President Donald Trump has demanded the removal of one of the governors of the US central bank, a move that escalates his long-running feud with the institution.

Late on Monday, he posted on his Truth Social account a letter addressed to Lisa Cook, saying she was being removed from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors due to mortgage fraud allegations.

The move has caused an outcry from Democrats who say it amounts to unprecedented political interference.

Who is Lisa Cook and what does she do?

Ms Cook was appointed as governor of the Federal Reserve in 2022 by Democratic President Joe Biden, becoming the first African American to serve in the role. Her term was due to end in 2038.

She previously served on Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers and worked at the US Treasury.

There are seven governors on the board of the Fed and they play a key role in setting the monetary policy of the US.

They make up the majority of the committee that decides the level of US interest rates and aims to keep prices stable and unemployment as low as possible.

Ms Cook has voted in recent months to keep interest rates on hold this year.

• Full story: Trump orders removal of Cook
• Fed governor says she won't be 'bullied'
• Powell boosts expectation of US rate cut

What has Trump accused Lisa Cook of?

In his Truth Social post, the president cited allegations that Ms Cook may have falsified records to obtain a mortgage.

He said she signed two documents, two weeks apart, attesting that two homes in different states were both her primary residence.

"It is inconceivable that you were not aware of your first commitment when making the second. It is impossible that you intended to honor both," he wrote.

CNN has obtained and reviewed the mortgage documents in question and found she did claim two primary residences but it is unclear whether she informed either lender of the fact.

Ms Cook has not been charged with any wrongdoing and in statement she said she would fight her dismissal because Trump did not have just cause to fire her.

What does the Fed do?

As the central bank of the US, the Federal Reserve is responsible for running the nation's monetary policy, promoting stability in the financial system, regulating institutions and other tasks.

One of the most visible activities it undertakes is to set interest rates. This has a big impact on the nation's financial conditions by influencing how much money people can borrow.

The Fed functions as a federal agency and is considered to be independent within government - its decisions do not require the president's approval, though it is accountable to Congress.

Can Trump actually fire her?

This question could become the subject of an intense legal battle.

The Federal Reserve Act does not give the president license to remove a Fed official at will but, as Trump noted in his letter to Ms Cook, it does allow him to do so "for cause".

Trump cited a "criminal referral" against Cook - after his ally, the housing finance regulator, recently called for Ms Cook to be investigated for mortgage fraud. But it is not clear whether an investigation has been opened, and Ms Cook has not been charged with any crime.

As well as Ms Cook's denial that there is any cause to sack her, legal experts have shown scepticism.

Shan Wu, a former federal prosecutor, told CNN: "As of right now, I think it's kind of questionable for cause, but obviously that's what [Trump] is relying on, and I would expect her to challenge it."

Market reaction to Trump's move has been relatively tame so far - as investors, too, appear to be sceptical and are waiting to see if the sacking actually comes to pass.

Why does Trump want lower interest rates?

Trump has spent much of his second presidency putting pressure on the Fed, demanding that Powell cut interest rates to lower the cost of borrowing for American businesses and consumers. The target range is currently 4.25 to 4.5%.

Central banks typically cut rates in an effort to boost growth. But there is a balancing act, because higher interest rates help to keep inflation in check. Tackling inflation is another Trump priority.

Lower rates can also help US exporters and easing trade deficits is a central plank of Trump's economic policy.

Powell has so far steadfastly refused to reduce rates since Trump took office, but has hinted at a cut in September.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would immediately remove Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook from her position on the central bank's board of directors.

In an announcement made on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump posted a letter addressed to Cook in which he informed her of his decision and accused her of making "deceitful and potentially criminal" mortgage agreements.

Neither Cook or the Fed has commented on the sacking.

Trump has put increasing pressure on the Fed - especially its chair Jerome Powell - in recent weeks over what he sees as the US central bank's unwillingness to lower interest rates. He has repeatedly floated the possibility of firing Powell.

According to Trump's letter, Cook signed one document attesting that a property in Michigan would be her primary residence for the next year.

"Two weeks later, you signed another document for a property in Georgia stating that it would be your primary residence for the next year," he said.

"It is inconceivable that you were not aware of your first commitment when making the second," Trump said.

In a statement last week, after she was accused of mortgage fraud by the head of the Housing Finance Agency, Cook said she had "no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet".

She said she was "gathering the accurate information to answer any legitimate questions and provide the facts".

Cook is the first African American woman to sit on the board, a position she has held since 2022.

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The head of a Malagasy king killed by French troops during a colonial-era war has been formally returned to Madagascar.

The handover of King Toera's skull - and those of two other members of his court - took place at a ceremony at the culture ministry in Paris.

The skulls had been brought to France at the end of the 19th Century and stored at the Museum of Natural History in the French capital.

It is the first use of a new law meant to expedite the return of human remains from collections in France.

"These skulls entered the national collections in circumstances that clearly violated human dignity and in a context of colonial violence," French Culture Minister Rachida Dati is quoted by the AFP agency as saying at the ceremony.

