Independent Cypriot Australian Senator Nick Xenophon, has demanded that Australia's Federal Budget cease former Prime Minister's and MP's free travel benefits, along with other costly luxuries.

An apparent "object of interest" has been found in the quest for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott offered the following positive comments, regarding the ongoing and lengthy Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 search: "We have very much narrowed down the search area, and we are very confident that the signals that we are detecting are from the black box".