Policeman gets suspended jail term over migrant child death

BRUSSELS (AP) — A Belgian court handed a one-year suspended prison sentence to a police officer on Friday over the shooting death of a two-year-old toddler who was in a van during a high-speed chase of suspected migrant smugglers.

The court in the southern Belgian city of Mons ruled that the police officer’s version of an accidental shooting was credible but also found that he had a share of responsibility for the child’s death.

According to local media, the van’s driver was sentenced to four years in prison while another alleged smuggler was acquitted. The smugglers were trying to reach Britain during the pursuit.

In May 2018, police wanted to check on a suspicious van making its way through Belgium and gave chase when the driver tried to evade them. Police shot at the van during the chase, striking two-year-old Kurd Mawda Shawri in the head. She later died of her injuries.

Belgian authorities said pursing officers shot at the car to try and stop it and had no intention of targeting the people inside. The police officer who took the shot said he tried to puncture the vehicle’s left front tire and force it to come to a stop. In all, 30 people were in the van including Mawda’s brother and parents.

UK boss of KPMG quits after slamming staff COVID complaints

LONDON (AP) — The chairman of accountancy firm KPMG in the U.K. has resigned after reportedly telling staff to stop complaining about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their lives and jobs.

Bill Michael said Friday he would leave at the end of this month because his position had become “untenable.”

The Financial Times reported that in a staff conference call on Monday, Michael told staff not to “moan” about the pandemic and to “stop playing the victim card” over concerns about possible cuts to pensions, pay and bonuses.

He also reportedly admitted to meeting clients for coffee during lockdown, and called training against unconscious bias — the idea that people can hold stereotypes and prejudices without realizing it — “complete crap.”