The thunderous noise would cause roof tiles, metal grilles to vibrate and car alarms to go off, such daily torture is worse than a nightmare, as they cannot even sleep.

Lecturer Syazuan Abdul Latip, 35, who moved into Taman Saujana KLIA six months ago, said he had not had a good night’s sleep since.

Jolted out of slumber at 3am almost every day by the sound of screaming aircraft engines, Syazuan said the lack of sleep is taking a toll on him.

Syukri Osman, 36, who moved in four months ago said there could be as many as 20 take-offs within 30 minutes.

“We have to put up with the aircraft noise round the clock, just imagine having to live in such environment. There is no rest for us,” said Syukri.

Kota Warisan resident and retiree Rokeman Dahalan, 66, said he regretted buying a property here 10 years ago.

“The noise has been bothering me from day one. If I had known, I would never have chosen to live here,” said Rokeman.

Ricky Yeung, 47, an airline pilot who has lived here for 12 years, said the issue of aircraft noise worsened when KL International Airport 2 (KLIA2) started operations and traffic increased since 2014.

He said the noise is from aircraft taking off at runway 32R, one of the three runways in KLIA.

Aircraft departing from this runway is required to follow a flight path that turns right after take-off, which sees it flying over Taman Saujana KLIA, Kota Warisan among several residential areas.

Yeung suggested that aircraft taking off at this runway could maintain direction at 326 degrees North West instead of taking a right turn, or for all take-offs at runway 32R be shifted to runway 32L.

Another proposal is to impose a curfew for night takeoffs.

In reply to residents’ complaints, a Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) spokesman said the agency was sympathetic towards their plight as Kota Warisan and Saujana KLIA were located on the fringes of gazetted airport perimeters where residential development was not permitted.

In its email reply, CAAM said residents should have been fully aware when acquiring residential property close to any international airport, there was always the possibility of noise pollution.

On the operational suggestions put forward by Yeung, CAAM explained that the current mode of operation used for departures was the Simultaneous Independent Departures Operations (Sido), which required aircraft departing from adjacent runways to be on diverging tracks after getting airborne.

Therefore, requiring aircraft to avoid flying over the two housing estates would mean suspending Sido.

“This means only one aircraft would be able to depart at a time from any one of KLIA’s three runways, obliterating efficiency and causing delays in flight departure,” he said, adding that aircraft awaiting their turn to take off would result in additional fuel burn and carbon emission.

“It must be noted for all airlines, fuel represents the biggest operational expense. An average medium-sized jet (B737 or A320) burns between RM400 and RM500 worth of fuel per minute.

“As such, delaying an aircraft would cost any airline an additional RM1,000 per flight. If there are 300 flights involved, that would translate to RM300,000 in additional fuel cost per day,” said CAAM.

On suggestion that departures should only be limited to runway 32L, CAAM explained in the original airport design, runway 32L was for landings and runway 32R for departures.

Switching the landing and departure mode would result in departing aircraft having to taxi 6km from the terminal building to the holding point at runway 32L, taking anything between 15 to 30 minutes.

Aircraft landing on runway 32R would have to make a sharp left hand turn to join the main taxiway, bringing the aircraft to almost a standstill especially for the wide-bodied aircraft. This would cause a jam on the runway and in turn reduce airport capacity, he explained.

Currently, the airport’s capacity is 84 movements per hour. KLIA plans to raise this to 108 movements per hour with additional flights from midnight to 6am.

This means imposing a curfew at these hours would be a drawback to meeting the airport’s full capacity.

CAAM also noted that the combined capacity of KLIA and KLIA2 was now 75 million passengers per annum (mppa), while the target was 100 mppa. As such, the airport is considered to be still operating below capacity.

CAAM also advised residents that any changes to airport operation or curfews would require the decision of policy makers, referring to Transport Ministry or the Malaysian Aviation Commission.

The willowy beauty is making history since the pageant reversed a longstanding policy in 2012 that participants must be “naturally born” women.

Explaining her broad appeal the plain-speaking 27-year-old says “who hasn’t suffered from prejudice? Who hasn’t had to deal with bullying?”

Outside the walls of Miss Universe — whose finals will be held early Monday in Thailand’s capital Bangkok — the transgender community continues to be marginalised and misunderstood, with high rates of suicide.

