Ikea | featured news

Europe’s horse meat scandal has claimed Ikea meatballs, those mysteriously cheap, lingonberry-sauced snacks that have gained something of a cult following among fans of the furniture store. On Monday, Ikea withdrew bags of the meatballs from 21 European countries after officials in the Czech Republic found traces of horse DNA in a bag labeled as beef and pork.

Swedish furniture giant Ikea says it "deeply regrets" the fact that some of its suppliers used forced prison labor in communist East Germany more than two decades ago.

Best known for its budget flat-pack furniture, Scandinavian retailer Ikea is planning to launch a chain of budget hotels in Europe. The property division of Inter Ikea - the company that owns the Ikea intellectual property rights - is planning hotels in 100 locations across Europe. The first two hotels are expected to open in Germany in 2014. Other locations earmarked for hotels include Belgium, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, Britain and Poland.