Shenzhou-13 crew enter China's Tianhe space station core cabin

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Shenzhou-13 crew

The three taikonauts onboard the Shenzhou-13 spaceship entered the country's space station core module Tianhe on Saturday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

After Shenzhou-13 successfully completed a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the orbiting Tianhe module, the Shenzhou-13 crew Zhai Zhigang,Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu entered the orbital capsule of Tianhe, marking the country's second crew to have entered China's Tianhe space station core cabin.

Just like everyone else when they first enter their new home, the first thing that the Shenzhou-13 crew did was to check out their sweet cozy bedrooms and connect to the Wi-Fi. A livestream video shows that Zhai, who was the first to enter, was so involved and excited to settle in that he was floating upside down in the air. The three then set up the wireless headphones for space-Earth talks.

After a brief conversation reporting their safety to the ground control center, the crew will soon have their very first lunch in their new home, Yang Liwei, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office and the country's first astronaut said.

Among the three new residents, there are the country's first spacewalker Zhai Zhigang, first female taikonaut to have stepped inside its own space station Wang Yaping, and first taikonaut who was trained in an international space agency Ye Guangfu. They will stay in space for six months, double the time of the Shenzhou-12 crew.

They are expected to return to earth in April 2022, which means they will celebrate a special, unforgettable Chinese Lunar New Year in space.

They are tasked to carry out two to three extravehicular activities, better known as spacewalks. Wang Yaping will participate in at least one spacewalk, becoming the first Chinese woman to achieve such a feat, the Global Times learned from mission insiders.

According to the CMSA, they are also expected to install transfer gears linking the big and small robotic arms and related suspension gears for future construction work.

The Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft successfully docked with China's Tianhe space station core cabin on Saturday early morning, after quick automated rendezvous, or as researchers call it, the 'space waltz.'

The rendezvous and docking happened at 6:56 am on Saturday morning, six and a half hours after traveling on a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gansu Province, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said in a statement sent to the Global Times.

Docked at the bottom of the Tianhe core cabin from a radial direction, the spacecraft safely and smoothly delivered the second batch of residents to China's space station.

A combination flight has been formed, consisting of the Tianhe core cabin at the center, and Shenzhou-13 manned craft, Tianzhou-2 and -3 cargo craft on the side, the CMSA said.

According to the spacecraft developers with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), they have designed a new rendezvous path and circling flight mode to support fast-docking in the radial direction.

As beautiful as the "space waltz" was, it was a lot more difficult than the front and rear docking with the Tianhe core cabin as the Shenzhou-12, Tianzhou-2 and -3 missions had exercised. "For front and rear dockings, there is a 200-meter holding point for the craft, enabling them to maintain a stable attitude in orbit even when engines are not working. However, radial rendezvous does not have such a midway stopping point, and it requires continuous attitude and orbit control," the CAST said in a note to the Global Times.

It added that during the radial rendezvous, the spacecraft needs to turn from level flight to vertical flight with a wide range of attitude maneuvers, posing tough challenges for the "eyes" of the craft to see the target in time and ensure that the "eyes" will not be disturbed by complex lighting changes.

The success of this new docking method would be another sign of China's spacecraft docking capabilities, experts noted.

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Budget 2022 likely to be friendly to house buyers

 

https://youtu.be/YsuhuxDTjIA

Rerating of property sector justified

“We do not anticipate any new dramatic tightening policies, as this would derail the recovery of the property sector.” TA Securities Research

PETALING JAYA: Budget 2022 will likely contain elements that make home ownership and financing more accessible, according to TA Securities Research.

“Following the full reopening of all economic sectors this month, we expect that better market sentiment along with stronger recovery in economic and business activity to contribute to better developers’ sales prospects ahead, which will eventually translate into stronger earnings going forward,” said the research unit.

TA Securities Research maintained its “overweight” rating on the property sector, and said a rerating is justified, considering developers’ encouraging sales growth and attractive valuations.

“We do not anticipate any new dramatic tightening policies, as this would derail the recovery of the property sector,” it said.

Taking a cue from the recently announced 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), it also opined that Budget 2022 would primarily focus on ensuring adequate, quality, and affordable housing, improving the living standard of poor households and monitoring and evaluating efforts as well as achieving urban sustainability.

It is anticipated that the focus of Budget 2022 would be to ease the burden of the B40 and M40 as their livelihood was largely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Also, Budget 2022 should be primarily helpful to low-to-middle-income earners as well as to first-time home owners.

TA Securities Research is also hopeful for more measures to ease the burden of property owners by extending the real property gains tax (RPGT) exemptions along with lower RPGT rates.

