WikiLeaks Says Julian Assange To Fly To Australia Within Hours

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will fly to the Australian capital Canberra within hours following a plea deal to set him free, the whistleblower website said Wednesday.

"Expected to depart in 2 hours, 58 minutes. To Canberra, Australia," WikiLeaks said in a social media post, as Assange faced court in the Pacific US territory of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Assange, 52, pleaded guilty at the US court in Saipan to a single count of conspiracy to obtain and disseminate US national defence information.

"Guilty to the information," Assange said in court, later joking to the judge that whether he is satisfied "depends on the outcome of the hearing".