Honduras, Burkina Faso, Philippines.

Today's three stories you should know.

Honduras

Xiomara Castro was today sworn in as the first female president of Honduras and will immediately have her hands full with myriad challenges. Castro, the 62-year-old leader of the leftist Libre Party, comfortably won the November election on a pledge to address rampant corruption and lift people out of poverty. She will, though, first have to tackle a stand-off over who will lead the newly-elected congress. Two rival factions have claimed legitimacy in a dispute that could gum up legislative gears.

More from BBC here.

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso’s military coup leader, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, today spoke for the first time since toppling President Roch Kaboré on Monday. "When the conditions are right, according to the deadline that our people will define in all sovereignty, I commit to a return to a normal constitutional order," he said in an address on state television. West Africa has been hit by a wave of military coups over the last eight months, with the governments of Guinea and Mali also overthrown.

More from DW here.

Philippines

World Health Organization staff have made accusations of racism and abuse against Dr. Takeshi Kasai, who leads the organization in the Western Pacific. Kasai, who is based in the Philippines capital Manila, has responsibility for a region that includes 37 countries, including China and his native Japan. An internal complaint, obtained by the Associated Press news agency, made the extraordinary claim that Kasai’s leadership has undermined the Covid response in the region, leading to surging cases.

More from AP here.