The leader of the pro-Russian rebels has agreed to hand over both black boxes from Flight MH 17 to Malaysian investigators who are in Ukraine, Malaysia's prime minister said early Tuesday.

Prime Minister Najib Razak also said that as part of an agreement he reached by phone with rebel leader Alexander Borodai on Monday evening, independent international investigators will be given "safe access" to the site where the Malaysia Airlines jet went down in eastern Ukraine en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, killing all 298 people onboard.

Najib said that as part of the agreement, the black boxes would be handed over to the Malaysian team in Donetsk at 9 p.m. Monday Ukraine time (1800 GMT Monday).

Meanwhile, the remains of 282 of the crash victims were being moved by train from the eastern Ukrainian city of Torez to Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, Najib said.

From there, they will be flown to Amsterdam on a Dutch C130 Hercules military plane and handed over to Dutch authorities.

"I must stress that although an agreement has been reached, there remain a number of steps required before it is completed," Najib said at a hastily arranged news conference at his residence just after midnight Monday.

"There is work still to be done, work which relies on continued communication in good faith."

The Boeing 777 crashed in rebel-held territory, and the separatists are being blamed for shooting it down by much of the international community, including the United States.

Najib said that following any necessary forensic work, the remains of the 43 Malaysian citizens who were aboard the plane would be flown to their home country.

Anger and resentment toward the Russian-backed rebels and Moscow have been escalating worldwide, including in Malaysia, where there have been calls for economic sanctions against Russia.

AP TELEVISION

1. Wide of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak walking in to news conference

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Najib Razak, Malaysian Prime Minister:

"At approximately 9pm tonight Ukraine time (1800 GMT) the two black boxes will be handed over to a Malaysian team in Donetsk, who will take custody of them."

3. Wide of Razak speaking

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Najib Razak, Malaysian Prime Minister:

"I must stress that although agreement has been reached, there remain a number of steps required before it is completed. There is work still to be done, work which relies on continued communication in good faith."

5. Cutaway of reporters

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Najib Razak, Malaysian Prime Minister:

"I ask that all parties continue to work together to ensure that this agreement is honoured and the remains of our people are returned, that the black box is handed over, and that the international team is guaranteed full access to the site. Only then can the investigation into MH17 truly begin; only then can the victims be afforded the respect they deserve."

7. Media at the news conference

8. Wide of Razak speaking

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman on Friday updated reporters on the latest on repatriating the bodies of those killed in the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 incident.

"All four refrigerators with bodies of innocent victims have been unloaded. And information from 6pm (3pm GMT) is that experts already processed 378 packages with remains of innocent victims," he said.

"The team has prepared 227 special coffins to transport bodies to the Netherlands for identification. 180 coffins have been already sent, others will be sent tomorrow morning," he added.

Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur, hundreds of people, including flight attendants and families of the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines jet, joined a multi-faith prayer service.

Two more planes departed Kharkiv airport on Friday with a further 74 coffins containing bodies and remains from the crash.

All 298 people aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 - most of them Dutch citizens - were killed when the plane went down on 17 July.

AP TELEVISION

Kiev, Ukraine

1. Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman speaking at news conference

2. Cutaway of journalists

3. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Groysman, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine:

"All four refrigerators with bodies of innocent victims have been unloaded. And information from 6 p.m. (1500 GMT) is that experts already processed 378 packages containing remains of innocent victims."

4. Groysman speaking at news conference

5. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Groysman, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine:

"At this time the team has prepared 227 special coffins to transport bodies to the Netherlands for identification. 180 coffins have been already sent, others will be sent tomorrow morning."

6. Cutaway of cameramen

7. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Groysman, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine:

"Today an important issue is to ratify the signed agreement (between Ukraine and the Netherlands about leading cooperation in the investigation). Then the international police mission can be involved and provide a security for experts who will work on the crash site. Today we concentrated on this."

8. Cutaway of journalists typing

9. Cameraman

10. Groysman speaking at news conference

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

11. Audience and speaker at multi-faith prayer service held by Malaysia Airlines

12. Speaker on stage at multi-faith service

13. Malaysia Airlines flight attendants crying

14. People crying at multi-faith service

15. Screen reading (English) "In memory of MH17 and remembering MH 370"

16. Various of Taoist priests holding Taoist prayer session

17. Malaysia Airlines flight attendants hugging each other

18. SOUNDBITE (English), Shanti (no last name given), a flight attendant at Malaysia Airlines:

"There is no words can express what I am feeling inside towards the families. It's not easy to.... I just want to say so sorry for the loss of their loved ones and I pray that they have peace."