In August 1897, a French force sent to assert colonial control over the Menabé kingdom of the Sakalava people in western Madagascar massacred a local army.

King Toera was killed and decapitated: his head sent to Paris where it was placed in the archives of the Museum of Natural History.

Nearly 130 years later pressure from the king's descendants as well as the government of the Indian Ocean nation has opened the way for the skull's return.

Madagascar's Culture Minister Volamiranty Donna Mara, who also gave a speech at the handover, said their return was a "significant gesture", AFP reports.

"Their absence has been, for more than a century... an open wound in the heart of our island," she said.

It is not the first time human remains from the colonial era have been given back by France.

Most famous was the South African woman cruelly nicknamed the "Hottentot Venus" who had once been put on display in Europe and whose body was taken home in 2012.

But this is the first return under a recent law which makes the process much easier.

It is estimated that at the Museum of Natural History alone there are more than 20,000 human remains brought to France from around the world for supposedly scientific reasons.

You may also be interested in:

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• The Tanzanians searching for their grandfathers' skulls in Germany
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• A guide to Africa's 'looted treasures'

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

The family of a couple killed in a helicopter crash on the Isle of Wight have said they are "heartbroken and struggling to cope with the loss".

Justyna Czoska and Wojtek Kowalkowski, from Oxfordshire, were among four people on board the aircraft that came down near Shanklin on Monday morning.

In a post on Facebook, Ms Czoska's daughter said: "I have no words, the world took my mum too soon".

One other person died and another is in a serious condition in hospital.

A fundraiser for the family has been set up by Jacob Butler, who said his partner, Julia Buzar, lost her "beloved mum and her partner" in the tragedy.

In a post written in English and Polish, he said: "This sudden and devastating event has left all us heartbroken and struggling to cope with the loss.

"We are now trying to bring them both back to Poland so they can be laid to rest with their families, in the place they called home.

"The cost of repatriation, funeral arrangements, and travel is more than we can manage alone, and we are asking for support during this incredibly difficult time."

Posting on Facebook, Ms Buzar said: "I have no words, the world took my mum too soon, she was the best mum you could ask for, loved by everyone.

"I never thought I'd be writing something like this.

"Please if anyone could help bring them back to Poland so they can be with there [sic] families it would mean the world to me.. Rest in peace mum and Wojtek."

Ms Czoska had worked at Turpins Lodge Riding School in Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, since March 2024.

In a statement, the riding school said: "We are extremely sad to let everyone know that tragically Justyna our instructor was killed in a helicopter crash on the Isle of Wight yesterday.

"Justyna was very well liked at Turpins Lodge by staff and by customers.

"Justyna was cheerful, reliable and conscientious. She will leave a huge hole to fill.

"Our thoughts go out to Justyna's daughters, family and friends.

"We will endeavour to carry on as normally as possible but there may have to be some changes to lessons while we adapt to this very sad situation."

Witnesses reported the aircraft spiralling before crashing in a field alongside the A3020 at 09:20 BST.

One person was airlifted to the major trauma centre at University Hospital Southampton, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said.

A spokesman for operator Northumbria Helicopters said G-OCLV - a Robinson R44 II - had "departed from Sandown Airport at approximately 09:00, was carrying four passengers on board including the pilot, and was undertaking a flying lesson".

The identity of the third victim has not yet been confirmed.

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A man told two 14-year-old girls eating pizza in a town centre that he "wanted to have a baby with them", a court heard.

Hadush Kebatu, from Ethiopia, is accused of making "inappropriate comments" after the children thought he looked hungry and offered him food in Epping, Essex, on 7 July.

He then returned the following day and asked one of the girls to kiss her friend, Chelmsford Magistrates' Court was told.

Mr Kebatu, an asylum seeker who was living at The Bell Hotel in High Road, Epping, is on trial having denied two sexual offences.

He has also denied charges of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, attempted sexual assault and harassment without violence.

Mr Kebatu gave his date of birth as in December 1986, making him 38, but court records have suggested he is 41.

Opening the trial, prosecutor Stuart Cowen said the defendant approached the girls, who were sitting on a bench eating pizza, and made "inappropriate comments".

"It is the Crown's case he said he wanted to have a baby with each of them and attempted to kiss them," Mr Cowen said.

"He invited them back to The Bell Hotel where he was a resident, having recently arrived in the UK."

Having been rejected and told the girls were 14, Mr Kebatu responded "age did not matter", Mr Cowen alleged.

He said the girls left the area but were approached by the asylum seeker the following day.

On this occasion, it was alleged one of the teenagers was wearing her school uniform.

Mr Cowen said she became uncomfortable and when a male friend intervened, Mr Kebatu asked them to kiss before later placing his hand on her thigh.

"She will tell the court that while the defendant was behaving in this way, he appeared to have an erection," the prosecutor added.

'Shocked'

In an interview with police, played to the court, one of the girls said Mr Kebatu "kept leaning in, pouting his lips" at her, adding "he was really eager for a kiss".

"[He said] if I come back to the hotel with him we can make babies," she alleged.

