Australia and Papua New Guinea sign defence treaty

Papua New Guinea's cabinet has approved a contentious mutual defense treaty with Australia.  The deal will see the two nations commit to defending each other from armed attacks as they face "emerging threats" to their security. 

Officials from the Pacific nation's government's legal office and foreign ministry confirmed the cabinet had approved the deal on Wednesday.  Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape stated the treaty reflected "the depth of trust, history, and shared future between the two nations".