BOJ offers $78 billion to firms hurt by pandemic in first phase of loan programme

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan on Wednesday offered 8.28 trillion yen ($77.74 billion) in loans to financial institutions under a new lending programme aimed at channeling funds to cash-strapped firms hit by the coronavirus pandemic.The three-month loans will be extended on Thursday through Dec. 25, the central bank said.Wednesday's market operation was the first to be offered since the BOJ combined several facilities in May to create a single lending programme aimed at pumping money to..