Samsung is Recalling More Than 1 Million Electric Ranges after Numerous Fire Reports

FILE - The logo of the Samsung Electronics Co. is seen at its office in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
FILE - The logo of the Samsung Electronics Co. is seen at its office in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
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Samsung is Recalling More Than 1 Million Electric Ranges after Numerous Fire Reports

FILE - The logo of the Samsung Electronics Co. is seen at its office in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)
FILE - The logo of the Samsung Electronics Co. is seen at its office in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

Samsung is recalling more than 1.12 million electric ranges used for stovetops after reports of 250 fires and dozens of injuries.
According to a Thursday notice from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, these slide-in ranges have front-mounted knobs that can be activated by accident if humans or pets unintentionally contact or bump into them. That poses a fire hazard.
To date, Samsung has received more than 300 reports of the knobs activating unintentionally since 2013, the CPSC noted, and the now-recalled ranges have been involved in about 250 fires. At least 18 of those fires caused extensive property damage and seven involved pet deaths, according to the Commission.
In addition, the CPSC added, about 40 injuries have been reported, including eight that required medical attention.
According to The Associated Press, consumers can identify whether their slide-in electric range is included in this recall by looking at the model number printed on the product. Both Samsung and the CPSC have published a list of affected models online.
The recalled ranges were sold between May 2013 and August 2024 online at Samsung.com as well as in retailers nationwide — including Best Buy, Costco, Home Depot and Lowe's.
Consumers in possession of a recalled range are urged to contact New Jersey-based Samsung Electronics America for a free set of knob locks or covers compatible for installation with their model. In the meantime, those impacted should take extra caution to keep children and pets away from the knobs, and check their range before leaving the house or going to bed to make sure it's off, the CPSC said.
As part of general stovetop and oven safety, the Commission added that consumers should “never place, leave, or store anything on the top of your range” when not in use — as such items can ignite if it's accidentally activated.



China Launches First Satellites of Constellation to Rival Starlink 

The Long March-2F Y13 rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft and three astronauts in China's second crewed mission to build its own space station, launches at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China October 16, 2021. (Reuters)
The Long March-2F Y13 rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft and three astronauts in China's second crewed mission to build its own space station, launches at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China October 16, 2021. (Reuters)
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China Launches First Satellites of Constellation to Rival Starlink 

The Long March-2F Y13 rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft and three astronauts in China's second crewed mission to build its own space station, launches at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China October 16, 2021. (Reuters)
The Long March-2F Y13 rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft and three astronauts in China's second crewed mission to build its own space station, launches at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center near Jiuquan, Gansu province, China October 16, 2021. (Reuters)

A Chinese state-owned enterprise on Monday launched the first batch of satellites for a mega-constellation designed to rival US company Space X's Starlink's near-global internet network, a state-backed newspaper reported.

The launch marks an important step in Beijing's strategic goal of creating its own version of Starlink, a growing commercial broadband constellation that has about 5,500 satellites in space and is used by consumers, companies and government agencies.

The competition to occupy Earth's lower orbits also has military implications, with the potential to affect the balance of power between warring countries.

The launch, led by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST), took place at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, one of China's main satellite and missile launch centers, located in the northern province of Shanxi, the China Securities Journal reported.

The launch is part of SSST's "Thousand Sails Constellation" plan, also known as the "G60 Starlink Plan", which began last year and aims to deploy more than 15,000 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

LEO satellites usually operate at altitudes of 300km to 2,000km from the Earth's surface and have the advantage of being cheaper and providing more efficient transmission than satellites at higher orbits.

Starlink, operated by billionaire Elon Musk, has tens of thousands of users in the United States so far and plans to add tens of thousands more satellites to its system, the largest of its kind.

Chinese researchers in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) have over the past two years studied the deployment of Starlink in the war in Ukraine and repeatedly warned about the risks it poses to China, should the country find itself in a military conflict with the United States.

In January, an op-ed published in a PLA mouthpiece described the deployment of Starlink as a "serious threat to the security of space assets of various countries."

SSST's "Thousand Sails constellation" is one of three "ten-thousand star constellation" plans China is hoping will allow it to close the gap with SpaceX.

SSST's plan is to launch 108 satellites this year, 648 satellites by the end of 2025, provide a "global network coverage" by 2027, and get to 15,000 satellites deployed before 2030.

SSST did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.