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War between Israel and Iran is adding to a “polycrisis” of threats to global energy security, the chief of Malaysian oil major Petronas has warned, as tariffs and geopolitical turmoil drive up prices.

Global oil prices have surged since Friday when Israel launched strikes inside Iran, which retaliated with missiles and drones and has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz – through which a fifth of the world’s oil supply flows.

Malaysian state oil company Petronas has already reacted to the global economic gloom, slashing a tenth of its almost 50,000 workforce, saying the company will not exist in 10 years otherwise.

Speaking at a Kuala Lumpur conference on Monday, Petronas Group CEO Tengku Muhammad Taufik noted that the global oil price had seen the largest price surge since 2022 in anticipation of a supply shock from the Israel-Iran war.

“These seismic shifts of global conflicts, technological revelations and climate change [are] what Petronas has described as polycrisis,” Taufik said, adding that this was exacerbated by the projected population of the Asia-Pacific region that would rise to 5.2 billion in 2050.

The region must diversify and scale up its energy portfolio, he said, stressing that energy was no longer the exclusive domain of oil and gas firms.

As every parent knows well, the choices you make for your child in the early years can ripple through their whole future. What your little one learns now can shape everything from their university applications to the career they’ll one day aspire to. 

A world-class British education is one of the best ways to prepare your child for success in their teen and adult years. Of course, even when you’re keen to give your child every possible advantage, finding the right primary school can be challenging when you’re living abroad as an expat. 

If you’re in search of a great British international education, online learning with leading school King’s InterHigh could be your best solution.

Why start a British education early?

The first few years in school are key in equipping your child with knowledge and understanding for their future academic journey, but primary education is about more than just absorbing information. These are also the crucial years where your child develops their approach to learning, builds their skills and confidence, and starts discovering the passions they may pursue one day.

Making the right choice now pays dividends for years to come, and the British curriculum is a prime choice for your child’s early academic development. Respected around the world, the British curriculum has been designed to progressively build skills, foundations, and enthusiasm during these formative years. In a British international primary school, your child will become a keen and curious explorer, actively engaging with the knowledge and ideas they’ll need for their future education.

As an expat family, you’re already giving your child a global advantage. Pairing that with a British education compounds those benefits, setting your child up for the future.

Online British education with King’s InterHigh

Families in Indonesia (and beyond) can now start their child’s British education journey with innovative, supportive, and personalised online schooling on a schedule that works for them at King’s InterHigh.

Currently enrolling for September 2025, King’s InterHigh is delighted to be expanding with a live, interactive curriculum for Years 4 to 6 (ages 8 to 11) taught in the Southeast Asia time zone. Students get all the same benefits as they would studying with King’s InterHigh in the UK – from British and internationally qualified teachers to fun social activities – with the benefit of a timetable that mirrors a typical local school day. Plus, the online classroom serves as a nurturing environment where children can learn from their teachers, befriend their classmates, and make great academic progress.

Unlike traditional international schools, King’s InterHigh has no waiting lists or lengthy admissions procedures. Students can start right away this September, and since learning is accessible online from anywhere in the world, there’s no need to worry about disrupting your child’s education next time your family relocates.

Preparing for global success

After primary school, students can continue with King’s InterHigh through secondary school and sixth form anywhere in the world with three time zone options to choose from: Southeast Asia (GMT + 7), Middle East (GMT + 4), or UK (GMT/BST). This gives your child a solid pathway to IGCSE and A Level qualifications, which are recognised and respected by universities and employers across the world.

That’s what makes an online British education such a great way to prepare for success in tomorrow’s world. Plus, as part of King’s InterHigh’s global community, your child will learn alongside peers from over 100 countries worldwide. This, combined with expat life, gives your child a global perspective that’s increasingly valued by universities and employers.

No matter what your child may aspire to one day, online school can guide them there. King’s InterHigh has taught more than 12,500 alumni since 2005, with students going on to a wide variety of future goals — from top universities like Cambridge and Yale to pathways in sports, acting, and entrepreneurship.

Building lifelong skills

Online learning also offers children a more innovative approach to education, helping them build skills they’ll use for years to come. Virtual classrooms, for example, help children develop their digital fluency naturally. In a world where computers are becoming an increasingly prevalent part of all careers, knowing how to get the most out of technology will take your child far. 

Still, this doesn’t mean that students who learn online get too much screen time. At King’s InterHigh, online lessons are balanced with hands-on projects to support well-rounded growth. In those small online classes, students are also guided to build useful offline skills for life, like time management, organisation, initiative, and teamwork.

“Since joining King’s InterHigh, my children have become independent learners,” says Patma Kanagasabai, a Malaysia-based mother with two sons learning online. She explains, “they don’t depend on me for help any more. They can research by themselves and present what they’ve learned directly to their teachers.”

In turn, this approach can boost your child’s learning outcomes too. Thanks to the use of tools like augmented reality (AR) and simulations, many online school students perform well above their grade level.

Strengthening English skills

For expatriate children, building and maintaining strong English language skills is key for success in the global market. Naturally, choosing an English-medium education is a great way to ensure your child has the fluency needed to access any opportunity that comes their way.

King’s InterHigh’s primary school is proudly non-selective, welcoming all students who speak English at an A2 level or above. Every lesson is recorded, so children can rewatch classes whenever they need to, 24/7. This can be particularly helpful for building language confidence and developing an authentic pronunciation, vocabulary, and communication style for adulthood.

Kickstart your child’s future this year

A British primary education is one of the most valuable investments you can make in your child’s future. The foundations they build now will create momentum that carries through to secondary school, university, and beyond.

Secure your child’s primary school place at King’s InterHigh for September 2025 to set them on the path to success with supportive, high-quality learning.

Authorities are searching for two Australian men suspected of fatally shooting a Melbourne man and injuring another at a villa on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) confirmed a man died and another was injured.

The shooting, just after midnight on Friday at Villa Casa Santisya near Munggu Beach in the district of Badung, killed Zivan Radmanovic, 32, from Melbourne. The second victim, who is 34 and also from Melbourne, was beaten, Badung police chief, Arif Batubara, said.

“We cannot yet determine the motive,” Batubara said, adding that an investigation was under way.

The two Australians were taken to hospitals in Denpasar.

Dfat confirmed on Sunday morning it was helping the family of a dead man but would not confirm his name.

“[The department] is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in a shooting incident in Bali,” it said in a statement.

“We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time.

“DFAT stands ready to provide consular assistance to another Australian injured in the same incident.

“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment.”

According to police, the villa had only three rooms occupied with a total of five guests when the shooting happened. The two victims’ wives were also there and another foreign tourist, Batubara said.

Radmanovic was shot in a bathroom, where police found 17 bullet casings and two intact bullets.

At least three witnesses at the villa told investigators that two gunmen, one wearing an orange jacket with a dark helmet and another wearing a dark green jacket, a black mask and a dark helmet, arrived on a scooter at the villa around midnight.

Radmanovic’s wife told police she woke up when she heard her husband screaming. She cowered under a blanket when she heard multiple gunshots.

She later found her husband’s body and the injured Australian, whose wife has also testified to seeing the attackers.

The Australian consulate in Bali has been contacted by authorities and an autopsy for further investigation was waiting permission from the family of the victim, Batubara said.