmy Clausen. Seen as a pick the Carolina Panthers could not pass up, Newton is currently in a battle with Clausen for the starting QB job. Newton will get to show his stuff for the first three quarters of Carolina’s next preseason game on Thursday (Aug. 25th). Will he impress enough to earn the starting nod once the games count? 8. Brett Favre comeback part…? Brett Favre This was a non-story when the NFL lockout ended until Michael Vick tweeted that he would be “honored” to have Favre as his backup in Philadelphia. That tweet was quickly deleted, but sent the rumor mill spinning out of control. The Eagles have since signed Vince Young to hold the clipboard for Vick, but that did not kill Brett Favre Voorhies yet… 7. Peyton Manning The 4-time NFL MVP had neck surgery in the off-season and while it was common knowledge that he would not be ready for the pre-season, there are now whispers that Manning won’t be ready for opening kickoff. Re-enter Brett Favre . The Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted (in jest, we hope) on Sunday (Aug. 21st) that he was “in Hattiesburg” (as in Mississippi, where Favre lives). Now the sports world is forced to endure another pre-season of Favre “will-he-or-won’t-he” rumors because the Colts may need a starting quarterback. Shoot me now. 6. Jay Cutler His team’s season ended in a NFC Championship playoff game loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers , but Cutler was done about more than half the game before the final whistle. Cutler went down early in the game with what seemed to be a minor injury. Problem was Cutler never returned and, even worse, looked unaffected by what was happening on the field. Cutler took a beating on Twitter from his fellow players watching at home. Everyone from running back Maurice Jones-Drew to Deion Sanders questioned Cutler’s toughness. Turns out that Cutler had ligament damage in his knee. Still the players that called him out never apologized. Can Cutler rebound, and will his teammates (including Brian Urlacher , who did defend him after the game) respond to him as their leader this season? 5. Carson Palmer In one of the weirdest developments of the off-season Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback Carson Palmer threatened to retire if he was not traded to another team. The Bengals did not budge, but they did bend a little just in case Palmer was serious. They drafted quarterback Andy Dalton in the second round and signed former Raiders QB Bruce Gradkowski . They also re-signed Palmer’s younger brother Jordan (also a quarterback). To add insult to the game of chicken, long-time Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco was traded to perennial contenders The New England Patriots . Carson is not even on the Bengals official roster as of Monday Aug. 22nd, but if he decides to just show up for the start of the season the first QB to be cut would be his little brother. Insane. 4. Donovan McNabb Thought to have found a new life in Washington, McNabb’s only season in the nation’s capital was the worst of his career. He was benched for the final three games of the season, a demoralizing slap in the face for a QB with McNabb’s track record. His exodus from the Redskins was a given, now the question is will he be able to lead the Minnesota Vikings to the promised land or was his season in Washington more than a fluke? 3. Pittsburgh Steelers Similar to the Dallas Cowboys, the Steelers are always a team to watch heading into an NFL season because of off-the-field drama. The last couple of seasons the microscope has been on starting QB Ben Roethlisberger , but with Big Ben being a virtual choir boy leading the Steelers back to the Super Bowl after missing the first four games of the 2010 season the acrimony has come from other areas of the “black and yellow” squad. It began with linebacker James Harrison ‘s comments criticizing Roethlisberger’s play in the Super Bowl. Harrison, who is no stranger to controversial remarks, in this case needed to, in the immortal words of ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the morning , “just shut up” here. Your quarterback got you to the Super Bowl after missing four games with a suspension. He pretty much beat the Jets in the AFC Championship game by himself. Smh. Then you have Hines Ward , who showed off his twinkle toes on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars , then was pulled over for in a bizarre incident with a female companion that was deemed a misunderstanding, yet followed that up with a DUI arrest practically a week later. These guys prove that they feed off turmoil. I would not count them out. 2. Plaxico Burress The Giants wanted him back (after turning their back on him at his lowest point), but he signed with the Jets. After hauling in a touchdown pass in his 2011 preseason debut eerily similar to the catch he made to win Super Bowl XLII for the other New York team, Burress is officially back. Can he lead another New York team to a Super Bowl victory? 1. New York Jets For the third season in a row Jets head coach Rex Ryan predicted the Jets would not only make it to the Super Bowl, but win it. After falling short in the AFC title game two straight seasons, the average viewer had no reason to believe Ryan this time. After all, the Jets’ best chance was presumably this past season where they vanquished their bitter rival Patriots in an emotional Divisional playoff game. Unfortunately it seems to the Jets that was their AFC title game because they ran out of gas to the Steelers. Ryan must have known something the rest of the sports world did not. He already had a Super Bowl hero in Santonio Holmes at WR and could not get it done in 2010. Then the Jets signed Plaxico Burress . Burress cannot be covered as he proved time and again as a member of the Giants and Steelers. With both Burress and Holmes on the ends that can go up and get the ball on a fade route, you have to like the Jets’ chances to be there at the end. BONUS: Tiki Barber After four years away from the game, Barber wants to come back to the NFL after a failed attempt at broadcasting. Does anyone want a 36 year-old running back who hasn’t played for four years. Some say the layoff has kept wear and tear off his body, but with the lifespan of an elite running back peaking at age 30, Tiki’s plight may be daunting. Deion Sanders NFL Hall Of Fame Speech [VIDEO] Bubba Smith Dead At 66 Steve Smith Leaves Giants For Rival Eagles
They realized it would be a controversial decision to acquit Casey Anthony of murder. Heck, they even hated the girl personally. But the 12-member Orlando-area jury did what they felt was right and let her walk. The public outrage that followed was not what they expected. The Casey Anthony jury has received death threats , been barred from restaurants, been shunned by family, even been forced to flee in fear of backlash. Their names remain closely guarded, but one male juror consented to speak with People under the condition of complete and utter anonymity. His basic take? Casey Anthony sucks, but what are you gonna do? “We all tried hard to separate emotions from the evidence,” he says. “Generally, none of us liked Casey Anthony at all. She frankly seems like a horrible person. But the prosecutors did not give us enough evidence to convict.” “They gave us a lot of stuff that makes us think that [Casey Anthony] probably did something wrong, but that is not beyond a reasonable doubt.” Now that the trial is over, life “has been a nightmare,” says the juror. “I have been living in fear that someone will find out who I am. I Google my name every single day to see if anyone has figured out who I am.” “The few people that do know [my true identity] haven’t said anything, but one of my friends told me that his wife forbid him to talk to me.” “My own sister cussed me out. It has ruined my life.” Did the jury get it right?
