Singapore Airlines apologises for insensitive Facebook posts after MH17 shot ...

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SINGAPORE - After getting a drubbing on social media for making statements deemed 'insensitive' after the downing of flight MH17, Singapore Airlines (SIA) issued a public apology on Saturday and expressed solidarity with families affected by the air tragedy.

Hours after the Malaysia Airlines jetliner was shot down in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, killing 298 people, the airline's Facebook and Twitter updates said its own flights were not using Ukraine airspace.

Singapore Airlines has apologised for 'insensitive' posts on social media. Photo: Craig Abraham

That triggered a flood of angry responses, with many lambasting the airline for not offering condolences to the victims' families and for mounting what some perceived as a publicity stunt during a crisis involving its neighbouring country's flagship airline.

Customers may wish to note that Singapore Airlines flights are not using Ukraine airspace.

- Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir) July 17, 2014

'You better come up with a more considerate, diplomatic and a more sensitive status before you lose customers,' said a post by Edwin Lim on Singapore Airlines' Facebook page. 'Very, very inappropriate and disappointing status.'

SIA, Singapore's best known brand, later also clarified that its flights had been re-routed to alternative paths that were away from Ukrainian airspace after the shooting of MH17.

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesman from the airline said, 'We are aware of that our Facebook and Twitter update on Friday morning may have come across as insensitive to some.' The statement added that it had received many requests from customers seeking information about routes for their upcoming flights, however.

Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew of #MH17, and their families @MAS

- Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir) July 17, 2014

'We recognise that the information could have been better communicated and we sincerely apologise if it had offended our customers and anyone else in the online community.'

According to Flightradar24, an online flight-tracking service, 66 other carriers flew hundreds of times in the area where MH17 was shot down in the last week.

Malaysia flew there 48 times and Singapore Airlines 75 times. The flight-tracking service also published an image showing a Singapore Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Singapore was about 25 kilometres from MH17 when the Malaysian jet was brought down.

Reuters

Singapore Airlines slammed for 'heartless' tweet

EDGAR SU/REUTERS

Singapore Airlines have been forced to apologize for insensitive Twitter posts following the crash of the MH17 jet.

The airline tweeted that 'Customers may wish to note that Singapore Airlines flights are not using Ukraine airspace' in the immediate aftermath of Thursday's tragedy which claimed 298 lives.

There has been some criticism of Malaysia Airlines for the plane flying over the war zone in eastern Ukraine.

The post, which also appeared on Facebook, was criticized by hundreds of users on social media.

Customers may wish to note that Singapore Airlines flights are not using Ukraine airspace.

- Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir) July 17, 2014

People accused Singapore Airlines of a lack of 'ethics' and being 'heartless'.

Following the criticism, Singapore offered its apologies.

'We are aware that our Facebook and Twitter update on Friday morning may have come across as insensitive to some. The post was in response to many requests from our customers who had asked for information about our flight routes for their upcoming flights with us,' the airline said, according to Reuters.

MH17 Malaysia Airlines: Singapore Airlines slammed for insensitive social ...

SINGAPORE Airlines has apologised over ' insensitive and offensive' social media comments it posted following the Malaysian Airlines MH17 disaster.

The airline claimed that its flights do not fly across Ukrainian airspace following the tragedy which killed 298 people.

The remarks drew the ire of many Malaysians, with some taking to social media themselves to condemn the airline.

And despite apologising for the comments, the offensive post still remains on Singapore Airline's and pages.

Customers may wish to note that Singapore Airlines flights are not using Ukraine airspace.

- Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir) July 17, 2014

'A post starting with condolence (and) then, stating your planes are diverted and not using this airspace anymore would have made (you) sound less heartless!' Joannica Dass wrote on Facebook.

Others, however, felt many were overreacting to Singapore Airlines' remarks, and said the carrier was merely trying to get a message across to its customers.

'I don't think their comment was to advertise or boast their flight routes as much as it was to ease the tension of the hundreds of passengers that are scheduled to fly out to other countries over the next few days,' Karishma Sharma wrote on Facebook.

tactless and insensitive RT @SingaporeAir: Customers may wish to note that Singapore Airlines flights are not using Ukraine airspace.

- Kenn Leandre (@kennleandre) July 18, 2014

What Singapore Airlines (+ other airlines) tweeted wasn't insensitive. They have their own worried customers to be taken care of.

- Wan Arief Imran (@wanariefimran) July 18, 2014

On Saturday, Singapore Airlines apologised and tried to clarify its remarks.

'We are aware of that our Facebook and Twitter update on Friday morning may have come across as insensitive to some. The post was in response to many requests from our customers who had asked for information about our flight routes for their upcoming flights with us,' Singapore Airlines said in an email.

'We recognise that the information could have been better communicated and we sincerely apologise if it had offended our customers and anyone else in the online community,' it said.

Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash: Singapore Airlines apologises for social media ...

Hours after Flight MH17 was shot down on Thursday SIA posted Facebook and Twitter updates saying its own flights were not using Ukrainian airspace

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Singapore Airlines (SIA) has apologised for social media posts it made following the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

Hours after the plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine on Thursday, killing all 298 people on board, SIA posted Facebook and Twitter updates saying its own flights were not using Ukrainian airspace.

The move led to angry responses online, with many criticising the company for not offering condolences to the victims' families.

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesman from SIA said, 'We are aware of that our Facebook and Twitter update on Friday morning may have come across as insensitive to some.'

The statement added that SIA had received many requests from customers seeking information about routes for their upcoming flights, however.

'We recognise that the information could have been better communicated and we sincerely apologise if it had offended our customers and anyone else in the online community.'

Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron has warned Moscow that it must shoulder the blame for the crash if is proved the plane was brought down by pro-Russian rebels.

Reuters

Obstructive: Pro-Russian separatists have blocked international monitors at the crash site

Calls for a full and impartial investigation into what caused the tragedy has so far met with a cold response from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Cameron said: 'If this is the case then we must be clear what it means: this is a direct result of Russia destabilising a sovereign state, violating its territorial integrity, backing thuggish militias and training and arming them,' he wrote in The Sunday Times newspaper.

Cameron also criticised fellow members of the European Union for being slow to act against the Kremlin.

'For too long there has been a reluctance on the part of too many European countries to face up to the implications of what is happening in eastern Ukraine,' he wrote.

'It is time to make our power, influence and resources count. Our economies are strong and growing in strength.

'And yet we sometimes behave as if we need Russia more than Russia needs us.'

The identities of all 10 UK victims of the Malaysia plane crash are now known after the names of the final two victims were revealed.

John Allen and Andrew Hoare were both killed when flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine.

The other eight are John Adler, 63, Liam Sweeney, 28, student Richard Mayne, WHO spokesman Glenn Thomas , Ben Pocock, helicopter pilot Cameron Dalziel, 43, Robert Ayley and Stephen Anderson.

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Mr Allen was described as a 'much-loved colleague' by his friends at international law firm NautaDutilh, who said they were 'shocked' by his death alongside his wife and their sons.

A tribute by the firm, which has offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Luxembourg, New York and Rotterdam, reads: 'We were shocked to learn that our much-loved colleague John Allen, his wife Sandra and their sons Christopher, Julian and Ian were on board the Malaysia Airlines flight en route to Kuala Lumpur that crashed in the Ukraine on July 17.

'Our thoughts are with John's family and his friends in and outside the office.'

The tribute adds: 'He was a person with many talents, and in addition to his professional contribution to our firm he generously shared his musical and athletic abilities with us as well.

'All of us who had the privilege of working with John during his 18 years at NautaDutilh came to know him as a kind, down-to-earth and humorous man and many of us have also lost a friend. He will be dearly missed.'

Mr Allen joined the firm in 1996 and became a partner in 2007 where he played a key role in building the intellectual property practice group.

Malaysia Airlines says it has now identified the nationalities of 298 people who were on board the doomed flight.

There are also 193 victims from the Netherlands, 43 from Malaysia including 15 crew and two infants and another 27 from Australia.

The dead also include 12 people from Indonesia including one infant, four people from Germany, four people from Belgium, three from the Philippines plus a Canadian and a New Zealander.

Flight MH17 was said by eyewitnesses to have 'exploded' after it was reportedly shot down by a ground-to-air missile.

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Singapore Airlines apologises for insensitive Facebook posts after MH17 shot ...

Singapore Airlines issued a public apology on Saturday for 'insensitive' posts on Facebook and Twitter following the MH17 crash.

SINGAPORE - After getting a drubbing on social media for making statements deemed 'insensitive' after the downing of flight MH17, Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIA) issued a public apology on Saturday and expressed solidarity with families affected by the air tragedy.

Hours after the Malaysia Airlines jetliner was shot down in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, killing 298 people, the airline's Facebook and Twitter updates said its own flights were not using Ukraine airspace.

That triggered a flood of angry responses, with many lambasting SIA for not offering condolences to the victims' families and for mounting what some perceived as a publicity stunt during a crisis involving its neighbouring country's flagship airline.

'You better come up with a more considerate, diplomatic and a more sensitive status before you lose customers,' said a post by Edwin Lim on SIA's Facebook page. 'Very, very inappropriate and disappointing status.'

SIA, Singapore's best known brand, later also clarified that its flights had been re-routed to alternative paths that were away from Ukrainian airspace after the shooting of MH17.