A leaked White House report said President Trump’s administration is considering pushing changes to the law to define gender by biological traits at birth, while trying to block transgender people from military service.

Ponce is defiant about how to respond to Trump, a former owner of Miss Universe, and others who would try to box her in by physical traits.

“I always say: having a vagina didn’t transform me into a woman. I am a woman, already before birth, because my identity is here,” she told AFP, gesturing to her head.

She also took issue with the classification of trans people by large sections of society based on prejudice and narrow assessments of gender.

“Outsiders say what I can and cannot do, what I am and what I am not,'” Ponce said.

“No, I’m sorry. To be a woman is your identity. It doesn’t matter if you are white, black, if you have a vagina… if you have a penis.”

Ponce, who works with a foundation in Spain helping children struggling with stigma linked to being trans, is aware of the visibility she brings to the Miss Universe platform.

Her performance has so far drawn praise, from her portrayal of a flamenco dancer during the national costume portion of the competition to her strut down the runway in a shimmery mermaid-like gown in the evening dress category.

“You can empower yourself like I have and turn something negative into your biggest strength,” she said.

“Children are born without prejudices and I think that if we talk to them about diversity from a young age… we can create a new generation of human beings who are raised a lot better, more tolerant and respectful.”

This year’s event, which critics say is a throwback to stereotypes of the the pre #MeToo era, has largely preached a message of inclusivity.

It boasts an all-women panel of judges made up of business leaders and former Miss Universe titleholders.

But gaffes still abound — Miss USA Sarah Rose Summers got in hot water for appearing to mock the contestants from Vietnam and Cambodia on social media for not being able to speak English.

She has since posted an apology on instagram, saying she did not “intend to hurt” her fellow competitors.

Monday’s event will see last year’s winner Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa crown her successor among 94 countries in a live televised event hosted by American comic turned TV host Steve Harvey and supermodel Ashley Graham.

The entrance of the Christmas Market in Strasbourg, France, 14 December 2018. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Cherif Chekatt was killed late Thursday after a two-day manhunt when a police patrol spotted him on a street in the district where he was last seen after Tuesday night’s attack on Christmas shoppers.

The lights on the market’s towering Christmas tree were illuminated Friday for the first time since the attack ahead of the official re-opening of the market at 11:00 am (1000 GMT).

“I hope life will get back to normal but I’m not too sure,” said Franck Hoffmann as opened his wooden chalet offering Christmas candles and ornaments on Friday.

“Business isn’t going to be what it was,” he predicted.

Questions remained over how Chekatt was able to evade the tight security perimeter set up for an event long known to be a prime target for jihadist groups.

Around 500 police, security agents and soldiers control access at checkpoints on the bridges leading to the river island, a UN World Heritage site, that houses the market.

The goal is to “create a bubble with searches at the entry points,” Mayor Roland Ries said after the attack, while regional government representative Jean-Luc Marx said he had not determined “any flaws in the security measures”.

French municipal police officers patrol a Christmas market in Nice, France, 13 December 2018. Police are stepping up security measures at markets in France after three people were killed and several people were injured in attack at Christmas Market in Strasbourg. The gunman is reported to be at large and the motive for the attack is still unclear. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Many residents, however, were not convinced after Chekatt managed to slip through the controls with a handgun and a knife.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” said Emeline, 38, who works in the city centre. “You wear a heavy coat, put something in the bottom of your bag. You can bring in what you want.”

– ‘It’s too painful’ –

France’s anti-terror prosecutor Remy Heitz is to hold a press conference in Strasbourg on Friday while Interior Minister Christophe Castaner will attend the reopening of the market, which usually draws two million people every year.

France has been on high alert since the start of a wave of jihadist attacks in 2015, which prompted a threefold surge in the security budget for the market, to one million euros.

Chekatt, a 29-year-old career criminal who lived in a rundown apartment block a short drive from the city centre, was flagged by French security forces in 2015 as a possible Islamic extremist.

 A view of a bullet hole in the door of the building in rue de Lazaret, in the Neudorf district, Strasbourg, France, 14 December 2018 where French police shot dead Cherif Chekatt, the perpetrator of the Christmas Market attack, on 13 December 2018. Three people died following the shooting at the market and several more were seriously injured during the incident of 111 December 2018. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

The propaganda wing of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack, calling Chekatt one of its “soldiers” who responded to its calls to target citizens of nations in the coalition fighting the jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

Among the 13 injured in the attack, three remain in critical condition while three others have been released from hospital, Castaner said Thursday.

