Helicopters dropping money in the streets: it's a vivid metaphor for a drastic form of central bank stimulus that is gaining attention as a possible way to help the global economy out of its malaise.

The idea of "helicopter money" is straightforward: central banks would create new cash and give it to people, like an air drop of supplies. As people spend or invest it, economic growth and inflation would rise.

The dollar rose against the yen and euro Friday in Asia, boosted by growing speculation the Federal Reserve will lift interest rates again soon after a pick-up across world markets over the past month.

After the sharp sell-off across assets in January and February, world stock indexes have enjoyed a rally in March boosted by a series of monetary easing measures by central banks from Asia to the Americas.

ANZ Bank Thursday warned sour loans will cost it at least A$900 million in the first-half, and analysts warned of more trouble ahead as slumping commodity prices squeeze Australia's resources companies.

The bank said weakness in the mining and energy sectors means it now expects bad debts to cost A$100 million ($75 million) more in the first half of the financial year than it did last month.

Asian shares dropped on Thursday, with energy stocks taking a hammering from a slide in oil prices while a stronger dollar piled pressure on commodity producers. 

Energy stocks dragged Wall Street and European equities lower on Wednesday after U.S. oil prices dipped below $40 a barrel for the first time in five sessions.

Brazil's unemployment rate hit 8.2 percent last month, the highest level for February since 2009, official data said Wednesday, as the country struggles through twin political and economic crises.

Latin America's largest economy is mired in a deep recession and weighed down by political uncertainty as President Dilma Rousseff faces impeachment proceedings and the fallout of a massive corruption scandal.

Sri Lanka's loss-making national carrier will not be able to repay its debt of nearly $1 billion, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament Wednesday.

A British judge on Wednesday ruled that a British financial trader accused of manipulating markets and causing the 2010 "Flash Crash" in U.S. stocks can be extradited to face trial in the United States.

Shares of Nike slumped Wednesday on disappointing sales due in part to the strong dollar as U.S. stocks opened modestly lower.

Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 17,547.13, down 35.44 points (0.20 percent).

French luxury goods group Hermes said Wednesday that net profit rose to skim the billion-euro mark last year despite an economic slowdown in China, the Paris terror attacks and currency fluctuations.

Hermes, known for its leather handbags such as the Birkin named for the British singer and its silk square scarves, posted growth across the regions last year, led by Japan, it said.

Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse on Wednesday said it is aiming to cut an extra almost $1 billion in costs and slash thousands more jobs as it beefs up an ongoing restructuring program.

Credit Suisse's new chief executive Tidjane Thiam had in October announced a sweeping overhaul of Switzerland's second largest bank, shaving off excesses in its investment bank and refocusing on its private banking and wealth management units.