A U.S. federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, marking a setback in his ongoing legal battles with major media organisations he accuses of publishing misleading coverage.
The case centred on a report alleging that Trump’s signature appeared in a 2003 birthday message to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including a sketch and a reference to shared secrets.
Trump has repeatedly denied writing the note and insists it is fabricated.
However, U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled that the complaint failed to meet the high legal threshold required for defamation claims involving public figures.
In his decision, the judge said Trump had not come “nowhere close” to demonstrating “actual malice” - a standard requiring proof that a publication knowingly reported false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
“This complaint comes nowhere close to this standard,” the judge wrote, adding that the article did not plausibly show the newspaper acted with malicious intent.
He also noted that the Journal had sought comment from Trump before publication and included his denial, allowing readers to judge the claims for themselves.
The ruling does not determine whether the article was true or false, but instead focuses on whether it met the legal threshold for defamation.
Trump filed the lawsuit in mid-2025, seeking billions in damages, amid heightened political tensions over reporting on his past ties to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019.
The Epstein case has long fuelled conspiracy theories and political controversy in the U.S. Trump, who once had social ties with Epstein, has said he cut contact years before Epstein’s criminal conviction and has denied any knowledge of his crimes.
Following the ruling, Trump’s legal team said it plans to refile the case with amendments, after the judge allowed a revised complaint to be submitted by 27 April.
News Corp, which owns the Wall Street Journal, argued the lawsuit had no legal merit and warned it risked chilling press freedom by discouraging critical reporting about public figures.
The case is one of several Trump has brought against media outlets, including the BBC and The New York Times, as part of what critics say is a broader effort to challenge unfavourable coverage.
Some cases have been settled, while others remain ongoing or have been withdrawn.
For now, the dismissal marks a legal setback for Trump, though not necessarily the end of the dispute.
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Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
Uzbekistan will open an embassy in Georgia, the Central Asian country’s presidency has said. The announcement follows talks between Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Tbilisi.
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the eastern German city of Erfurt on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opened its annual party conference, where delegates voted to keep Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the party's co-leaders.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
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