They also announced at a press conference a ceasefire within a 10km radius around the crash site to allow international investigators to safely access the vast area where the Malaysia Airlines flight was downed.
Their reluctant cooperation will soothe mourning families and help investigators, but may do little to reconcile the East-West powers struggling over Ukraine's future.
2. Shaken cabin crew pull out of work
A Malaysia Airlines flight attendant says the MH17 tragedy has left some crew scared of flying.
The flight attendant, who spoke to the Herald on the condition of anonymity, said Kuala Lumpur-Auckland flights at the weekend needed "last-minute replacements" after two rostered crew members pulled out.
"What happened to MH370 left us shaken but some of us are totally crushed after MH17.
"MAS is like one big family and losing our colleagues feels like losing our family members, and this is just too hard to take."
3. Hero cop stops dog attack
A 17-year-old rescued by a mother-of-two and a police officer when his pitbull viciously mauled him believes the animal couldn't stop after getting its first "taste of blood".
West Auckland teen Caleb Heka was in Waikumete Cemetery on Saturday when his dog of six years turned on him.
The brave actions of Henderson police Constable Ben Klinkenberg, the first emergency staff member on the scene, have been credited with saving the young man's life.
According to police, Mr Heka was on the ground being savaged by the dog. It released his arm when Mr Klinkenberg pepper-sprayed it before he wrestled with the animal and pinned it to the ground.
4. Kiwi teen: Being a mum 'all worth it'
Baby Mason.
Georgia Hageman was in bed at 4.30am when her waters broke.
Less than four hours later the 15-year-old Aucklander was holding her baby son, Mason, in Waitakere Hospital surrounded by family.
A heartfelt open letter written by the teen about the challenges, taboos and realities of her teen pregnancy sparked a tidal wave of interest from Herald readers when it was published last month.
Read more:
• Georgia Hageman: My life as a pregnant teenager
In a matter of days it clocked up half a million views on the Herald's website and Facebook page, as well as an outpouring of support and some disdain.
Speaking from her home last night, where she and Mason live with her parents Rob and Shelly and two younger siblings, she said being a mother was an amazing feeling.
5. Climber's feat stuns colleagues
New Zealand's climbing community is in awe of the first solo ascent of a difficult South Island peak in Mt Aspiring National Park.
Guy McKinnon, a professional search and rescue team member at Aoraki-Mt Cook, was said last night to have accomplished "once in a generation" ascents.
His latest feat involved walking for two days in cold and difficult conditions from northwest of Lake Wanaka to the base of the east face of the ice-covered Popes Nose, and scaling its 2700-metre peak on a continuously vertical trajectory in just five hours on Friday.
Although the peak has been climbed three times before, twice in summer and once in winter, McKinnon is its only solo conqueror and all his predecessors were flown to its base by helicopter.
- nzherald.co.nz, NZ Herald, APNZ, AP, AFP