Judge allows Trump's $10bn defamation case against BBC to proceed

A federal judge in Florida has allowed US President Donald Trump's defamation case against the BBC to go ahead after the broadcaster sought to dismiss it.

But Judge Jeffrey Kuntz dismissed a second claim in the $10bn (£7.5bn) lawsuit under the state's unfair trade practices law.

The US president is suing the BBC over an episode of Panorama that edited together two different sections of a speech he gave before the riot at the US Capitol in 2021.

Trump called the judge's ruling a "huge victory" in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. A BBC spokesperson said: "We are surprised by this decision but respect the Court's authority and note the case will now proceed to the next stage."

The BBC spokesperson added: "We remain confident in our position and will continue to respond through the proper legal process."

Judge Kuntz found Trump's defamation allegations against the BBC sufficient for the case to continue, although he did not make a ruling on the merits of the case.

"Whether President Trump can prove these claims and establish he sustained damages at summary judgment or trial is left for another day," he wrote in Tuesday's order.

Trump's lawsuit - filed in Florida - accuses the BBC of "intentionally, maliciously and deceptively doctoring" the speech he gave outside the Capitol on 6 January 2021.