Based on its channel checks, it said property developers’ wish lists and expectations for Budget 2022 include promoting homeownership among the low-to-middle income group, reiterating and broadening existing public housing schemes, making home ownership and financing easier, extending the Home Ownership Campaign to 2022, and a tax relief for mortgage interest.

Property developers are hoped for incentives such as a relaxation of requirements for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.

Despite the fact that the MM2H programme only accounts for a fraction of the overall number of homebuyers in Malaysia, it can nonetheless contribute to reducing the overhang of unsold properties.

“We note the recent adjustments to the MM2H programme criteria for new applicants could be extremely stringent, discouraging foreigners from settling and working in Malaysia,” said TA Securities Research.

Additional incentives are needed to promote green development in Malaysia and to encourage developers to adopt accredited green certification tools during the construction and operation phases of development projects.

The government should grant additional tax incentives to developers of green-certified buildings, allowing them to claim income tax deductions equal to the additional capital expenditure required to obtain green certification.

On top of that, the government may consider offering stamp duty exemptions to purchasers who acquire properties that have been certified as environmentally friendly in order to stimulate demand.

“This is primarily to address the higher cost of green building construction in comparison to conventional buildings, which may deter potential buyers from making the investment,” said TA Securities Research.

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  Summary Forecast Stats Download

 

Government Budget in Malaysia increased to -3.20 percent of GDP in 2020 from -3.40 percent of GDP in 2019. source: Ministry of Finance Malaysia

Malaysia Government Budget

 

Government Budget is an itemized accounting of the payments received by government (taxes and other fees) and the payments made by government (purchases and transfer payments). A budget deficit occurs when an government spends more money than it takes in. The opposite of a budget deficit is a budget surplus.

 

Compare Government Budget by Country

Malaysia	Last	Unit	Reference	Previous	Highest	Lowest
Government Budget	-3.20	percent of GDP	Dec/20	-3.40	2.40	-6.70

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Interstate rush: Penang expecting an influx of 50,000 tourists this weekend and MBPP freezes staff leave ...

 

Penang Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang says the island welcomes both visitors and locals returning home to meet their families after a long travel hiatus. – The Vibes file pic, October 13, 2021

 

GEORGE TOWN – The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) is bracing for an expected influx of 50,000 tourists this weekend and has frozen leave for 78% of its staff.

Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said the island welcomes both visitors and locals returning home to meet their families after a long travel hiatus.

Many will be taking the opportunity to travel as the Tuesday after the weekend is a public holiday to celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s birthday.

“We are not only expecting an influx of tourists. From what is reported by the Malaysian Meteorological Department, Penang will also be expecting a heavy downpour this weekend with 300-500mm of rain.

“When that happens, we will need to be on alert for possible landslides and flash floods,” he said at a press conference here today.

“We will be working closely with police to monitor hotspots such as the Esplanade and action will be taken if there are any breaches of SOPs.”

There has already been a significant increase in traffic and use of urban services since the interstate travel ban was lifted on Monday, Yew said.

Therefore, he said, it is necessary that city council staff remain working to ensure the island’s safety and cleanliness.

Out of 3,019 staff, 2,342 are expected to come back to work from October 15 to 19. Leaves that were approved beforehand for workers required for this period are being annulled.

https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/44427/interstate-rush-penang-freezes-mbpp-staff-leave-as-50000-tourists-expected-this-weekend

Many other workers are expected to be on standby as they may be called back to work if the need arises.

Yew also reminded the public that the city council’s Intelligent Operation Centre, which has almost 1,000 closed-circuit television cameras functioning as “eyes in the sky” will be in full swing as the authorities will be on the lookout for those who do not comply with SOPs.

He urged those coming back to see their loved ones to observe the “green bubble” precaution and self-test for Covid-19, entering the state only if the result is negative.

The MBPP hotline and WhatsApp numbers at 04-2637637 and 016-2004082 respectively will continue operating on a 24-hour basis to tend to any complaints or issues that may crop up. – The Vibes, October 13, 2021

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'Constructive' China-U.S. Talks: An Icebreaker?

  
Yang Jiechi (1st right), a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met Wednesday with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (1st left) (Photo: Xinhua)

On Wednesday, Yang Jiechi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, met with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan for six hours of talks in Zurich, Switzerland. The press releases issued by both sides were more positive in their respective contexts. This suggests that the meeting was productive.

Both sides have talked about implementing the spirit of the phone call between Chinese and US heads of state on September 10. There were no negative descriptions and accusations against the other side in both public press releases. There was only more subtle language about the differences between the two countries. US officials told the media that the two sides also discussed the possibility of a video meeting between the two heads of state by the end of this year.

