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

A legal discussion is underway trying to decide who would legally have custody over the black box of missing plane MH370 should it be found, the Malaysian Defence Minister said on Sunday.

Hishammuddin Hussein, who is also the acting Transport Minister, told journalists, "The Attorney General is in the UK discussing exactly that."

"The ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) and the experts involved in identifying, based on international law and domestic law, who actually does have custody over the black box. But I would like to address that when we actually do find the black box," he said.

Meanwhile hundreds of Buddhist devotees offered a prayer for the missing passengers of MH370 at the Kechara forest retreat in Bentong, Pahang district, about two hours drive east of Kuala Lumpur.

"We like to offer our prayer and strength to search for this MH370. That's why today, we're here to offer our prayer," said Liow Tiong Lai, leader of the Malaysia Chinese Association.

"Every moment, our thought is always with the family members, our thought is always with them, to give them strength approach this difficult time," he said.

The Malaysia Airlines flight was carrying 239 people - most of them Chinese - when it disappeared 8 March en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing.

AP TELEVISION

Kuala Lumpur

1. Malaysian Defence Minister and acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein arriving at news conference

2. Journalists taking notes

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysian Defence Minister and acting Transport Minister:

"The Attorney General is in the UK discussing exactly that. The ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) and the experts involved in identifying, based on international law and domestic law, who actually does have custody over the black box. But I would like to address that when we actually do find the black box."

4. Wide of news conference

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysian Defence minister and acting Transport Minister:

"The four issues that police are still investigating which is the possible hijacking, issue of terrorism, psychological and personal problems. That is on going thing, I don't think the IGP (Inspector-General of Police) would have meant that they have all been cleared. Because unless we find more information, specifically on data in the black box."

6. Wide of journalists

7. Various of Hishammuddin leaving

Bentong, Pahang

8. Close of Buddhist pastor ringing a bell

9. Mid of Buddhist pastors during the prayer

10. Tilt of Malaysia Chinese Association (MCA) leader, Liow Tiong Lai praying

11. Wide of people praying with Buddhist statue in the background

12. Close of pictures of the passengers of the missing flight MH 370

13. Mid of people praying, banner in the background reads (English) "Pray for MH 370"

14. Wide of prayer ceremony

15. Mid of MCA leader, Liow Tiong Lai speaking to media

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Liow Tiong Lai, Malaysia Chinese Association leader:

"We like to offer our prayer and strength to search for this MH370. That's why today, we're here to offer our prayer."

17. Mid of journalists

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Liow Tiong Lai, Malaysia Chinese Association leader:

"Every moment, our thought is always with the family members, our thought is always with them, to give them strength approach this difficult time."

19. Various of people praying

20. Mid of people carrying a candles

21. Wide of Buddhist statue with people putting candles in front of it

SHOTLIST

Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok

1. Pan from ceiling of check-in area of Suvarnabhumi airport to group of stranded passengers who were due to travel to Saudi Arabia to make the annual Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca

2. Two Muslim women seated

3. Man asleep on bench seat

4. Woman asleep on floor

5. Man pulls blanket over himself

6. Various of passengers standing and waiting

7. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Anwar Salaeh, stranded traveller:

"The solution is that the government should prepare a charter flight to take these people out of here to Malaysia. Because Iran Air is waiting there. Because the plane doesn't want to come here. So I think the government should put on a charter for them to take them out to their destination."

8. Wide of people sitting

9. Woman wrapping luggage

10. Close of woman waiting

11. Wide of woman pushing luggage trolley

Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok

12. Various, PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy) supporters gathered at airport

13. Wide of PAD supporters chanting and waving Thailand flags

14. More PAD supporters

15. Various, barbed wire with Thailand flag at PAD checkpoint at one of the entrances of the airport

16. Close of PAD guard with balaclava mask

17. Vehicles passing through PAD checkpoint

18. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Charlie Chantadoon, PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy) guard:

''If you asking me if we are afraid... we want the police to come, we are not afraid and we want them to come. Please come. We don't want them to lie any more. We are always ready. And we want to know what they want to do to innocent people.''

19. PAD guards with batons and hard hats

20. PAD guard watching police with binoculars

21. Low shot police loading helmets into police van

22. Pan of police vans and police outside airport

23. Group of police standing

24. Police sitting inside

25. Various of police outside airport

Don Muang Airport, Bangkok

++NIGHT SHOTS++

26. Various, PAD supporters taking cover after hearing (possible) gunshots

STORYLINE

Thai Airways said on Friday that it would arrange special flights for hundreds of stranded Thai Muslims, who were planning to travel to Saudi Arabia this week for the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

The pilgrims are among thousands of travellers who have been stranded since anti-government protesters' group, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), occupied the main international Suvarnabhumi airport on Tuesday and the smaller Don Muang airport on Wednesday.

The airline said it would arrange a special flight later on Friday for about 250 pilgrims from Hat Yai in southern Thailand, with more such flights planned in the coming days.

Thailand's government has backed off on its threat to forcibly remove protesters occupying Bangkok's two airports, saying police will attempt to negotiate instead.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat declared a state of emergency at the airports, suggesting an imminent crackdown on the yellow-kerchiefed PAD.

But eight hours later, government spokesman Nattawut Sai-Kau said police had been instructed to get the protesters out of airports as soon as possible in a "peaceful manner".

Protesters appeared not to be convinced - as police massed nearby and the PAD prepared for confrontation, suspected gunfire caused near-panic at Don Muang airport in the early hours of Friday morning.

People crouched behind cars or scurried for safety after a volley of about eight sharp cracks rang out at Don Muang, Thailand's domestic flight hub.

More were heard two hours later but it is still unclear who was firing.

It follows days of tension, with gunfire and bomb attacks, targeting both the anti-government side and their opponents and resulting in several deaths.

So far police have not made a move to clear the thousands of demonstrators from the sites. The demonstrators are refusing to move from their barbed-wire barricades, insisting they are not afraid of a showdown with the police.

The government's unwillingness to deploy security forces has raised doubts about whether Somchai has the support of police and the army, a powerful institution that has traditionally played a key role in the country's politics.

Army commander General Anupong Paochinda has so far been neutral in the political turmoil, and even urged Somchai to call new elections, triggering speculation of a military coup.