:00:00. > :00:07.Hello and welcome to BBC Newsline. from
:00:08. > :00:10.20 roads in Fermanagh have been closed because of flooding.
:00:11. > :00:13.And the Rivers Agency has warned that things may become worse
:00:14. > :00:16.as water levels in Lough Erne to continue to rise.
:00:17. > :00:19.The authorities have urged motorists and pedestrians not
:00:20. > :00:22.to attempt to drive or walk through flood water.
:00:23. > :00:29.Here's our reporter in the west, Julian Fowler.
:00:30. > :00:31.Water is slowly rising around the Ark in this children's
:00:32. > :00:34.You would think that boats would come in useful,
:00:35. > :00:39.but marina business beside the lough's shore
:00:40. > :00:44.Last night, it was up another inch, at least and, as you can see,
:00:45. > :00:50.It was flooded in 2009 and about another eight inches,
:00:51. > :00:55.nine inches, it will be as bad as 2009, if it doesn't stop rising.
:00:56. > :00:58.These boats at Carry Bridge may look afloat, but they are actually
:00:59. > :01:04.And the workshop here is flooded again.
:01:05. > :01:16.We normally lift out a lot of boats for the winter here and the men
:01:17. > :01:19.are working on those through till the start of the season again,
:01:20. > :01:21.so at this moment in time, there's nothing we can do,
:01:22. > :01:25.so it leaves us now that the lads have to be laid off and it's part
:01:26. > :01:29.of our income and it's a big part of our income that leads us right
:01:30. > :01:32.Two roads that cross Upper Lough Erne were raised
:01:33. > :01:36.They are now closed to cars, meaning a long detour via Enniskillen.
:01:37. > :01:39.A few days ago, sheep were in these fields.
:01:40. > :01:45.The water had also risen at the Share Activity
:01:46. > :01:51.On Monday, the fitness room was under water.
:01:52. > :01:55.Today, the pumps were still doing their job.
:01:56. > :01:58.With warnings of further flooding, the emergency services are preparing
:01:59. > :02:05.In County Down, an investigation has begun into a crash which saw a bus
:02:06. > :02:08.leave the road and end up in the sea.
:02:09. > :02:12.It happened at about 6.30 this morning on the Ards Peninsula.
:02:13. > :02:18.Early this morning on the shores of Strangford Lough,
:02:19. > :02:21.the bus was travelling on the main coastal road From Newtownards
:02:22. > :02:26.It hit this wall, careered across the road and went
:02:27. > :02:32.There was a big drop before it landed on its wheels.
:02:33. > :02:34.The driver suffered only minor injuries and there were no
:02:35. > :02:38.There were no other vehicles involved.
:02:39. > :02:41.But the damage to the bus was extensive on the front
:02:42. > :02:47.The beginning of the recovery operation was swift but not quick
:02:48. > :02:53.The rising waters submerging most of the vehicle.
:02:54. > :02:55.A bus that should've been full of passengers by then filling
:02:56. > :03:00.That meant that the onshore recovery services needed help
:03:01. > :03:06.As the operation unfolded, the force of the tide
:03:07. > :03:11.A difficult recovery demanding a close inspection,
:03:12. > :03:17.The rugged shoreline proved to be challenging.
:03:18. > :03:19.Eventually, strength and power succeeded,
:03:20. > :03:23.And around one o'clock, over six and a half hours
:03:24. > :03:35.the recovery operation was over and an investigation was beginning.
:03:36. > :03:38.A student has been cleared of causing the death of a baby
:03:39. > :03:41.in a car crash in Fermanagh nearly three years ago.
:03:42. > :03:45.John Fahy from Sligo denied that he was to blame for a collision
:03:46. > :03:49.in which 19-month-old Ryan Cox was killed.
:03:50. > :03:52.The child's mother, who was driving, was seriously injured.
:03:53. > :03:59.Our reporter Lisa McCalister was at court in Dungannon.