However, if we compare the press releases from both sides, there are serious differences between the two countries that can still been seen. Yang stressed that China opposes defining China-US relations as "competitive." He advocated that the US side should have a deep understanding of the mutually beneficial nature of the bilateral relations and correctly understand China's domestic and foreign policies and strategic intentions. However, Washington's press release mentioned "competition" twice in the US' usual context. It has also used the wording of "responsible competition" as in the US' several recent statements and emphasized managing risks.

It is obvious that Washington's strategic definition of the China-US relations and the basic thinking behind their policy toward Beijing remains the same. The State Department's press release emphasized that it will continue to invest in US national strength and work closely with allies and partners. This is the same as the US' oft-repeated theme of speaking "from a position of strength" and strengthening the alliance system to compete fiercely with China.

However, the US side has recently talked less about "confrontation" along with competition and cooperation. It has been repeatedly emphasizing that it does not want to see a "new Cold War." It wants to prevent competition from escalating into confrontation. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai also said that the US does not pursue decoupling, but is willing to a "recoupling" on a new basis. In addition, it is also obvious that the US side's attitude toward China has been adjusted. Examples include the release of Meng Wanzhou and Washington getting ready to restart the China-US economic and trade consultations and other actions and positive statements.

China's fundamental strategy of not making principled concessions and insisting on doing its own thing is taking effect. The US side always says it wants to speak "from a position of strength," but its strength is far from sufficient to achieve its ambitions to contain China's development. The US has been hit hard by the COVID-19 epidemic, which has killed more than 700,000 people so far. It has not only plunged the US economy deeper into abusing stimulus mode, but also exposed the fundamental weaknesses of the US system and weakened its global influence.

By strengthening its alliance system, the US has mainly roped in Australia and Japan. In the past, Canberra and Tokyo used Washington's power to intimidate other countries. But now, it seems to be the other way around. The US' comprehensive offensive against China has quickly shown signs of fatigue.

To some extent, the reality has taught Washington a crisp lesson. The US has to alleviate some conflicts with China which are out of its ability. It also adjusted the pace of its China policy. At a time when anti-China public opinion is rampant in the US, the room for such adjustments is limited. Public announcements will be particularly restricted by domestic US politics. Therefore, Chinese people should not have illusions about the Biden administration's change of course. We should use our own solid actions to increase our firm leading power in China-US relations.

It must be noted that we have strong endurance in sticking to the current path toward the US. The US strategy toward China is very imaginative, but it cannot be supported by its ability. While the US is repeatedly discussing infrastructure construction, China's infrastructure construction has taken another step forward. The US' alliance system is becoming more and more complicated. For example, Paris, its traditional ally, is angry with Washington. Berlin is still going against Washington's will on the Nord Stream 2 deal. The US' failure in Afghanistan has made all of Washington's allies bitterly disappointed.

The US cannot achieve these deeds effortlessly. However, China can accumulate strategic initiatives by doing its own things well. China follows a pragmatic and reliable path.

We hope to see China-US relations find constructive changes. However, there are still many obstacles for the two sides to move closer in terms of their perceptions and expectations toward each other. The US has a deep hegemonic mindset, and it won't engage in reflection unless it fails. China must, by doing its own things well, make the US realize that ultimately it is impossible to contain China's development. By sticking to this approach and direction, US' China policy will gradually adapt to reality. The US will seek maximum interests by exploring coexistence and cooperation with China

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Moral vacuum at the heart of modernity, now embodied in US laws!

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Declining Covi-19 numbers as positive sign in Malaysia

So long: Volunteers and staff members leaving short notes on a board in the foyer on the last day of operation of the vaccination centre at Spice Convention Centre in Bayan Baru. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star

It’s an indication that vaccination programme is working, say experts

PETALING JAYA: Interstate travel is on the agenda following the declining number of Covid-19 infections that had once peaked at 24,599 on Aug 26.

Yesterday, Malaysia recorded 9,380 cases. Health experts described this as a positive sign and an indication that the vaccination programme was working.

Malaysian Public Health Physicians’ Association president Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the downward trend was “real and very encouraging”.

“This is a positive impact of the vaccination drive.

“I believe the Covid-19 cases in Category One to Three will still be with us in big numbers but people should not be alarmed as we see a reduction in severe cases as well as deaths,” he said yesterday.

To prevent a spike in Covid-19 cases, he urged those who have yet to be vaccinated to do so and the public to strictly adhere to the SOP.

He said they should also self-monitor if they feel unwell, adding that the government must continue surveillance for new clusters and variants.

