IKEA Fined $500k Over Defective Candles

WASHINGTON (AP) – The government says the home furnishing company IKEA has agreed to pay a $500,000 fine for being slow to report defective outdoor candles. The company recalled 133,000 packages of the candles in the United States in May 2006. The step came after IKEA received at least 32 reports of problems worldwide, including 12 reports of injuries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says IKEA did not promptly report problems with these candles, as the law requires. In the settlement agreement with the agency, IKEA North America Services denies it knowingly broke the law.