Australia PM Abbott vows to defeat leadership challenge

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Conservative Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday he would seek to defeat a party-room motion challenging his leadership at a vote to be held next week, bringing to a head weeks of speculation about his future . Abbott told reporters he would stand with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, identified by media as a potential challenger to Abbott, to defeat the motion brought by disaffected lawmakers. The vote will be held in Canberra on Tuesday. (Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Paul Tait)