Universiti Malaya Department of Social and Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine’s Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming said the drop in cases was a “very good sign”, adding that it showed that vaccines worked in preventing the virus transmission although not completely.

“The rates of hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) usage and deaths are also coming down.

“We are moving in the positive direction via the emphasis on the vaccination drive,” she said.

Dr Moy said the government had used various methods such as setting up of vaccination centres, engaging general practitioners (GPS), having outreach programmes for the vulnerable groups, and walk-ins for the elderly followed by adults and the migrant workers, both documented and undocumented, to boost the vaccination rate for the adult population.

As of Oct 5, 88.4% of the adult population have been fully vaccinated while 94.5% have received at least one dose.

“We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The cases were below 10,000 for the past few days. We hope with the adolescents getting fully vaccinated, the number of daily cases can reduce further along with the rates of hospitalisation, ICU usage and deaths until these rates are no more a burden to our healthcare system,” she said.

To ensure recovery continues, Dr Moy said people would still need to be compliant to the SOP such as mask wearing, hand hygiene and physical distancing.

“Once people’s mobility is increased with all sectors open, chances of increased Covid19 transmission will be there. In order to ensure the recovery continues, everyone should play their role and help to ensure another wave of Covid-19 transmission does not happen,” she said.

She said the relevant authorities should monitor the Covid-19 situation closely, and to take a proactive action when it started to diverge from the projected path.

New infections have hit four-digits three days in a row with 9,066 cases registered on Oct 3, followed by 8,075 (Oct 4) and 8,817 (Oct 5).

The number of Covid-19 patients in ICU have also gradually fallen since Aug 31, with similar trends seen in hospitalisation and ventilated patients rates.

The death rate has also slowly decreased since Sept 1, registering a new low of actual deaths of only three on Tuesday. But the country registered 117 Covid-19-related deaths as it includes backlogged cases that were previously unreported.

The infectivity rate (R0) nationwide has been falling since last month.

On Sept 1, the R0 was 0.99. It tapered off to 0.87 for the past three days, which is a new low since March 19.

Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman believed that the R0 for the entire country needs to be interpreted with caution as it covers large areas with different sets of backgrounds, pre-existing number of cases and sociobehavioural patterns.

“In my opinion, based on R0 only, it would be very difficult to interpret the real situation. But the decreasing pattern gives some hope that the situation is getting better,” she said.

Dr Malina hoped that the R0 would further decrease to less than 0.5 or if possible near 0.

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Singapore passes online ‘foreign interference’ law allowing authorities to block internet content

 

 Singapore passes controversial law to counter foreign interference

   

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam says Singapore is vulnerable to ‘hostile campaigns’ from overseas. (AFP pic)

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s ruling party late yesterday passed a law aimed at preventing foreign interference in domestic politics, which the opposition and activists have criticised as a tool to crush dissent.

The law, approved after a marathon session that stretched to near midnight, would allow authorities to compel internet service providers and social media platforms to provide user information, block content and remove applications used to spread content they deem hostile.

Groups and individuals involved in local politics can be designated as “politically significant persons”, which would require them to disclose foreign funding sources and subject them to other “countermeasures” to reduce the risk of overseas meddling.

Violators risk prison terms and hefty fines on conviction.

Campaigners say it is the latest piece of draconian legislation to be rolled out in a city state where authorities are frequently accused of curbing civil liberties.

But in a lengthy address to parliament, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said Singapore was vulnerable to “hostile information campaigns” carried out from overseas and through local proxies.

“The internet has created a powerful new medium for subversion,” he said.

“Countries are actively developing attack and defence capabilities as an arm of warfare, equal to, and more potent than, the land, air and naval forces.”

His People’s Action Party, which has governed Singapore for over six decades, passed the bill with 75 “yes” votes, stamping its parliamentary majority.

There were 11 “no” votes and two abstentions.

The main opposition Workers’ Party had called for changes to be made to the draft bill, raising concerns about its broad provisions, while another opposition group called for further consultations.

And media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has warned the bill carries “the seeds of the worst totalitarian leanings”.

“This bill institutionalises the persecution of any domestic entity that does not toe the line set by the government and ruling party, starting with independent media outlets,” he said.

He also warned there was a “lack of independent legal recourse for those who are given orders by the government” – although Shanmugam insisted the bill provided for adequate judicial review.

Independent media have faced increasing pressure in the city state, with leading news website The Online Citizen suspended last month for failing to declare its funding sources.

Mainstream media is mostly pro-government.

The bill comes two years after the introduction of a law aimed at combatting online misinformation that was criticised by rights groups and tech giants for curbing free speech.

