White House restores access to media outlets banned by Trump after judge's order

CNN, Politico and MS NOW are back in the White House, hours after a federal judge ruled President Donald Trump's ban on the three news outlets was probably unconstitutional and ordered their access immediately restored.

The outlets sought an emergency court hearing to regain entry, accusing the White House in a court filing of having "repeatedly violated" the judge's ruling to lift the ban. It was unclear whether the hearing would go ahead.

The White House said it began reinstating access shortly after 09:00 EDT (13:00 GMT) on Thursday, although CNN has disputed the timeline.

Trump initially said he barred the outlets because of "fake news". The White House later cited national security.

The standoff limited some TV coverage as Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House ahead of a state dinner later.