A US federal judge has allowed lawyers for President Donald Trump to amend their $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, meaning the case will continue rather than being dismissed. Trump, who has repeatedly accused the newspaper of biased and inaccurate coverage, hailed the ruling as a win for his legal team, framing it as vindication of his long-running dispute with the publication.

The judge's decision gives Trump's attorneys an opportunity to refile or strengthen their original complaint rather than throwing the case out entirely, keeping alive one of the largest defamation claims ever brought by a sitting or former US president against a major news outlet. The lawsuit forms part of a broader pattern of legal action Trump has taken against media organisations he views as hostile, including a separate case involving the BBC over a documentary edit.