WikiLeaks fears closure as it suspends leaks

THE whistleblowing website WikiLeaks said last night it was suspending publishing classified US diplomatic files to focus on fundraising “to ensure our future survival”.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said that because of a financial “blockade” mounted by Visa, Mastercard and other companies, it was “now forced to temporarily suspend its publishing operations and aggressively fundraise”.

In a press conference in London, he condemned the blockade as politically motivated and linked to the website’s release of tens of thousands of classified US diplomatic cables.