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RIYADH: ������Ƶ's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday condoled with Pakistan over the victims of floods that struck the country's north, resulting in deaths, injuries, and missing persons.

In a cable to President Asif Ali Zardari, King Salman extended his "deepest condolences and sincere sympathy" to the families of the victims and the people of Pakistan as a whole, praying for the "speedy recovery of the injured and safe return of the missing."

The crown prince sent a similar cable to Zardari, according to the Saudi Press Agency, or the SPA.

Pakistani officials have said at least 344 lost their lives, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday.  More than 150 were reported still missing.

Homes were flattened by torrents of water that swept down from the mountains in Buner, carrying boulders that smashed into houses like explosions.

The government said that while an early warning system was in place, the sudden downpour in Buner was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be alerted.

Lt. Gen. Inam Haider, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, told a hastily convened news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan was experiencing shifting weather patterns because of climate change. 

Since the monsoon season began in June, Pakistan has already received 50 percent more rainfall than in the same period last year, he added.

(With Agencies)

RIYADH: The English Language Institute at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh has opened registration for its preparatory English course, aimed at equipping female students with the necessary academic language skills to enroll in the university’s graduate programs.

The course is designed to enable students wishing to join graduate programs at the university to meet admission requirements through an intensive training program that focuses on developing academic English language skills within a learning environment supervised by specialized faculty members.

The two tracks of the course consist of a 12-week study program, with a total of 30 training hours, designed for first-level students, and an 18-week study program, also with a total of 30 training hours, designed for second-level students.

Both tracks are divided between in-person attendance and self-learning.

A certificate of completion will be awarded to students who achieve a score of 70 percent or higher in all assessments.

This initiative comes as part of the English Language Institute’s efforts to contribute to the objectives of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University’s 2025 Strategic Plan, which aims to support and empower female students linguistically by offering specialized preparatory programs that enhance their path toward graduate studies and strengthen their academic competence.

Registration for the two tracks are open until Aug. 24.

More information about the course can be found through the following link: https://pnu.edu.sa/ar/MediaCenter/Pages/AdvertisementDetails.aspx?RequestID=480