*Barcelona 3 Levante 0: Messi equals Muller record ahead of Coutinho's arrival

*Barcelona 3 Levante 0: Messi equals Muller record ahead of Coutinho's arrival

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Paulinho were on target as Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 home win against Levante on Sunday which saw LaLiga's leaders stretch their advantage over Atletico Madrid back to nine points.

Barcelona ended 2017 with a crushing Clasico win at Real Madrid - who are now 17 points off the pace, albeit with two games in hand - and they continued the club-record start to a season with ease, although there was no sign of Philippe Coutinho.

Coutinho's predecessor as Barca's record signing, Ousmane Dembele, made his first start since September after recovering from a torn hamstring in another positive development for Valverde.

Messi drew level with Gerd Muller as the most prolific player for a single club in Europe's top five leagues by scoring his 365th LaLiga goal on his 400th appearance in the Spanish top flight, neatly volleying in an early opener.

And Suarez's strike was also a milestone goal, a powerful volley before half-time his 132nd for the club, moving him above Samuel Eto'o to become Barca's seventh-most prolific goalscorer.

Barca had beaten Levante 4-1, 5-0 and 7-0 on their three previous league Camp Nou trips but the visitors battled hard to keep the score down as captain Andres Iniesta made his 650th appearance for the hosts, although Paulinho added late gross by finishing off Messi's magical assist.

Atiku is Miyetti Allah’s chief financier, says Unongo, NEF Chairman*

*Atiku is Miyetti Allah’s chief financier, says Unongo, NEF Chairman*

The Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, Paul Unongo, has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of being the chief financier and most influential member of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, the apex body of Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria. He, therefore, called on Atiku, who is a prince of the Tiv Court, to caution the herdsmen, who have been slaughtering hundreds of people in the country.

Unongo said this during an interview with one of our correspondents on Friday. The NEF Chairman said, “I am aware that the most powerful person in Miyetti Allah is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who wants to be the next president. If they are fighting for power and Atiku wants to create problems for Buhari, I don’t know. There are so many possibilities. The most powerful person who finances the Miyetti Allah is Abubakar Atiku and he is a prince of the Tiv Court. The Tiv gave him a traditional title, meaning ‘the biggest shade of the Tiv people’.

“This implies that the Tiv people should be able to run to Atiku who will protect them. This is the man who heads Miyetti Allah and is the greatest financier of this organisation. He has more cattle than anybody in Miyetti Allah.

*Coutinho skips Liverpool trip as €160m transfer to Barcelona nears*

: *Coutinho skips Liverpool trip as €160m transfer to Barcelona nears*

Barcelona expect to complete their record €160 million signing of Philippe Coutinho within days as the player has not travelled with Liverpool to their warm-weather camp in Dubai.

La Liga’s giants, in talks facilitated through the Brazil international’s representatives Kia Joorabchian and Giuliano Bertolucci , have committed to paying €120m as their base fee with a further €40m in appearance and performance-related extras that are likely to be triggered.

No agreement has yet been reached between the clubs, with the Reds still attempting to convince the 25-year-old - with direct involvement from Fenway Sports Group - to remain on Merseyside until the end of the season at least.

Sources close to Coutinho revealed to Goal that the Reds have been unsuccessful in their attempts to alter his mind thus far by offering their highest earner multiple incentives and a greater wage packet.

Though Liverpool are persisting in their efforts, the playmaker has maintained his insistence to advance his career with Barca immediately after five years of service at Anfield .

His decision is not financially motivated; the Brazilian wants to take the next step in his career, while offering his family a lifestyle more in keeping with their culture.

Saudi Arabia Arrests 11 Princes Protesting Over Bills, Okaz Says*

*Saudi Arabia Arrests 11 Princes Protesting Over Bills, Okaz Says*

Saudi authorities made a fresh round of arrests of royal-family members as a group of princes staged a protest at the royal palace over the non-payment of their electricity and water bills, Okaz newspaper reported.

The royal guard arrested 11 princes objecting to a decree that ordered the state to stop paying their utilities after they refused to leave the palace in the capital, Riyadh, the Jeddah-based newspaper reported Saturday, citing people it didn’t identify. The government’s Center for International Communication will seek more information from relevant authorities, it said in response to a request for a comment about the detentions.

In November, authorities swept up dozens of Saudi Arabia’s richest and most influential people, including princes and government ministers, and detained them at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh. The arrests were ordered by a newly established anti-corruption committee, headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

*United Airlines plane forced to land due to passenger's faeces*

: *United Airlines plane forced to land due to passenger's faeces*

A plane carrying 245 passengers from Chicago to Hong Kong was diverted to Alaska after two of the aircraft's toilets were vandalised with excrement, officials said. The United Airlines flight was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Anchorage on Thursday evening due to a "passenger smearing faeces everywhere".

Police said the man, a US resident of Vietnamese origin, made no threats. It is not clear what led to the episode taking place. "We received a report of a passenger who had messed up the bathrooms with his own faeces," Anchorage Airport police spokesman Lt Joe Gamache said. The passenger, a 22-year-old whose name has not been released, was co-operative and faced "no appropriate charges for anything criminal", Lt Gamache added.

The man, who made no threats and did not try to interfere with the flight crew, was handcuffed by police at Anchorage International Airport and escorted off the plane. Police told Anchorage TV station KTUU that he was taken to a hospital for a mental health assessment after being interviewed through a translator.

*Osinbajo, Soyinka To Attend Youth Summit In Osun*

*Osinbajo, Soyinka To Attend Youth Summit In Osun*

About 3000 youths across the southwest states are expected to participate in the forthcoming regional youth summit in Osun state to develop a 25-year master plan for the region. The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo is expected to declare open the Osun State Regional Youth Summit on Tuesday, 9th at WODIF centre in Osogbo, the State capital.

Others expected include a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, award-winning writer, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Gen. Alani Akinrinde, the Ooni of Ife, and Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II among other top dignitaries.

Briefing journalists at the State Secretariat in Abere, the Commissioner for Regional Integration who is also the convener of the summit Hon. Bola Ilori, said the summit is to bring youths across the Western Region together to generate ideas that would take the region to greater heights.