In a statement on Saturday, a spokesman from SIA said, 'We are aware of that our Facebook and Twitter update on Friday morning may have come across as insensitive to some.' The statement added that SIA had received many requests from customers seeking information about routes for their upcoming flights, however.

'We recognise that the information could have been better communicated and we sincerely apologise if it had offended our customers and anyone else in the online community.'

According to Flightradar24, an online flight-tracking service, 66 other carriers flew hundreds of times in the area where MH17 was shot down in the last week. Malaysia flew there 48 times and SIA 75 times. The flight-tracking service also published an image showing an SIA flight from Copenhagen to Singapore was about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from MH17 when the Malaysian jet was brought down. (Reporting by Anshuman Daga; Editing by Tom Brown)

Umaga eager to coach Singapore Super team

Counties Manukau coach Tana Umaga is open to coaching the Singapore Super Rugby franchise if they win the bid to be one of the expansion teams in 2016.

The former All Blacks captain has had an association with the Asian country for a few years, and will coach the Asia Pacific Dragons there in a game against the Maori All Blacks later this year.

Singapore is currently in a battle with Japan to be one of the teams included in Super Rugby when it increases to an 18-team competition in 2016.

Because of his links there and his ability to lure players through his rugby mana, he's being seen as a front-runner to coach the team if their bid wins.

Umaga, who didn't go for the head coach's job at the Hurricanes, has also been linked to an assistant coach's role at the Blues next season. But he says he's keen on exploring his options - and that includes Singapore.

'There are a few positions up for grabs at the moment and I'm interested in looking at all of the options,' Umaga told Sunday News.

'If it does come to that, and I'm one of the ones that's asked to apply, then I'll look at it.

'Until that happens, I can't apply for something that's a what if, the decision is still a few months away and you don't know what's going to happen.'

Umaga has proved during his time with the Steelers that he deserves a shot at coaching at the Super Rugby level as he's taken the province to heights never seen before.

Where that opening will eventually come is not known, but Singapore could be a good fit for him because he'd get the chance to create something from scratch and build the right foundations.

Umaga feels Singapore is a good place to base a Super Rugby team.

'They're in the top two, so they've got as good a chance as Japan to get a team,' he said.

'I'm not too sure what will happen. I don't make those decisions and we'll have to see how it goes, but I've been associated with them for a few years.

'In terms of the bid, I think Singapore would be good, I've been there a few times, it's a nice place. I was just there for the 10s, they've got a great stadium there.' As for the game against the Maori All Blacks on November 1, Umaga said he hoped to field a strong team.

'At this stage we don't know what sort of side we're going to have, I've worked with the APDs for the past three years and it's like we're a very composite side that comes together when we're called upon,' he said.

'It hasn't been the most organised team and it's like, at the last minute, see who's available . . . This game will be different, though, because it's a bigger game and we've got more preparation time than we've had previously.

'We enjoy our time together, and have a bit of a laugh, but now, because of what's happening in Singapore, there's a lot more scrutiny.'

- Sunday News

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Singapore halts pulping of gay

Singapore has stopped its national library from destroying two children's books with gay themes, after an outcry over literary censorship in the tightly regulated city-state.

The information minister, Yaacob Ibrahim, ordered that the books be moved to the adult section, where parents can borrow them for their children, after another title was pulped by the National Library Board (NLB).

'We stand by NLB's decision to remove the three books from the children's section,' Yaacob said on his Facebook page, adding that the board would 'continue to ensure that books in the children's section are age-appropriate'.

Singapore has separately banned a volume of the long-running US comics series Archie because its depiction of a marriage between two men was deemed to breach local social norms.

Government officials insist most Singaporeans are conservative and do not accept homosexuality.

The two books to be moved to the adult section of public libraries are And Tango Makes Three - a true story about two male penguins in a New York zoo that raised a baby penguin - and The White Swan Express, which features children adopted by straight, gay, mixed-race and single parents.

The book that was destroyed is Who's In My Family?, which discusses different types of families, including gay couples.

About 400 people including parents gathered at a library branch last weekend to read the books to their children as a show of protest.

Sex between men is illegal in Singapore and punishable by up to two years in jail under a provision in the penal code dating back to British colonial rule. The government's refusal to rescind the law - which is not being actively enforced - has become a lightning rod for a growing movement for gay rights and inclusiveness in the multiracial island nation of 5.4 million.

Yaacob said objections to the destruction of books 'reflect a deep-seated respect in our culture for the written word'.

'I have instructed NLB not to pulp the two other titles, but instead to place them in the adult section of the public libraries. I have also asked NLB to review the process by which they deal with such books,' he said.

'The decision on what books children can or cannot read remains with their parents. Parents who wish to borrow these books to read with their children will have the option to do so.'

More than 20,000 people gathered in a peaceful rally on 28 June supporting gay rights despite a fierce online campaign against the event by conservative Muslims and Christians.