• American claims 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) victory
• Gauff faced 5-3 deficit in final set

As Coco Gauff faced down a 5-3 third-set deficit towards the end of a relentless, brutal battle, the odds of victory were dissipating with every point. However, in her short career, the American’s grit has been a constant resource when all else has failed. She has found a way to victory from dire circumstances so many times. In one of the biggest finals of her career, Gauff spent almost the entirety of her three hours on-court just fighting to stay in the match against an opponent in the form of her life. Somehow, in the desperate final moments at the end of a brilliant tussle, Gauff rose up to topple Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) and win the WTA Finals for the first time.

Still just 20, Gauff is the youngest champion at the WTA Finals since a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova won in 2004. She did so the hard way, ­defeating the two best players, in Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, and then Zheng, the Olympic gold ­medallist. This victory marks Gauff’s third career title and ninth overall, her 9-1 record in finals a reflection of her immense toughness under pressure.

Military regime considering move after death penalty abolished in west African country in 2018

Burkina Faso ’s military regime wants to reinstate the death penalty after the west African country abolished it in 2018, a government source told Agence France-Presse on Saturday.

The last execution in Burkina Faso was carried out on 19 September 1988 , according to Amnesty International. The nation’s final executions killed four leaders accused of an attempted coup d’état to depose president Blaise Compaoré – defence minister Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani, minister of economic promotion Henri Zongo, and two unidentified men.

Reintroducing capital punishment to the penal code “is being considered”, the source said. “It’s up to the government to discuss it, then make the proposal to the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT) for adoption.”

Justice minister Rodrigue Bayala said on Friday, after parliament passed a bill introducing community service, that “the issue of the death penalty, which is being discussed, will be implemented in the draft criminal code”.

Bayala also said there could be further amendments to the criminal code “to follow the vision and the guidelines given by the head of state, Capt Ibrahim Traoré”, who seized power in a September 2022 coup.

In May this year, Burkina Faso’s military government announced it would extend junta rule for another five years despite Traoré, the country’s ruler, pledging that he would restore the civilian government by 1 July.

Instead, Traoré’s government passed a bill that month that included plans to ban homosexuality.

Amnesty International has found the death penalty is rising in Africa, “recorded executions more than tripled and recorded death sentences increased significantly by 66%,” said a statement in October.

Conversely, Amnesty stated that “24 countries across sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death penalty for all crimes while two additional countries have abolished it for ordinary crimes only”.

“Kenya and Zimbabwe currently have bills tabled to abolish the death penalty for all crimes, while Gambia … has commenced a constitutional amendment process that will … effectively abolish the death penalty,” it said.

Mackenzie Michalski, 31, from Portland, Oregon, met 37-year-old man from Ireland at nightclub in Budapest

Family members of a 31-year-old American tourist who was killed while on vacation in Hungary’s capital mourned their loss while a 37-year-old suspect was in custody Saturday.

The victim, Mackenzie Michalski from Portland, Oregon, was reported missing on 5 November after she was last seen at a nightclub in central Budapest. Police launched a missing person investigation and reviewed security footage from local nightclubs, where they observed Michalski with a man later identified as the suspect in several of the clubs the night of her disappearance.

Shadow cabinet secretary Claire Coutinho accepted donation from Lord Bamford while overseeing millions awarded to his family businesses in green grants

A Conservative former cabinet ­minister who took donations from the billionaire boss of the JCB digger dynasty – including a £7,000 trip on his VIP private helicopter – oversaw decisions to award his family’s business empire millions in taxpayer-funded green energy grants.

Claire Coutinho also posed for ­pictures promoting Lord Bamford’s personal £100m hydrogen engine project and accepted a £7,500 donation from JCB to her local election campaign while she was the energy secretary in Rishi Sunak’s government.

Back on his steed and charging again, the manager’s plan – amid all the background turmoil – is not especially complicated

When Tottenham sacked Nuno Espírito Santo at the beginning of November three years ago, it seemed like one of those sad but inevitable decisions that had to be taken. Spurs had just lost 3-0 at home to Manchester United , their fifth defeat in seven league games. As Spurs entered the purgatory of the Antonio Conte years , few gave much thought to Nuno.

With his quiet manner, sad eyes, bald head and long beard, Nuno had the air of a devout but disillusioned knight, his years of campaigning over, ready to retreat to a monastery. Give it up, old man, leave the field to those who understand the modern ways, those who will press recklessly high and believe in dominating possession.

• David Gray under pressure after Hibs’ 2-1 defeat to St Mirren
• Sam Dalby scores in Dundee United’s win over Ross County

Second-half goals from Ante Palaversa, Topi Keskinen, Vincente Besuijen and Kevin Nisbet put Aberdeen top of the Scottish Premiership with a 4-1 win over Dundee at Pittodrie.

After a quiet first half the hosts took a quick-fire two-goal advantage with a wonderful finish from Ante Palaversa, who struck a laser-like shot into the bottom corner leaving goalkeeper Jon McCracken rooted to the spot in the Dundee goal after 53 minutes.

Fema chief calls action ‘reprehensible’ while Florida governor calls it a ‘weaponization of government’

A employee at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has been fired from her job and is being investigated because she told a disaster relief team she was directing in Florida after Hurricane Milton to avoid homes displaying election campaign signs supporting Donald Trump, conduct that the agency head on Saturday called “reprehensible”.

Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the federal agency, posted on X : “More than 22,000 Fema employees every day adhere to Fema’s core values and are dedicated to helping people before, during and after disasters, often sacrificing time with their own families to help disaster survivors.”

Pep Guardiola looked like he didn’t know what had hit him. As Brighton’s players and supporters wildly celebrated Matt O’Riley’s winning goal, the Manchester City manager must have been contemplating an experience he has never had as a manager.

A fourth consecutive defeat for the first time in his career will have been especially hard to stomach given how much his side had dominated Brighton in the first half. But a stunning turnaround sparked by João Pedro, who equalised Erling Haaland’s opener before setting up fellow substitute O’Riley five minutes later.

• Updates from the 8pm GMT start in Bridgetown
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They called Leonard Cohen ‘The Godfather of Gloom’ and ‘The High Priest of Pathos’. Pithy nicknames but both misnomers, really. Behind the molasses and tobacco baritone and faltering flamenco Cohen was far from a miserabilist, his words often appearing as if drenched in the Hydra sun - warm, fruity, smutty, sensual.

This is about cricket you plank, what are you crapping on about? Well, bear with me for just a line or two more. I’m bringing us on to Jos Buttler.