and major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news america." >> this is "bbc world news reporting from washington. a roof collapses in london, more than 80 are injured. violence spreads in south sudan where thousands have been forced to take shelter. we will have the latest from the white house. chelseadecades the hotel has been home to some artistic legends but now the famed new york landmark faces an uncertain future.

welcome to our viewers on public television in america and around the globe, tonight part of a roof and a crowded theater in london collapsed during a performance. authorities say that 85 people have been injured. when the incident occurred at the apollo theater in the west end. ben is on the scene. >> one of the busiest nights of the year with the streets filled with christmas revelers. art of the ceiling at the apollo theater collapsed. house,an almost packed the emergency services were called almost immediately. eight fire engines and rescue vehicles accompanied by police and an ambulance and they were here to help as people began to emerge from the theater amid the scenes of chaos and confusion. outside, frantic but controlled

pandemonium.ide the emergency services were called to the apollo theater after sections of the roof fell in midway through the first half performance. the streets were cordoned off as a major emergency response was called. inside.cribe the scenes >> we were hit by all sorts of things. i got hit on the head by a piece of masonry or something. we are all fine. heard, and we have breathed in a lot of dust, which is almost the worst of it. >> there were at least 30 walking wounded. survivors described in disoriented. helped hises -- pregnant girlfriend to safety. >> we were watching the play and we saw some movement above us. i think there was some small crumbling happened. if in an instant, the entire

roof caved in. and then dust filled the entire theater. and then there was a mad rush to get out. >> the apollo theater is in the end, onelondon's west of numerous theaters in the area. serious incident of the dog in the nighttime" has been an adaptation of the best-selling book. none of the cast or crew is thought to be hurt. the cause of the collapse is not known. those inside reported a sudden downpour just before it happened and say the roof was creaking for some time before it fell in. the latest casualty figures we have, more than 80 walking wounded and five people have been seriously hurt. many take into a triage center at another theater nearby.

the cause of the collapse remains a mystery. investigations into what caused it will take some time and may not even start yet. there is praise for the response of the emergency services who were on the scene within three minutes. is outside ofy the apollo theater in central london. what is the mood? >> a lot of people are shaken. i was a -- i am at the stage door and we see some of the cast coming out. friends from various who rushed here to talk to them. the audience described watching the cast looking up, horrified from the stage, and part of the lighting rig fell down. there are fire offices here ends -- as well. many of the walking wounded have london nightlife

continues. there are many people trying to get through the police cordons, coming out of restaurants and other theaters, not realizing what happened. just trying to get home and finding it difficult. lightslly circus, the are very different to the faces of the people who are very shocked and traumatized. wanting to know the latest from the ambulances. more can you tell us about the response from the emergency services? >> just that it was very prompt. there is a fire station within the theater, and the alarm was werely raised and ibo evacuated in an orderly way. we have not heard about whether people had to be freed from inside but certainly the accounts from eyewitnesses are

that people came out, some of a lot of them covered in dust. a lot of dust is described from people in the theater and that the lights went down and that there was a certain amount of anxiety as people felt they might not be able to get out. others not realizing what was going on, thinking it was part of the play before they realized they also had to evacuate. but praise for the emergency services and also for the theater. the theater chaplain is also one hand, talking to some of the crew and some of those behind the scenes who are very shy -- shocked by the experience. henley, thank you. and now the youngest country, south sudan, trying to resist the slide toward civil war. the battle in the capital juba

has extended. tens of thousands have taken shelter and today one of those compounds came under attack. in a moment we will hear from the white house person on the issue but first this report. juba aretionals in leaving and diplomats have come the other way, to kickstart a price us that -- a process that could end the problem. and while people continue to seek refuge, things are said to be improving but clashes are taking place elsewhere. the government has lost control of the town, the united nations said as many as 10 thousand have sought refuge, including the care -- caretaker state governor. further north, in the town of bentiu, oil workers have taken shelter there and the u.n. were supporting the people have gone to compounds in three other towns.

