Press Digest: Financial Times - September 17

Semiconductor Manufacturing International

17/09/2025 03:28

Sept 17 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Headlines

- China trials its first advanced tools for AI chipmaking

- Senior UK official asks whether pause in pharma sector spending is 'co-ordinated'

- BlackRock expands leadership bench in reorganisation of top talent

- US tech giants pledge billions for UK AI infrastructure during Trump visit

Overview

- China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation 0981.HK is testing a deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machine made by Shanghai-based start-up Yuliangsheng to challenge western rivals in producing artificial intelligence processors.

- A senior UK government official has questioned whether pharmaceutical companies are running a co-ordinated pressure campaign to drive up state spending on drugs. Eli Lilly LLY.N, Merck MRK.N and AstraZeneca AZN.L have all said in recent weeks that they plan to roll back investment.

- Asset manager Blackrock BLK.N adds 20 executives to powerful global executive committee and formalised a council of its most senior executives as the world's biggest asset manager reshapes its highest ranks.

- U.S. tech giants including Microsoft MSFT.O, Nvidia NVDA.O, Google GOOGL.O, and OpenAI said they would together invest tens of billions of pounds to build computing infrastructure in the UK, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed a new tech alliance with U.S. President Donald Trump.

($1 = 0.733 pounds)

 (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)

 ((globalnewsmonitoring@thomsonreuters.com))