Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Thursday 16 Nov 2017

1. Mugabe meets senior military leaders for talks

Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe is losing his grip on the nation, says The Guardian. The 93-year-old President was placed under house arrest by the military on Tuesday. Yesterday, he met senior officers for talks. Harare remains calm but tense, adds the newspaper.

2. Leonardo painting sells for $450m

A painting thought to be the work of Leonardo da Vinci has sold at auction in New York for $450m (£340m), a new world record for a work of art. Known as Salvator Mundi, the picture of Christ is not universally accepted as Leonardo’s work.

3. McDonnell demands emergency budget

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has demanded the Government publish an “emergency budget for public services”, lifting public sector pay and pausing the roll-out of universal credit. The Government said his plans would increase debt.

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4. NHS approves breast cancer drugs

Two new drugs to treat breast cancer have been approved for use on the NHS. Research suggests palbociclib and ribociclib can slow down advanced cancers by as much as ten months, putting off the need for chemotherapy and buying time for patients.

5. Wife of missing explorer fears for his life

The wife of British explorer Benedict Allen says she is increasingly concerned for the safety of the 57-year-old, who has not returned from a solo trip to Papua New Guinea. Lenka Allen, 35, says she is “trying to stay positive”. A rescue attempt has been launched.

6. Fox news anchor debunks Clinton story

A presenter on right-wing US television network Fox News has outraged viewers by debunking a story pushed by the station during last year’s US presidential election campaign. Shepard Smith said the story that Hillary Clinton smoothed a dishonest uranium deal is “inaccurate”.

7. Erectile dysfunction pills used as party drugs

Sky News says it has uncovered evidence that online sales of illegal erectile dysfunction drugs have boomed over the past five years, as young men buy the pills to use as a party drug. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency seized £2.5m of illicit pills in 2012-13.

8. Watchdog to look at Russian influence on Brexit

The parliamentary intelligence and security committee, Britain’s watchdog for the intelligence services, is being urged to examine the evidence that Russia used fake online accounts to try to influence the Brexit referendum result. The Guardian says an investigation by the committee is likely.

9. Football ticket prices fall – but not enough

The cost of football tickets has fallen, says the BBC, but prices are still high enough to put young adults off attending games. Data from 200 clubs suggests prices are down for a third year running – but 82% of young fans said the cost of tickets was an obstacle to them going to more games.

10. Briefing: Does ‘Elsagate’ prove YouTube is too big to control?

In February, YouTube announced it had hit a staggering milestone: visitors were now consuming the equivalent of a billion hours’ worth of video every day.

The sheer size of the platform’s userbase is equally astounding. “More than 1.5 billion people use YouTube,” says The Guardian’s Roger McNamee, giving it a global reach comparable to Islam.

Does ‘Elsagate’ prove YouTube is too big to control?

Does ‘Elsagate’ prove YouTube is too big to control?