New Delhi, April 13 -- In a significant legal setback tied to the widening Epstein Files controversy, a US federal judge has dismissed Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media executive Rupert Murdoch, ruling that the former president failed to meet the high legal threshold required to sustain the case.

The decision, delivered by US District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami, underscores the difficulty public figures face when attempting to challenge media reporting in court. It also reinforces the legal protections afforded to news organizations covering sensitive and politically charged investigations.

The lawsuit centered on a report describing a controversial birthday letter allegedly linked to Tru...