Facebook blocks Russia Today from posting so it can't stream Donald Trump inauguration, state broadcaster claims

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Russian state broadcaster Russia Today has been banned from Facebook so that it can't cover the Donald Trump inauguration, it has claimed.

The site can't post any media or links onto its page until the ceremony is over and Mr Trump becomes president, it has claimed.

Its ban is temporary and will be lifted on Saturday evening, and it says that it is working to get it lifted sooner. But if that doesn't happen it won't be able to cover any of Donald Trump's inauguration, which takes place on Friday.

RT said that the ban had happened because the page live-streamed Obama's final press conference. "Such things happen because (for ex.) some other news media livestreams carry the same shots and feed, and Facebook considers this a copyright violation," it wrote on its page, where it can still post text but no images, videos or links.

But the video appeared to come from the White House, which makes its video available copyright free. As such, it isn't clear who the complaint came from or when it was made.

In response to comments under that post it said that it was "NOT going anywhere, so tune in & question more" and that it was "proud to have such a great audience".

Relations between Russia and the US have become strained in recent weeks after the latter's intelligence agencies accused Russian agents of interfering with the US election to help Mr Trump be elected.