19. People who attended the service talking

20. SOUNDBITE (English), (no name given) whose nephew was on board of the missing MH370:

"How would you feel if your family was on board? That's the same feeling. But we have to pray harder to try better. We are all praying for Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines and everybody in Malaysia, and for all the countries as well."

21. Various of people crying and hugging after the multi faith prayer service

An international court on Monday ordered Russia to pay over 50 billion US dollars in compensation to the former majority shareholder of now-defunct oil producer Yukos over the expropriation of the company more than 10 years ago.

In one of the largest arbitration cases ever, a subsidiary for GML Limited, once the biggest shareholder in the Yukos Oil Company, had sought 103.5 billion US dollars from Russia.

The Russian government under President Vladimir Putin in 2003 levelled massive tax claims against Yukos, then Russia's largest oil company owned by the country's richest man Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Russia imprisoned Khodorkovsky and seized the company's assets when they couldn't pay.

The move was widely seen as retaliation for Khodorkovsky's support for opposition political parties.

Russia said it was merely seeking payment for back taxes and penalties that Yukos evaded in the period 2000-2003.

Yukos shareholders received no compensation for that.

Monday's ruling adds to tensions between Russia and the international community at a time when relations are at their lowest ebb since the end of the Cold War.

Following the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine, the US and European Union are debating further economic sanctions against Moscow because of its support for rebels suspected of launching the attack.

The timing of the arbitral tribunal's decision has fuelled suspicion among both analysts and ordinary Russian citizens that the ruling was political.

In Moscow on Monday, one man described the decision as "sanctions against Russia (that have) nothing to do with economics".

"It is proved by the fact that this is happening at the same time as the pressure on Russia is growing," he added.

Meanwhile, economics analyst Valery Mironov, of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, claimed there were no legal grounds for the Yukos shareholders' claims because Russia was not a signatory to the Energy Charter Treaty.

Russia signed but did not ratify the Energy Charter Treaty, which is used in dispute resolution procedures such as arbitration - including the Yukos case.

"Today we saw a one-sided approach, one that is not in favour of Russia," Mironov added.

Reflecting on the timing of the decision, Mironov said that "from a financial point of view they unexpectedly double the financial weight that has been put on Russia at the time of this geopolitical conflict."

Earlier on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia would appeal against the ruling.

AP TELEVISION

Moscow, Russia - 28 July 2014

1. Various of building that was once Yukos Oil Company's headquarters and now houses state energy company Rosneft

2. People in street outside building

3. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vox pop, Oleg Karatkov, Moscow resident:

"I am sure these are political sanctions against Russia (referring to the arbitral tribunal's decision in favour of Yukos), and it has nothing to do with economics. It is proved by the fact that this is happening at the same time as the pressure on Russia is growing - this court, this ruling, at this time."

4. Wide of former Yukos headquarters

5. Establishing shot of Valery Mironov, Deputy Director, Centre of Development Institute, National Research University Higher School of Economics

6. Close of his hands

7. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Valery Mironov, Deputy Director, Centre of Development Institute, National Research University Higher School of Economics:

"The demands of the claims issued by the Yukos shareholders, small shareholders, in the European court were not met. This is because there are no legal grounds for these claims - one of the reasons being that Russia did not sign the charter (Energy Charter Treaty). Therefore we have precedents both for and against, but today we saw a one-sided approach, one that is not in favour of Russia."

8. Cutaway of books

9. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Valery Mironov, Deputy Director, Centre of Development Institute, National Research University Higher School of Economics:

"Payments to Yukos are not sanctions, but, at the same time, from a financial point of view they unexpectedly double the financial weight that has been put on Russia at the time of this geopolitical conflict."

10. Close of book

11. Mironov at desk

AP TELEVISION

FILE: Siberia, Russia - 28 March 2006

++4:3++

12. Wide of Yukos oil fields

13. Yukos oil well

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced on Wednesday that his government was delegating the investigation into the crashed Malaysian Airlines flight to the Dutch.

He was speaking at a government meeting in the capital Kiev.

Yatsenyuk also stated that Ukraine would be contacting Russia "on the issue of the violation by Russia of the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Financing" saying he was concerned that Russia was directly involved in financing what he called the "terrorists' in Ukraine.

Any Russian citizens who supported "terrorists and separatists" in Ukraine would also be sanctioned, he added.

Ukraine and western nations are pressing the pro-Russian rebels who control the crash site to allow an unfettered an investigation, something Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would use his influence to achieve.

Though confident that a missile brought down the aircraft, US officials say Russia's role remains unclear.