president blamed the clashes on the former vice president, who he said was behind the two attempt, something he denies. it is not clear what the connection is to train the different outbreaks of fighting across the country but the result is the same, people displaced. in some areas the army has split and in others rebel groups may be taking advantage of the uncertain security situation. whatever the cause, diplomats are trying to find a solution. damien zayne, bbc news. watchingite house is the situation very closely. just a short time ago i spoke to gail smith -- gayle smith. the civil war a possibility? >> i am afraid it is. we and others are doing everything we can to ensure it does not become a reality. theas it a mistake for

administration to back independence in south sudan given how divided it is? waso be clear, our position in support of the comprehensive peace agreement, which articulated the option for the people of south sudan to vote and they voted for independence. ofre is a high degree fragility, it is coming out of war. we are seeing some of the manifestations of that right now. at the same time it does have political leadership and we are urging that political leadership to push against violence and to find a peaceful way forward out of a very dangerous political crisis. >> do you see it as a political crisis rather than an ethnic one? >> fundamentally this is a political crisis. there have been disagreements between the president and his

former vice president. that has erupted into the a fewce we saw in juba days ago and at the same time you have a large country where there have been divisions over the years. there is fragility there. , or as yourou said reporter said, some people are going to take advantage of this. whom violence for begets violence. the most urgent thing is to move quickly to bring the violence under control and make all efforts to seek a peaceful resolution of what is a political crisis. >> what implications does it have for the rest of the region? tremendousit is a negative for the region and that is one of the reasons the region has been so prominent in working for peaceful solutions throughout the short history of south sudan, which we very much welcome. they have a vested interest in

having greater stability across the horn of africa, which has been plagued for war by decades. to reduce the cost and the burdens of the underdevelopment in places like south sudan and to move forward as much of the continent is to focus on economic growth and progress. >> what hopes do you have for the mediation efforts? >> i am sorry? >> hopes for the mediation efforts which are going on now. >> it is our view that the region, including the subregion, is very well positioned to persuade the parties in this to come to the table and find a peaceful way forward. we are working with them. we consult with them regularly. our envoy has been in touch with them. our ambassadors are in touch with them. we are hopeful but at the same time i would not want to understate the very real risk of increased violence. >> are you concerned about the

possibility of ethnic cleansing? but again danger there are ethnic divisions in the same way south sudan has celebrated its diversity. tose -- some have chosen exploit those divisions. there are some very clear dangers there. we are watching that very closely. as are many on the ground in south sudan. and that is a danger, in fact. >> gayle smith, thank you for joining us. today, vladimir putin made a surprise announcement saying he plans to pardon mikhail khodorkovsky, who spent more than than a decade in jail. khodorkovsky was once russia's richest man. and a potential rival enough putin. then he became the most famous political risen in russia,

jailed for embezzlement. charges he tonight -- denied. >> mikhail khodorkovsky was arrested in october 2003. he has been in prison ever since, having been put on trial twice for fraud, theft, and money laundering. he is seen as a political prisoner because other oligarchs were not put on trial and because he alone had stayed in russia and continued to stand up to vladimir putin. putin has the blue, said he will pardon mikhail khodorkovsky. he has already spent more than 10 years in jail. it is a serious punishment. these are circumstances of a humanitarian nature. his mother is ill. i will soon sign an order about his pardon. >> mikhail khodorkovsky is

close to in prison, the arctic circle and the announcement today appears to have taken his family and legal team by surprise. the decision follows on the heels of the amnesty agreed in russia on wednesday. that is likely to lead to women from pussy riot being set free. olympics due to start in february, it is seen as an attempt to resolve some of the most controversial cases. all over russia there is an expectation some of the most high-profile prisoners are about to be released. in siberia, where someone else is held, and her fellow pussy iot band members are being retained. but nobody knows what the timetable is. as ever, that will be controlled

by the kremlin. you are watching "bbc world news america." on,l to come, three years we look at what has changed in egypt and how people feel about the new regime. voicemails left for kate middleton by prince william were hacked by the news of the world, according to evidence. prince william was training in 2006 and he almost got shot with blank rounds during a training exercise. they deny the charges against them. vestiges,time of the prince william and kate middleton, then girlfriend and boyfriend, had just graduated from university. he was an officer cadet in training. leaving affectionate messages on her mobile phone.