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Malaysia's Covid-19 Situation is improving

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“Based on all these trends, one may conclude that the national burden of Covid-19 has decreased in recent weeks.” Prof dr Sanjay rampal

M’sians reminded to continue observing SOP in view of endemic phase

PETALING JAYA: As Covid-19 cases and hospitalisation rates taper after heightened pandemic activity in August, health experts are looking at the government’s preparations for the endemic phase.

Epidemiologist and public health physician Prof Dr Sanjay Rampal of Universiti Malaya said there was a decline in the national daily reported cases and an even more pronounced decline in the number of Covid-19 cases that were ventilated or in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Next In Nation

As Malaysia enters the last quarter of the year, there is a glimmer of hope that a greater semblance of ‘normalcy’ can return, even if it is a new normal. Daily cases are down from a peak of nearly 25,000 in August while usage of ICU beds remains manageable.

Epidemiologist and public health physician Prof Dr Sanjay Rampal of Universiti Malaya said there was a decline in the national daily reported cases and an even more pronounced decline in the number of Covid-19 cases that were ventilated or in the intensive care unit (ICU).

These trends correlated well with a decreasing trend of test positivity ratio, he added.

As at Sept 27, the positivity rate stood at 9.8%, a decrease from the 14.8% recorded on Sept 16, which was the highest peak from April onwards.

“Based on all these trends, one may conclude that the national burden of Covid-19 has actually drastically decreased in recent weeks,” he said when contacted.

On preparations for the endemic phase or endemicity, Prof Sanjay said that regardless of what the government did, there would still be new cases of Covid-19.

But these cases would have less of an impact on the healthcare system due to the decreased risk of complications in vaccinated people, he said.

“As we learn to coexist with the virus, we must re-adjust back to the time before interstate travel restrictions were enforced while continuing to wear a mask in congested areas, practise good hand hygiene and maintain physical distancing as best as we can.

“Movement restriction should be used as the last resort in the management of the pandemic.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that movement restriction be implemented in high intensity for only short periods and only when the healthcare system is overwhelmed,” he added.

Prof Sanjay said that as Covid-19 became endemic, there would always be a baseline number of new cases daily but there was not enough data yet to accurately estimate this baseline number.

Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman said an obvious decline in cases could be observed, particularly with active cases which stood at over 268,000 in August compared to over 168,000 on Wednesday.

“Similar patterns were observed for other indicators like hospitalisation, the number of patients in ICUS and those on ventilators.

“This indicates that the situation is much better compared to the previous month,” she added.

However, Dr Malina opined that the positivity rate being kept less than 5% was relevant during the late containment stage or earlier but once the outbreak was already in the mitigation stage, the value was no longer helpful in managing the outbreak.

On Covid-19 testing, Dr Malina said from a public health point of view, the numbers were acceptable as Malaysia had opted for targeted screening rather than mass screening.

She added that the focus now should be more on hospitals and clinical indicators rather than the number of screening tests.

On endemicity, Dr Malina said that as the situation had improved greatly and hospitals were no longer in a compromised state, the system would be able to cope.

“The government through the Health Ministry has taken all the necessary steps to cope with the surge of cases for the past few months.

“I think the major responsibility should be shared by the community as well. Communities should be empowered to decide on their own the best way to achieve optimum health status.

“They should know the best option to avoid getting infected. Practising recommended preventive practices and avoiding risky behaviours should be encouraged,” she added.

Malaysian Public Health Physicians’ Association president Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar agreed that the declining hospitalisation rates and daily cases were good signs as all the indicators were showing a downward trend.

“We are ready for the endemic phase. Vaccination for people over 12 years old should continue and so should surveillance on new clusters and variants,” he said.

The government should also continue with the current testing strategy and monitor the positivity rate until it was down to less than 5%, with over 150,000 daily tests conducted, he added.

The rates for hospitalisation, daily infections as well as deaths are currently declining after the nation was hit with a surge of Covid19 cases in July and August.

According to data from April to September this year, the highest number of Covid-19 patients hospitalised was on Aug 16, when 16,081 hospital beds were occupied, compared to 9,185 on Sept 29.

The highest number of daily infections was also recorded on Aug 26, at 24,599 cases logged compared to 12,434 on Sept 29.

As for deaths, Aug 7 recorded the highest number of actual deaths on a seven-day average at 334 lives lost, while reported deaths stood at 210 on the same date.

In contrast, Sept 29 recorded 88 actual deaths on a seven-day average and 208 reported deaths on the same date.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the entire country had moved out of Phase One of the government’s National Recovery Plan.

by FATIMAH ZAINAL and REMAR NORDIN

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