Taiwan firm denies making explosive-laden pagers that detonated in Lebanon

Apollo Gold, a Taiwan-based manufacturer that produces pagers, has denied making the explosives-laden wireless devices which were detonated across Lebanon, killing at least nine people and injuring nearly 3,000 others. The company said the devices used in Tuesday's blasts were made by a European company called BAC which has a licence to use the Taiwan firm's brand name.

Addressing reporters at the Gold Apollo's office in the city of New Taipei, Hsu Ching-Kuang, founder and president of the company, said that the "product is not ours. It only had our brand on it".

He, however, did not elaborate on the location of the European firm. "We may not be a large company, but we are a responsible one. This is very embarrassing," news agency Reuters quoted Hsu as saying.