Yatsenyuk's deputy reiterated the government's position that the plane crash was an act of terrorism and that the remains of the dead had not been treated properly by the pro-Russian rebels controlling the crash site.

Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, who is also head of the government taskforce dealing with the MH17 crash, spoke after a ceremony at the airport in Kharkiv where dozens of the victims' bodies have been moved to, in order to be transported by military plane to the Netherlands.

"I would like to point out that what happened with the MH17 plane is considered a terrorist act by our government," he said.

"We have been trying to ensure access to the crash site but unfortunately we now have to say that the remnants and the remains at that site were treated in an inadequate manner."

The process of transporting all the bodies of the crash victims to the Netherlands is expected to take at least two more days according to Groysman.

Earlier Wednesday, two military aircraft carrying the first bodies left the embattled plains of eastern Ukraine, while British investigators began work on a pair of "black boxes" to retrieve data on the flight's last minutes.

AP TELEVISION

Kiev

1. Various of government meeting

2. SOUNDBITE: (Ukrainian) Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukrainian Prime Minister:

"Concerning the investigation into the air crash the government will support an initiative and make a decision about the signing of an agreement between the competent and responsible authorities of Ukraine and the Netherlands today. We are delegating the investigation into this air crash to the Netherlands to provide a completely independent and transparent process."

3. Cameraman

4. SOUNDBITE: (Ukrainian) Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukrainian Prime Minister:

"Ukraine as a state is sending an official note to the Russian Federation on the issue of the violation by Russia of the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Financing. Ukraine is concerned that Russia is directly involved in the financing of terrorists in the territory of Ukraine, providing weapons, trained agents and the support of criminals and terrorists who are conducting crimes against humanity on Ukrainian territory. "

5. Officials at government meeting

6. SOUNDBITE: (Ukrainian) Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukrainian Prime Minister:

"Ukraine will impose sanctions against Russian citizens who support terrorists and separatists in Ukraine."

7. Various of officials at end of government meeting

Kharkiv

8. Dutch ambassador Hans Docter (right), Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman (middle) and Angus Houston, Former Australian Air Chief Marshal and leader of Australian delegation (left)

9. SOUNDBITE: (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Groysman, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister:

"I would like to point out that what happened with the MH17 plane is considered a terrorist act by our government. We have been trying to ensure access to the crash site but unfortunately we now have to say that the remnants and the remains at that site were treated in an inadequate manner."

10. Wide of Docter, Groysman and Houston on tarmac

11. SOUNDBITE: (Ukrainian) Volodymyr Groysman, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister:

"We have arranged this situation so that by Friday we will finish the transportation of the remains."

12. Hercules plane on tarmac, believed to be the next plane to take bodies to Amsterdam

13. Flowers in foreground, plane in background

Ukraine's parliament on Thursday voted not to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Yatsenyuk said he was resigning last week after two parties supporting him left the coalition, and parliament balked at passing laws he said were essential to fund the war against pro-Russian separatists.

The vote keeps Ukraine on course for fulfilling its obligations under its bailout loans with the International Monetary Fund and ensures added funding for the military.

Yatsenyuk thanked the parliament and said his government "has not declared default and never will".

Olexander Turchynov, Parliamentary chairman, said another law was passed ratifying and agreement between Kiev and Canberra to send Australian experts to investigate the circumstances of the Malaysian Airlines passenger plane crash in eastern Ukraine.

The plane was shot down on July 17, killing all 298 passengers and crew, including 43 Malaysians and 195 Dutch.

Some bodies have yet to be recovered at the crash site, which has been inaccessible to investigators for days due to fighting between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russia separatists.

AP TELEVISION

1. Ukrainian lawmakers in parliament session

2. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Petro Poroshenko, Ukrainian President:

"Today the Ukrainian parliament confirmed its readiness for teamwork (with the government). I'm confident and I call parliament to now use its vote to show trust in the government."

3. Lawmakers voting whether to accept Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's resignation

4. Screen showing vote results

5. Lawmakers in session

6. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukrainian Prime Minister:

"Ukraine has not declared default and never will. Thank you for your work and hope to meet in Verkhovna Rada soon."

5. Lawmakers applauding

6. Yatsenyuk walking towards Parliament Chairman Oleksandr Turchynov and Poroshenko; shaking hands

7. Yatsenyuk shaking hands with other lawmaker

8. Yatsenyuk and Poroshenko talking

9. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Oleksandr Turchynov, Parliamentary chairman:

"Today we accepted a law ratifying the agreement between Ukraine and Australia about sending Australian experts to Ukraine for the investigation of the Malaysian Airlines plane crash."

10. Lawmakers leaving session

11. Exterior of Ukrainian parliament building