International News 22 January 2026
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Berkshire to Exit Kraft Heinz After a Decade-Long Investment
Berkshire Hathaway is set to sell its entire 27.5% stake in Kraft Heinz, marking the end of a more than decade-long investment that failed to deliver for Warren Buffett. Kraft Heinz filed a prospectus on Tuesday (Jan. 20, 2026) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to register the potential resale of Berkshire’s 325.4 million shares. Berkshire, the company’s largest shareholder, helped engineer the 2015 merger of Kraft Foods and H.J. Heinz alongside Brazil’s 3G Capital, which exited its stake in 2023. The combined company later announced plans to split into two again by the end of this year, a move Buffett previously said he and Berkshire CEO Greg Abel did not support. Kraft Heinz shares closed up 0.23% at US$23.76, valuing Berkshire’s stake at about US$7.7 billion, but fell 4.9% in after-hours trading following the filing. Berkshire has already written down its Kraft Heinz investment by US$3.76 billion in August 2025 and US$3 billion in 2019. The food company has struggled after years of cost-cutting, underinvestment, and rising competition from healthier and private-label brands, making it one of the worst performers in the U.S. food sector. Kraft Heinz appointed former Kellogg CEO Steve Cahillane as its new chief executive on Jan. 1, the same day Abel officially became Berkshire’s CEO, as the company seeks to revive long-term value.
Oil Prices Slide on Geopolitical Tensions and Rising U.S. Inventory
Crude oil prices fell more than 1% in early Asian trading on Wednesday (Jan 21, 2026), weighed down by geopolitical tensions and expectations of a larger increase in U.S. crude inventories. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for March delivery dropped 79 cents, or 1.31%, to US$59.57 per barrel at 07:15 WIB. Brent crude for March delivery had not yet started trading, but rose 98 cents, or 1.53%, to US$64.92 per barrel in the previous session. Prices had earlier been supported by Kazakhstan’s temporary shutdown of production at the Tengiz and Korolev oil fields and strong Chinese economic data. However, analysts said broader market pressures remain dominant, including U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive stance on Greenland and the risk of new tariffs on European countries. Meanwhile, a Reuters poll showed U.S. crude and gasoline inventories are expected to have risen last week, adding further downside pressure to oil prices.
Zoho Expands Global Data Center Footprint, Launches Two New Facilities in the UAE
Zoho Corporation has launched two new data centers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi as part of its broader global expansion strategy. The Chennai-based technology firm has committed AED 100 million in investments in the United Arab Emirates since 2023 and plans to build more data centers in other countries. ManageEngine CEO Rajesh Ganesan said Zoho’s near-term focus is on the Middle East and Southeast Asia, with Africa and Latin America targeted in later phases. He noted that decisions to build new facilities depend on market growth potential, regulatory requirements, data compliance, and local customer needs, in line with Zoho’s “global vision, local execution” philosophy. Zoho prefers to build its data centers from scratch rather than rely on third-party cloud infrastructure, aiming to maintain full control over software development, security, and data privacy. The company acknowledged that data center development requires significant time, expertise, energy resources, and regulatory readiness, citing lengthy approval processes in countries such as Saudi Arabia. While Indonesia remains on Zoho’s long-term radar, no concrete plans have been announced. Co-founder and CEO Shailesh Davey said the UAE expansion supports data sovereignty and national cybersecurity goals by enabling local data storage. With the two new facilities, Zoho now operates a total of 20 data centers worldwide.