#1
A prominent politician on the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao, Helmin Wiels, has been shot dead.

Witnesses said he was killed on the beach by gunmen who sped off in a car.

Mr Wiels, 54, led the Pueblo Soberano party, which campaigns for independence from the Netherlands.

Local media say it is the first time a politician has been assassinated in Curacao. Prime Minister Daniel Hodge said: "This act was horrendous, terrible, and we are in shock."

Beach attack
"We are not accustomed to these things on the island," the prime minister said.


A motive for the killing remains unclear, but the Curacao government said Mr Wiels had received threats in the past.