NHL’s Canada-Based Teams Could Head to US

Luckin Coffee to Pay $180 Million Penalty to Settle Accounting Fraud Charges: US SEC

China-based startup Luckin Coffee Inc. has agreed to pay a $180 million penalty to settle accounting fraud charges for “intentionally and materially” overstating its 2019 revenue and understating a net loss, U.S. regulators said on Wednesday. The U.S. Securities and Commission (SEC) fine on the China-based rival to Starbucks comes after it said earlier this year that much of its 2019 sales were fabricated, sending its shares plunging and sparking an investigation by China’s securities regulator and the SEC. The SEC said it found that Luckin “intentionally and materially overstated its reported revenue and expenses and materially understated its net loss in its publicly disclosed financial statements in 2019.” Luckin has not admitted or denied the charges, the SEC said. The company has agreed to pay the penalty, which may…

Talks continue between the NHL and health authorities in five Canadian provinces about playing the upcoming season in the country, but the possibility of the nation’s seven teams moving south to the United States looms.

The NHL is prepared to realign divisions for the 2020-21 season, putting the Canada-based clubs in one division. The potential realignment is influenced by the Canada-USA border being closed to non-essential travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But Sportsnet reported that as of Thursday, local officials and the league had yet to agree to allow teams to travel from their home cities to play road games. The outlet said the NHL plan is “believed to have met some opposition” from officials.

Health authorities in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec would need to sign off on the NHL’s health protocols before the teams could play in their home cities.

“The Government of Canada’s priority is to protect the health and safety of Canadians,” government spokesman Andre Gagnon told Sportsnet. “The resumption of sports events in Canada must be undertaken in adherence to Canada’s measures to mitigate the importation and spread of COVID-19. NHL teams and other professional sports teams must operate within the rules of their provincial jurisdictions for sports or sporting events.”

The league hopes to begin a shortened 56-game season in mid-January.

Border restrictions forced the Toronto Blue Jays and all three Canadian MLS clubs to compete within the U.S. during their respective seasons this year. The NBA’s Toronto Raptors are starting their season in Tampa, Fla.

The NHL reportedly is willing to allow the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets play in the United States, if necessary.

It is unclear where the seven Canadian teams could find temporary homes, but relocation undoubtedly would require the NHL and the players association to work together on another realignment plan for the season.

Canadian authorities reportedly favour the NHL putting the country’s teams in a bubble. When the coronavirus-halted season resumed this summer, teams were sequestered in Edmonton and Toronto for a seeding round and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the NHL is not believed to be considering such a plan for the full season.

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Focus News: NHL’s Canada-Based Teams Could Head to US

Half of Australia’s Largest Chinese Media Outlets Linked to Beijing’s United Front: Report

A new report has confirmed long-standing concerns that Australia’s Chinese-language media landscape is dominated by outlets “friendly towards the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).” “The influence environment” by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) analysed the content, political stances, business ties, and management structures of 24 of the largest Chinese-language media (print and online), located mainly in the country’s capital cities. It found that executives from 12 media outlets have been members of organisations controlled by the United Front Work Department, Beijing’s foremost overseas infiltration organ. At the same time, four outlets were directly owned or received financial support from the CCP. One of the largest online Chinese language media is Sydney Today, who had an alleged 670,000 followers in 2019. The co-founder of Sydney Today, Stan Chen was also listed…