:04:00. > :04:09.It took the jury just under two hours to acquit John Michael Fahy
:04:10. > :04:15.from Sligo. The 25-year-old, seen here at an earlier hearing, had been
:04:16. > :04:19.accused of causing the death of Ryan Cox by careless driving and injuring
:04:20. > :04:23.his mother, Katriona Cox. She, alongside Ryan's father, wept as the
:04:24. > :04:29.verdict was delivered today. The prosecution claimed that the crash
:04:30. > :04:34.almost three years ago had been caused by Mr to's inexperienced
:04:35. > :04:39.driving or buy over steering. He claimed he came around the bend and
:04:40. > :04:42.Katriona Cox was on his side of the road and he had nowhere to go. She
:04:43. > :04:47.has no memory of the accident, or indeed most of that day. A
:04:48. > :04:52.pathologist told the court that Ryan Cox, who was 19 months old, died
:04:53. > :04:58.from injuries to the spinal-cord in his neck. Another witness also told
:04:59. > :05:01.the trial that she saw Fahy on the road a short time before the
:05:02. > :05:07.accident and that his driving was careful and proper. Mr and Mrs Cox
:05:08. > :05:11.didn't comment as they left court this evening, and neither did Mr
:05:12. > :05:12.Fahy, he is expected to finish his degree in architecture from the
:05:13. > :05:15.University of Ulster. A man's critically ill
:05:16. > :05:18.after a blast in north Belfast. A 40-gallon oil drum exploded
:05:19. > :05:21.at the Edenderry Industrial Estate The Health and Safety Executive
:05:22. > :05:32.is investigating. Arlene Foster is to get a clear run
:05:33. > :05:35.to become the new leader of the DUP, Talk of a contest evaporated this
:05:36. > :05:39.morning when the one possible contender, Sammy Wilson,
:05:40. > :05:41.said he wouldn't be putting Nominations for the post
:05:42. > :05:44.closed at teatime. Her life will never
:05:45. > :05:51.quite be the same again. Arlene Foster will soon be
:05:52. > :05:53.the leader of the DUP Sharing power with
:05:54. > :05:59.Martin McGuinness. They were together this afternoon
:06:00. > :06:06.at a business event in the manner, They were together this afternoon
:06:07. > :06:09.at a business event in Fermanagh, It is all a far cry
:06:10. > :06:14.from Good Friday, 1998, she walked out of the Stormont
:06:15. > :06:18.talks. But since then, she's changed
:06:19. > :06:20.parties and in the wake of subsequent agreements,
:06:21. > :06:22.changed her attitude to Sinn Fein. So how does she feel about working
:06:23. > :06:25.with Martin McGuinness? I have worked with Sinn Fein,
:06:26. > :06:27.I recognise that they do have a mandate in terms
:06:28. > :06:30.of the numbers that they have that I have worked there since 2007
:06:31. > :06:35.as a Minister for the Environment and then as a Minister of Trade
:06:36. > :06:37.and Investment are now I will continue to work for what is
:06:38. > :06:41.right for Northern Ireland and what is good for the people
:06:42. > :06:44.of Northern Ireland. It is a new era, I suppose,
:06:45. > :06:47.in terms of the DUP. I think it is very welcome
:06:48. > :06:50.that it is a woman in the lead, # For he's a jolly good fellow,
:06:51. > :06:57.and so say all of us. Sammy Wilson had been tempted to run
:06:58. > :07:01.for leader, very tempted, but he decided this morning not
:07:02. > :07:04.to put his name forward. Nigel Dodds made the same
:07:05. > :07:08.decision on Monday. And so with none of the MPs wanting
:07:09. > :07:11.the top job, the outcome This evening, Peter Robinson
:07:12. > :07:25.confirmed the news on social media. Here at party headquarters,
:07:26. > :07:29.they are preparing the change. Here at party headquarters,
:07:30. > :07:31.they are preparing for change. Arlene Foster is expected to be
:07:32. > :07:34.confirmed by the party executive of the new DUP leader next week,
:07:35. > :07:37.but she won't take over The full handover will take place
:07:38. > :07:42.on the 11th of January. Then in May, there's the Assembly
:07:43. > :08:01.election, the first big test The price of petrol could fall to ?1
:08:02. > :08:05.a litre before Christmas because of a worldwide drop in the price of
:08:06. > :08:10.oil. It could mean hundreds of pounds worth of saving for consumers
:08:11. > :08:14.if this is reflected at the pumps. Crude oil is there one third of the
:08:15. > :08:19.price it was four years ago. We have already seen a 30% drop in prices
:08:20. > :08:23.from last year. If the price of a barrel of oil continues to fall and
:08:24. > :08:27.it continues to be passed on to the consumer, there could be
:08:28. > :08:31.considerable savings. Let's get the weather now, with Cecilia.
:08:32. > :08:35.It is looking much drier, thankfully, over the next few days
:08:36. > :08:38.but it will get quite cold and not completely dry. A few showers
:08:39. > :08:44.tonight but not an awful lot of rain to fall, temperatures into low
:08:45. > :08:47.single figures and shows could get wintry, particularly during
:08:48. > :08:53.tomorrow. It may start of Chile with a touch of frost and ice around, but
:08:54. > :08:56.in between the showers, some sunshine to greet you tomorrow
:08:57. > :09:00.morning though it will feel cold and the brisk wind. Lots of snow showers
:09:01. > :09:03.piling into the Scottish mountains, one or two over the mountains of
:09:04. > :09:08.northern England. Further south across the Republic, Wales, Southern
:09:09. > :09:14.counties and the East Midlands and East Anglia, slow-moving band of
:09:15. > :09:17.rain. Brighter skies the Northern Ireland was sunshine in between the
:09:18. > :09:20.showers but they will be more frequent across the western
:09:21. > :09:25.temperatures, as you can see, considerably lower compared to
:09:26. > :09:29.today, up to 11 or 12 degrees today. A cold night on Thursday, a chilly
:09:30. > :09:37.day on Friday but it will stay cold but drier into the next weekend, and
:09:38. > :09:41.the rain will move up from the side on Friday night, it will lead to
:09:42. > :09:45.some disruption and snow on the mountains. Friday night, blustery
:09:46. > :09:48.and quite chilly, a few showers that wintry on the higher ground. Most of
:09:49. > :09:50.Saturday should stay dry but it is good to on Sunday.
:09:51. > :09:55.We'll be back at 6.25am tomorrow during BBC Breakfast.