The chief executive of Denmark’s biggest bank has resigned after an internal investigation revealed most of some €200bn (£178bn) of payments moved through its Estonian branch was down to money laundering of cash from Russia, the UK and the British Virgin Islands

Motherhood is a key driver behind the lack of women in top roles in financial services, according to research commissioned by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), which says more evidence of ‘what works’ is needed to tackle the disparity

The Treasury has launched a review into barriers for women in business after research found that they are half as likely as men to be involved in starting a business, and only a third of entrepreneurs are female

This week's news of professional moves in the sector includes a head of tax at Armstrong Watson, 11 trainees join MHA Carpenter Box’s audit and business services teams, restructuring firm CVR Global appoints an associate director

Research involving 1,200 finance employees in the UK found millennials plan to use robots to avoid human interaction at work, while older workers only intend to use them to tackle tasks such as online filing

A husband and wife team from County Tyrone who ran a haulage company have been given jail sentences for a £194,000 VAT fraud following an HMRC investigation

HMRC’s latest list of major tax defaulters is topped by a telecommunications company owing £2.7m on £4.3m unpaid tax, followed closely by an online trader owing £2.6m, with a raft of restaurants and takeaways, as well as an accountancy service and financial instruments provider, also featuring

The gathering pace of technology means that machine learning and blockchain will soon make their presence felt at the top level of business, but there will still be a need for someone to hold the reins, argues David Venus FCIS

Audit Scotland has warned that the Scottish government’s plans to provide fibre broadband access to 100% of premises in Scotland by 2021 will be ‘difficult to realise’ as geographical constraints and technology limitations slow progress

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has hosted the inaugural meeting of a new independent expert panel looking at competition in the digital economy which will be examining the potential legal and regulatory impact

Credit ratings agency Equifax has been fined £500,000, the maximum possible at the time, by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for failing to protect the personal and financial information of up to 15m UK citizens during a cyber-attack in 2017

Deloitte has reported an 11.3% rise in global revenues, which hit $43.2bn (£323.7bn) for the fiscal year ended 31 May 2018, making the firm the current leader of the Big Four worldwide

The Pensions Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) has been updated to bring it in line with the latest FRS 102 triennial review. Sarah Perrin ACA looks at the key changes including common investment funds, definition of a financial institution and material uncertainty

Orla Kiely, the 1970s-inspired fashion designer, has closed its UK and Irish stores and called in administrators following a period of difficult trading

Surrey-based SKS Business Services has begun spending a £10m ‘war chest’ with the aim of creating a national network and has acquired four accountancy practices in recent weeks, with more in the pipeline for the autumn