Entertainment
Malaysian varsity awards honourary doctorate in leadership to PM Shehbaz
- ‘Great privilege and honour’: PM Shehbaz on PhD degree.
- Premier reaffirms resolve to serve the nation with sincerity.
- Leadership a sacred trust, to be exercised with honesty: PM.
KUALA LUMPUR: The International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) on Tuesday conferred an Honourary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership and Governance on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contributions to nation-building.
The conferment of the honourary degree took place at a Special Convocation Ceremony held at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation of IIUM’s Kuala Lumpur Campus, which was officiated by the university’s Constitutional Head, Tengku Ampuan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
At the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart, PM Shehbaz is on a three-day official visit to Malaysia, wherein he met Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and held delegation-level talks, besides addressing an investment conference.
A day earlier, the two countries had signed six accords to strengthen bilateral cooperation covering different areas, including education, Halal certification, tourism and combating corruption.
In his acceptance address today, PM Shehbaz described the conferment as a “great privilege and honour,” emphasising his delight in being associated with IIUM, an institution renowned for championing the integration of knowledge, faith, and ethics.
Recalling his stints as Punjab chief minister, he highlighted his four-decade-long service as a “public servant” and noted that, now as the prime minister, he remained committed to serving the nation with sincerity and unwavering resolve.
Acknowledging the honour with “heartfelt gratitude,” he expressed the hope that his presence at IIUM would further strengthen academic partnerships and collaboration between the university and Pakistan’s leading institutions of higher learning.
The prime minister said that leadership was a sacred trust which should be exercised with honesty, sincerity, justice, and transparent accountability.
Highlighting the challenges facing the Muslim Ummah, he called for unity, compassion, and moral integrity and stressed the need to hold steadfastly to Islamic values and ethics to reclaim their rightful place in the comity of nations.
He called Pakistan’s youthful population a blessing and underscored the responsibility to provide them with platforms to serve suffering humanity with compassion and commitment.
In her address, Tunku Azizah said that for over four decades, [Shehbaz] Sharif had demonstrated visionary leadership, discipline, and compassion, dedicated to transforming lives and uplifting communities through advancements in education, healthcare, and opportunity creation.
“His initiatives, such as the Punjab Education Endowment Fund, have opened the doors of higher learning to thousands who might never have dreamed of university education.
“That is leadership that touches hearts and transforms futures [.…] At a time when the world often prizes image over integrity, His Excellency [Shehbaz Sharif] reminds us that good governance is about sincerity, service, and steadfastness,” she said.
Commending Pakistan’s longstanding friendship with Malaysia, she said the bilateral ties had further strengthened under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
“Today, our Pakistani students, academics, and alumni continue to enrich the university and uphold our shared mission of serving the Ummah. This conferment is more than a recognition of achievement. It is a celebration of the values we hold dear: justice, service, and excellence guided by faith,” she added.
Mariska Hargitay has revealed she was moved to tears after seeing Christopher Meloni’s emotional response to the cancellation of Law & Order: Organized Crime, describing it as the closing of a significant chapter for her longtime co-star and friend.
Speaking to Extra, Hargitay said she watched Meloni’s Instagram video about the show ending and was immediately overcome.
“I saw it and burst out in tears, first of all,” she said.
“I immediately burst out in tears because it has, just like [Meloni] said, and he was so beautiful and open, because it has been a great ride. And it has been so beautiful and intimate and such a huge part of his life and was life-changing for him.”
She also said the news had come as a genuine shock.
“Chris is working and in demand and such a magnificent actor. But it’s, in a way, closing a chapter. So when that happens, one needs to take inventory. It’s a real marker in your life.”
Law & Order: Organized Crime was officially cancelled after five seasons earlier this month.
Meloni marked the occasion with a heartfelt video on Instagram.
“I wanted to take this moment to say thank you to the fans who not only helped give the character of Elliot Stabler life and longevity, but for sticking with him and welcoming him back. It was a good ride,” he said.
The series, which premiered in 2021, followed Stabler, the character Meloni first played on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as he returned to New York after a decade away to rebuild his life and take on organised crime.
It aired on NBC for its first four seasons before moving to Peacock for its fifth and final season, which concluded in June 2025.
The cast also included Danielle Moné Truitt, Rick Gonzalez, Ainsley Seiger and Dean Norris.
Luke Grimes has been playing cowboy Kayce Dutton on Yellowstone since 2018, but some fans are still coming to terms with a fundamental truth: he is an actor, not an actual cowboy.
The 42-year-old, who now continues the character’s story in the CBS spinoff Marshals, told Toronto radio station CHUM 104.5 that the strangest fan encounters often involve a version of the same realisation.
Some viewers, he said, “loved that show so much that they were, on a certain level, upset that it wasn’t real.”
The most common version of this comes in the form of a complaint. “A lot of times you’ll get the, ‘You’re not a real cowboy.'”
His response is straightforward.
“Well, of course I’m not, I’m an actor. That’s why I’m able to do this. If I was a real cowboy, I’d be, like, herding cattle right now. I wouldn’t be on this show.”
Even his one-year-old son, whom he shares with wife Bianca Rodrigues Grimes, has his own take on the cowboy persona.
“My son thinks my cowboy hat is really funny,” Grimes told PEOPLE at the Marshals LA premiere.
“He doesn’t understand why I have that big thing on my head.” That said, the baby loves visiting the set and got excited when he was brought along.
New episodes of Marshals air Sundays at 8pm ET on CBS.
The Italian government has slammed a proposal by a U.S. government official to replace the Iranian team with Italy in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Italian football team was not able to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive tournament, despite being a four-time champion.
Iran’s participation in the mega event is in serious doubt amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel war against Iran. All the group matches of the Persian team are scheduled to take place in the United States.
Iranian officials have requested FIFA to reschedule Iranian matches in Canada or Mexico, the co-hosts for 2026 sporting showpiece.
The Iranian Ministry of Sports and Youth has clarified that all the necessary arrangements have already been made for the team’s effective participation in the tournament.
Despite the assurance, Paolo Zampolli, a U.S. envoy for global relations, presented the idea to replace Iran with Italy, saying, “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”
Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi rejected the proposal, saying, “You qualify on the pitch.” Italian Minister of Economy and Finance Giancarlo Giorgetti also rebuked the suggestion, describing it as “shameful.”
Italian Olympic Committee President Luciano Buonfiglio was the third high-ranking official to say no to the idea, adding, “It’s not possible. In order to go to the World Cup, you have to earn it.”
FIFA responded by reiterating the Infantino’s statement, “The Iranian team is coming here, for sure.”
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