07/05/2014 BBC Newsline

locating the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram, but now on BBC One,

it's Hello and welcome to BBC Newsline.

95 Republicans who received so called On the Run letters were

linked to nearly 300 murders. The revelation was made at a meeting of

the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster today. The

Chief Constable Matt Baggott stressed that did not mean they are

guilty and said they could still be prosecuted if new evidence emerges,

or if they were sent a letter by mistake. Our Home Affairs

Correspondent Vincent Kearney reports. The focus of the debate has

until now been the number of Republicans sent letters telling

them they were not wanted by the police. Today details of the number

of the potential victims were revealed. The officer who leads the

PSNI serious crime branch was asked if any of those would have been

considered to be notorious. You look through all of these, the full 228

names, there are people in that who are in your terms notorious. 95 of

these individuals are linked in some way or another to 200 murder

investigations. So that linkage may only be intelligence. That drew this

response. I must say it breaks my heart today, as a citizen of

Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom to know that 95 people are

holding letters that excuse them for the murder of 200 people. But the

Chief Constable stressed that did not mean there was evidence to prove

those 95 individuals were guilty of murder. I wouldn't say you say say

it has cleared people of murders. That is an extreme statement. Mr

Harries did say they were links, but not there was evidence there. There

may not be grounds to arrest. The PSNI issued a statement to clarify

the position. It said the 95 has been linked to incidents involving

295 murders and five of those sent letters are now being

reinvestigated, because of new evidence provided by the Historical

Enquiries Team. That is not clear. We have to go through a process and

we have not presented the files to the PPS and it would be for the PPS

to take a view on the way the evidence against those individuals

and then pursue that, the issue of the status of their not wanted

letter. The PSNI is re-examining letters sent to 292 Republicans

telling him they were not wanted, to see if mistakes were made and if

there is evidence that would change that position. The Chief Constable

said letters would not prevent prosecutions if new evidence

emerges. A team of 19 detective is reviewing the cases it will take

three years. A 56-year-old man arrested earlier today in connection

with the abduction and murder of Jean McConville in 1972 has been

released. A report has been sent to the Public Prosecution Service. This

lunchtime Mrs McConville's family released doves. They also planted a

tree in her memory at the Wave Trauma Centre on what would have

been the Belfast mother's 80th birthday. I think the tree is a good

way of representing my granny, because it will nower in May when it

is -- flower in May on her birthday. Students at Queen's University have

tonight voted against a proposed ban on the sale of poppies in the

Students' Union. 40 voted against banning their sale, while 15 voted

in favour of it in a secret ballot. BBC Newsline canvassed opinion

earlier today on the motion. I think that is a shame. You see things down

in the republic, they are moving forward and the Irish Government are

coming to Enniskillen and forward and the Irish Government are

take part in remembrance Day and it is a shame. It is not the students'

union saying you have to wear it R More and more young people are

trying to move on. For someone to bring that up seems very childish in

my opinion. An 18-year-old man has been charged with the attempted

murder of a man in Lisburn almost two years ago. Scott Vineer was

found unconscious by police at the rear of a disused furniture showroom

on Laganback Road in September 2012. The man will appear at Lisburn

Magistrates court on 2nd June. The Republic's Justice Minister Alan

Shatter has resigned, after criticism in a report about Police

whistle-blowers. The announcement was made in the Dail this afternoon.

Will Leitch reports. I'm advising the president to accept the

resignation of Alan Shatter. I have accepted his resignation with regret

and would thank him for his service. With that announcement today, ended

the career of an Irish Government minister rarely far from

controversy. Alan Shatter became a Government minister three years ago

in charge of justice and defence. Two bugging scandal, a row over

drivers' penalty points and a failure to complete a breath test

drivers' penalty points and a for the police kept him in the

headlines. He was accused for the police kept him in the

interfering with a tribunal looking into the 1989 murder of two RUC

offices. The resignation after a report into allegations made by a

police whistle blower. The Giro d'Italia cycle race starts in

Belfast on Friday. With the professional riders hitting the

roads for three days of racing, motorists will face disruption along

the route. And in Belfast some schools will be closed. BBC

Newsline's Mark Simpson reports. schools will be closed. BBC

Right on the route of the Giro, one of the largest schools in east

Belfast. With road closures in place in the morning and afternoon on

Friday, these pupils have a problem. Specially getting home from school.

The solution - most of them will be getting an unexpected day off. It is

too much of a risk to ask the girls to come to school if they're not

sitting a public exam. Those will come in and we will open up early

and provide breakfast. Here is Friday's route.

All of these roads will be closed from 9. 30am to 12. 30 and from hpm.

Stay away from the route if you're not going see the vent. We have put

up pink signs is. Pay attention to not going see the vent. We have put

those and look at the leaflets and understand where the race will be.

If you want to see the race, make your plans early, understand where

you want to get to and it will take some time. Leave plenty of time and

use public transport where you can or walk or ride your bike. Bear in

mind you can't ride your bike on the route itself. Preparations are now

almost complete. There is one thing that cannot guarantee and that is

the weather. Fortunately organisers have ordered thousands of those -

official waterproofs! Rain or no rain, the Tourist Board are hoping

to show off the best sites of Northern Ireland with their latest

promotional video. The advice from the Giro organisers is don't try

this at home, but make sure you come and see the big race starting on

Friday. Now with the weather forecast here's Cecilia Daly. Hello,

the unsettled theme continues. We are surrounded by areas of low

pressure. Although at the moment there is some dry weather around

with some clear skies in the north and east. That won't last through

the night as cloudier skies and patchy rain will edge northwards. It

starts dry, but the rain will return quickly tomorrow morning. Initially

patchy, but becoming more widespread as the morning goes on. Not as windy

tomorrow, but there could be a few sharp bursts of rain. A wet start in

the Republican of Ireland. That rain will move northward. Fairly cloudy

over many parts of England and Wales with more rain than not. For the

north of Scotland, brighter, but some heavy showers and thunder

storms. For Northern Ireland still weather through early part of

afternoon. But the rain edges east and it should become drier and

brighter later in the day. Where the sun is out, 14 degrees and not as

gusty. Some heavy showers on Thursday night and following that

further showers on Friday. As the day goes on the showers will ease

and many places will become dry on Friday evening. The rain continues

to affect us through weekend. Especially on Saturday. That's it

for now. You can keep up to date with News Online and follow this

programme on Facebook and Twitter. From BBC Newsline goodnight.