Sharp 'close to Intel investment'

Beleaguered Japanese electronics firm Sharp is said to be close to securing an investment from US firms Intel and Qualcomm.

As the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports from Tokyo, Sharp is desperate for a financial lifeline, two weeks after it announced that it will lose nearly $6bn (£3.8bn) this year.

Although Sharp remains Japan's largest maker of LCD televisions, it is also saddled with debts of $14bn.

Intel is thought to be interested in using Sharp's touch screen technology, but analysts say the deal will only give Sharp a temporary respite, and that it will need to find further sources of investment if it is to survive and turnaround its fortunes.