Asked how it made her feel, the girl told an officer: "I couldn't really move, it just shocked me. I didn't know what to do. My mind went blank."

Judge Christopher Williams was told a woman asked if Mr Kebatu needed help, but, shortly afterwards, he "sexually assaulted her by putting his hand on her leg" and trying to kiss her.

Police officers were called and arrested Mr Kebatu nearby, the court was told.

Allegations of the incident led to a wave of anti-immigration protests and counter-demonstrations outside The Bell Hotel.

On 19 August, Epping Forest District Council secured a High Court victory temporarily blocking the venue from housing asylum seekers.

The trial, expected to conclude on Wednesday, continues.

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What is Ask Me Anything?

More questions answered...

"When do I stop being an immigrant?"

There may be no more important question for people who come to Northern Ireland to build a new life – particularly for those who arrived years and even decades ago.

It's a question that was asked of Northern Ireland politicians in the wake of rioting that took hold in towns across Northern Ireland in the summer of 2024, by Muhammad Atif, a business owner and trustee of the Belfast Multi-Cultural Association.

He told BBC News NI "things haven't moved an inch" for ethnic minorities in the past year, even after scenes of disorder in June, which police described as "racist thuggery".

"Things have not changed and people are not feeling safe. Anybody I'm talking to, anybody contacting me, they are not feeling safe," he told BBC News NI.

"Being called an immigrant over and over and over when your second generation is born in Northern Ireland – I personally feel it's racist.

"What do I have to do? This is my question. I can't really answer it, to be honest.

"When do I stop being an immigrant?"

In total, 3.4% of Northern Ireland's population - 65,600 people - are from a minority ethnic group. That compares to 18.3% in England and Wales and 12.9% in Scotland.

The most recent figures show race hate crimes in Northern Ireland are on the rise.

There were 1,188 between April 2024 and March 2025 - a rise of 349 on the last financial year and the highest since the records began in 2004.

'Incendiary flyers'

Among the thousands of people who have made Northern Ireland their home who watched violent scenes unfold twice in the last year was Sree Kadalayil, who said it was "unnerving".

"There were times when I thought 'this is going to kick off' and I wasn't very comfortable being in big public spaces," he said.

"There was an underlying feeling of, like – is this safe? Am I safe? Is my child safe?"

Sree moved to the UK more than 20 years ago to study before moving to Northern Ireland for his career in 2006.

Now, he is raising a little boy with his wife Jude Pollock – but even after all these years the couple have experienced racism and hate crime.

"Even when we go to the voting booth, Sree has faced racism going to vote, as if he shouldn't be voting," Jude said.

She said the family had received political flyers through the door that talked about immigration in an "incendiary" way.

"I went to political offices and I handed flyers back. I said: 'Don't put that through my door," she said.

"You don't know the door you're putting it through. We're a mixed-ethnicity family."

She said the narrative around immigration "serves the agenda to be pointing at others instead of actually fixing the problems that are broken for all the public services".

"People assume I'm not my son's mother because we look different," she said.

"But I hope that he learns how to handle it. I hope I can teach him how to handle it well."

Domingas Gusmao is also raising a family in Northern Ireland – she moved here from East Timor 14 years ago.

She was worried the trouble could spread to Dungannon, County Tyrone, where she lives with her husband and three children, who were born here.

"I'm hoping that this will never happen again and I can only hope people can be kind to each other, and being kind – it costs nothing," she said.

"But look, you cannot control everybody but you can control how you react to it."

When Domingas first came to Northern Ireland, it was hard adjusting to a new language and culture.

"I tried to talk to everybody," she said.

"Strangers, the taxi driver, colleagues from work, everywhere.

"That's how I learned English – and watching movies, of course."

Almost 15 years later, she still sometimes feels like an immigrant – but not all the time.

"I also feel like I'm part of the community, because the community here, always wants us to be a part of the events," she said.

"They welcome us. Many of our children were born here, so then you get to feel like it's not just a place, but it's a home.

"And we feel like we belong here."

Difficult conversations

Muhammad Atif agreed that the majority in Northern Ireland "welcome you with open hand and open hearts".

But that did not make the situation this summer any easier.

"I was taking my children away for a few days after the Ballymena riots and my eight-year-old daughter asked me: 'Daddy, are we leaving because things are not good here?'" he said.

"I had to tell her, no, I booked these flights in advance.

"That's a difficult conversation to have with an eight-year-old. And this conversation is normal in immigrant households."

Sree said it was an important, ongoing conversation he had with his son.

"He's aware of his skin colour and how it's different from others, but doesn't make him any lesser or better," he said.

"I don't want his worldview to be tainted by a victim complex, for him to think it's a big scary world.

"I don't want him to believe every aggression or every reaction of some person towards him is discrimination."

But does Sree still feel like an immigrant? It's complicated.

He used to refer to India as home – but that changed.

"I remember one time landing back into Dublin Airport from India and it was really chilly, and I said to myself: 'I'm home,'" he said.

"This place has offered me a life, it's welcomed me, the people have welcomed me.

"It's given me safety, opportunities. It's given me good vibrations."