Proving that she does actually work on occasion, alleged actress Lindsay Lohan filmed a music video for the Florida-based band Miggs recently. Fittingly, she’s engaged in petty criminal activity in the video. In “Let the Games Begin,” LiLo plays a sultry model by day and a covert graffiti artist by night, taggin’ some rock while the rock music plays. According to Miggs, the band sought someone with duality in their life, a girl who had done good and bad things. Lindsay Lohan fits the bill. Check out the music video below and see what you think: Miggs – Let The Games Begin (Ft. Lindsay Lohan)
Sean Kingston was recently released from the hospital after a jet-ski accident that almost claimed his life. In an interview airing Tuesday for the “MTV First: Sean Kingston” special, Sean Kingston says “I’m doing good. I’m feeling great. I’m excited. I’m happy,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know it was a deeper situation. I had open heart surgery and I had two other surgeries; it was a life-or-death situation.” Click here for the full article @ Bossip.com Nicki Minaj Brings Out Sean Kingston In Miami Sean Kingston Back To Work [PHOTOS] Check out the photos from when Sean was in the hospital:
The recent NFL lockout might have been the best thing to happen to women this summer. Why, you ask? Scared that the sanctity of their NFL game days would be stolen away this year, the labor strike gave men something to obsess over for four months as they imagined life with no NFL. At the rate things were going, they were destined to begin suffering a chronic case of withdrawal symptoms reminiscent of Pookie in New Jack City . That’s not a good look by any means. But guess what? The NFL owners and players had too much money to lose by not playing the games and the two parties resolved their labor issues right on time. And for football fans, the four-day frenzy that followed felt like a holiday blowout sale at Macy’s. Players were swapping teams faster than Nikki Minaj changes wig colors. Free agents were in get money mode and the public was on NFL overload. Crisis averted. Football was back and men everywhere were ecstatic. But what about the ladies? The thing about all sports, particularly football, is that while you might not know all the rules or team details, there is usually something there that will hold your attention. Once you figure it out, you’ll love the drama that sports can provide. It’s the ultimate in reality TV. Sometimes you just need a little guidance in finding the right story lines. That’s where I come in. CLICK HERE FOR MORE . 5 Ways Women Can Get Into Football This Season 5 Reasons Women Are Happy The NFL Lockout Is Over
The recent NFL lockout might have been the best thing to happen to women this summer. Why, you ask? Scared that the sanctity of their NFL game days would be stolen away this year, the labor strike gave men something to obsess over for four months as they imagined life with no NFL. At the rate things were going, they were destined to begin suffering a chronic case of withdrawal symptoms reminiscent of Pookie in New Jack City . That’s not a good look by any means. But guess what? The NFL owners and players had too much money to lose by not playing the games and the two parties resolved their labor issues right on time. And for football fans, the four-day frenzy that followed felt like a holiday blowout sale at Macy’s. Players were swapping teams faster than Nikki Minaj changes wig colors. Free agents were in get money mode and the public was on NFL overload. Crisis averted. Football was back and men everywhere were ecstatic. But what about the ladies? The thing about all sports, particularly football, is that while you might not know all the rules or team details, there is usually something there that will hold your attention. Once you figure it out, you’ll love the drama that sports can provide. It’s the ultimate in reality TV. Sometimes you just need a little guidance in finding the right story lines. That’s where I come in. CLICK HERE FOR MORE . 5 Ways Women Can Get Into Football This Season 5 Reasons Women Are Happy The NFL Lockout Is Over
Look, Nick Lachey knows he’s 37. He knows the pressure is on. And he’s giving it to new wife Vanessa Minnillo as often as possible. So far, though, the unprotected sex is yet to lead to a child. “Trust me, it would make me very happy,” Lachey told E! News of procreating. “Family is very important. It’s very important to us, and I’m sure that will be around the corner.” Hammering home the point that she’s getting hammered every night, Minnilo updated her Twitter page soon after getting married on July 15 to include “wifey by night” and “wannabe mommy all the time.” How is married life treating the couple? Just dandy, says Lachey: “We’re still in the honeymoon period. Not much changed, which, for me, is a good thing. We’ve been together five years. We were very comfortable in our relationship before the marriage.”