Strasbourg’s deputy mayor Alain Fontanel admitted that despite patrols, plainclothes police, profilers and video surveillance, “the risks can be reduced, but not eliminated”.

“We can’t pat down and search everyone, only carry out random checks,” he said, adding that huge lines at checkpoints would only create a new potential target for terrorists.

“Someone who wants to get in an area this big with a weapon can do it,” he said.

Such reasoning was little comfort to the residents and tourists who flock to the Strasbourg market.

“We thought this would happen only in Nice or at the Bataclan, but here it is at home,” said Sylvain, who works at another market in the city centre.

He was referring to the truck attack which killed scores at Bastille Day festivities in Nice, southern France, in 2016, and the massacre at the capital’s Bataclan concert hall in November 2015.

“I’m not going to forget this anytime soon. It’s too painful. I’m not even sure I’m able to cry,” he said.

Summers, 24, has since apologized for what social media users called racism and bullying, saying that she “would never intend to hurt another”.

She made the comments alongside Miss Colombia Valeria Morales and Miss Australia Francesca Hung in an Instagram Live video on Morales’ account on Wednesday, Dec. 12.

The clip begins with Summers asking Morales and Hung: “What do you think about Miss Vietnam?”

She then goes on to say of her Vietnam counterpart H’Hen Nie: “She’s so cute and she pretends to know so much English, and then you ask her a question after having a whole conversation with her and she goes (nods and smiles).”

Summers then laughs and calls Nie “adorable”.

And when prompted by Morales, Summers again imitates Nie nodding and smiling.

The contestants then pointed out that Miss Cambodia Nat Rern also does not speak any English, and “not a single other person speaks her language”.

Summers describes it as isolating and confusing, and adds: “Poor Cambodia.”

Soon after the video surfaced, including on popular Instagram account diet _prada, Summers met with sharp criticism.

Instagram user potskzi said in a comment: “Miss USA and Australia just lost all of my respect… That’s NOT what real beauty is all about.”

On Thursday, Summers responded to the controversy with an apology on her Instagram account.

She wrote: “In a moment where I intended to admire the courage of a few of my sisters, I said something that I now realize can be perceived as not respectful, and I apologize.

“My life, friendships, and career revolve around me being a compassionate and empathetic woman. I would never intend to hurt another. I am grateful for opportunities to speak with Nat, Miss Cambodia, and H’Hen, Miss Vietnam, directly about this experience. These are the moments that matter most to me.”

Nat on Friday sought to soothe tensions online when she shared group photos taken with Summers, Morales, Hung and Nie, which show the five of them in smiles and hugging.

“I speak the language of love, respect and understanding. I love you, my sisters,” she said.

Many were angered by the murder, adding that no one had a right to harm or kill others, just because they are different.

The victim is believed to have been beaten by several men wielding blunt weapons in Bukit Tinggi, Klang, on Wednesday night (Dec 12).

According to the post-mortem report, she suffered a fractured skull and bleeding in the brain, and had 32 groups of injuries inflicted upon her.

There is no indication that it was a hate crime, but many suspect so.

Facebook user Erin WIlson said: “Everyone is entitled to their own life, as long as it does not harm others. Be kind if anything, everyone has their own struggle”.

Sze Tian Poh added: “You have no right to harm and kill others, even if they are different from you”.

Others said that the culprits should face harsh punishments, including the death penalty.

A comment by Kan W H read: “The culprits need to face the law…and harsh punishment,” while Wilfred Kj believed that the “culprits must be brought to jail immediately”.

Some strongly believe that there should be no mercy for such culprits.

Troy Choy said: “Death for a death I say. No mercy. Just justice”, and Yewah Yim added “death penalty is a must.”

Others said that Malaysia was not ready for the abolishment of the death penalty, especially in the light of cases like this.

Richie Nga commented that this was one of the many reasons why the death penalty “has to stay” as “Malaysia has no place for murderers”.

Echoing the same sentiment, Nageswary Parthiban says: “With the death penalty taken off, we might see more of these cases”.