in one he referred to her as "my little babykins." it's later appeared in the news of the world. land -- into some other ambush and almost got shot. not by live france but by blank rounds, which would be embarrassing. seven years after the evidence, this was the first public confirmation that the news of had hacked phone messages left by the future king and the voicemails of a girlfriend he would marry. and after the jury were told that, they were told that his brother had also had his mobile phone hacked. the jury was shown the transcript of a message left on his voicemail, thought to be from his brother william. the color joke, i think you are the best looking ginger i have ever seen.

will see you soon. when the story was written by the paper, it claimed that prince harry had found the message hilarious. rebecca brooks and the other five defendants all deny all of the charges against them. the trial is set to last into next year. >> and egyptian court acquitted hosni mubarak of corruption charges. it is the latest development in a country that is trying to chart its future. since july, egypt has been ruled by a military installed government. many fear the clock is being turned back. from cairo, we have this report. land of the pharaohs, they cheered for a new leader.

the army chief, the general, poster boy for a two. -- a coup. removed mohamed morsi. next year he could be elected himself. do you want the general to run for president? raise your hand. >> yes, yes. such is the hope of him but you can even find him on the street. for many who fought for change, this leaves a very bitter taste. this person, filmed here in 2011. his dreams of freedom cost him his site. -- sight. his right eye was hit by shotgun pellets. his left eye targeted by a sniper. we sat down with the former tend to stay -- with the former dentist.

he says the old regime plunged into darkness, and has not yet been overthrown. system remains the same. the army is maintaining its position and has applied more privileges. not see a need to change because some young people took to the streets. still taking to the streets, or trying to. although protests are all but banned. prominent liberal activist are being rounded up. but the biggest casualty may be of the muslim brotherhood. these days it is hard to find the brothers so we joined some of the sisters, making a house called to a bereaved family. the revolution bradley brotherhood to power. now they are out in the cold.

this person was born into the organization. it was founded by her grandfather. with hundreds of supporters killed, and thousands jailed, the brotherhood is back underground. the emperor people are behind bars. in every sector, in every district, the first group and the second level and some of the third level have gone. >> gone too is much of the hope that field tah -- filled tahir square. it looks very different today. you can together more than 10 people without permission. some say life is worse now than under mubarak. history was made in the square but the old order has been swept away completely. removeddents have been and many believe the system has

stayed the same, power is in the hands of the army. but there is a sense the revolution is unfinished business. elections are coming in the most populous arab nation, but there are fears the democratic vision for which so many diet may not be realized. may not be realized. >> egypt after mubarak. for more spend half a century josie has -- chelsea hotel has joplin,ylan, and janis and jimi hendrix, just a few that stayed there. now the building is closed for renovation and the future of the hotel remains unclear. cheryl tippins spoke to us about her new book on this cultural landmark. you in the chelsea hotel ♪ ♪ you were talking so brave and so sweet ♪ >> i do not think there has been

anything like the chelsea hotel. i can think of and are the -- of another artist community this large and this old. "inside thehor of dream palace: the life and times of the chelsea hotel." this hotel was completely different from any other hotel in new york. in the 1950s we had jack kerouac stay here, dylan thomas, the poet. he made the chelsea his second home. on dylan created many of his songs when he was living here in the 1960s. "2001"c clarke wrote on the in floor. the hotel became more run down. sid vicious moved in.

it looks like he is already to go. >> the manager was probably the most loved of all of the people who have been in charge of the hotel. he had such a talent for choosing who to put in the room zen had to make the social climate of the hotel stimulating and exciting for the people. a lot of the work the artist did was in the lobby and in a way it was like putting pictures on your mother's refrigerator door. ♪ the downward slide started with the 1970s. really it was the influx of drug use. a lot of drug users followed the rock bands in and a lot of dealers and then more dealers came in and there were shootings, there was crime.

now, of course, the hotel became worth an enormous amount of money before the crash and so a majority of the shareholders of the hotel decided they wanted to sell it. for two years it has been vacant. i do not think it is over. i do not think it depends on an era. it is more the physical structure of the building and the location in the city. i think it it's going to be different but this is just one more period in his life. >> on the uncertain future of the chelsea hotel. that brings the broadcast to a close. you can continue watching bbc the for constant updates on roof collapse in west end, which has left 85 people injured, four

seriously. us, thank you for watching. see you back here tomorrow. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide

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