The case is being investigated as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

Dozens of emergency workers were pumping water out of a large trench that was flooded early Thursday near a river in mineral-rich Meghalaya state.

“We are doing our best to reach out to them. Our information is 13 people were inside at the time of flooding,” police official Lethindra Sangma told AFP.

An Indian court had banned coal mining in the area in 2014 after environmental activists complained it was responsible for severe water pollution.

    But the practice continues with locals illegally extracting coal using dangerous so-called rat hole mines.

This involves digging pits on the side of hills and then burrowing small horizontal tunnels into the hill to reach a coal seam.

At least 15 miners were killed after they were trapped inside a flooded rat-hole mine elsewhere in Meghalaya in 2012. Their bodies were never recovered.

More than 700 French security forces had been hunting for 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt since the bloodshed on Tuesday night.

He was believed to have been injured after exchanging fire with soldiers during the attack, but managed to escape and had not been seen since getting out of a taxi in the Neudorf area of the northern French city.

Minutes before he was shot dead on Thursday, a helicopter with powerful searchlight flew over Neudorf.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told reporters police swooped after the suspect was spotted in the street.

Officers tried to arrest him, but he shot at police. “They immediately returned fire and neutralised the assailant,” Castaner said.

Dozens of police vehicles converged on the area where police were applauded after the shooting. “Bravo!” some shouted as people gathered at the police cordon, a source said.

Police in several other countries earlier joined the manhunt for Chekatt, a Strasbourg native and career criminal with at least 27 convictions in four European states.

Authorities published Chekatt’s picture late Wednesday with police describing him as dangerous and urging people not to approach him.

A fifth person was detained by police for questioning on Thursday, in addition to the suspect’s parents and two brothers who have been in custody since Wednesday.

The Strasbourg Christmas market is due to reopen on Friday.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed “the solidarity of the whole country” towards the victims as he arrived for a European summit in Brussels on Thursday.

“It is not only France that has been hit… but a great European city as well,” he added, referring to the seat of the European parliament in the eastern French city that lies on the border with Germany.

Plea to ‘yellow vests’ 

As police were hunting Chekatt Thursday, the French government urged “yellow vest” protesters not to hold another round of demonstrations this weekend, given the strain on the country’s security forces.

Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux called on the anti-government protesters to be “reasonable” and not protest again Saturday, after nearly four weeks of often violent demonstrations which has led the government to offer a range of financial relief to low earners.

“Our security forces have been deployed extensively these past few weeks,” Griveaux told CNews television.

“It would be better if everyone could go about their business calmly on Saturday, before the year-end celebrations with their families, instead of demonstrating and putting our security forces to work once again,” he added.

The “yellow vest” protesters, known for their fluorescent high-visibility jackets, had called for a fifth round of protests this Saturday.

The protests began on November 17 over fuel tax increases, but snowballed into a revolt over living standards as well as Macron’s perceived indifference to the problems of ordinary citizens.

Underscoring attempts to ease tensions, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe confirmed a proposed constitutional reform, which was to be debated in January, had been postponed to allow time for more discussions over local grievances.

Some union leaders also put pressure on “yellow vests” not to demonstrate on Saturday so they would not overburden police as they dealt with security after the Strasbourg attack.

But some demonstrators dismissed the calls to suspend protests.

A 23-year-old protester was killed after he was hit by a truck on a roundabout in southern France near Avignon late on Thursday, the sixth person to have died during the weeks of demonstrations.

Wide search

Strasbourg’s location in the heart of western Europe means that Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg can be easily reached by car or train, making the search for Chekatt more complicated.

Swiss police had reinforced border checks, while German authorities also widely published the photo of the suspect, which showed him with dark hair, a short beard and a visible mark on his forehead.

In 2016, a jihadist responsible for an attack on a Christmas market in Berlin was shot and killed only three days later in Milan in northern Italy after travelling through the Netherlands and France.

The Strasbourg suspect, who lived in a rundown apartment block a short drive from the city centre, was flagged by French security forces in 2015 as a possible Islamic extremist.

France has been hit by a wave of attacks from gunmen claiming allegiance to Al Qaeda or the Islamic State group since 2015, which have claimed the lives of 246 people before Tuesday’s attack, according to an AFP toll.

No group has claimed responsibility for the Strasbourg attack, but social media accounts used by Islamic State sympathisers have celebrated the killings.