Indonesian anti-corruption officials have named the outgoing audit agency chief a suspect in a $32-million graft case, the latest high-profile scandal to hit the country's public sector.

Investigators believe Hadi Poernomo, named a suspect late Monday on the first day of his retirement, may have accepted bribes in exchange for tax exemptions granted to Indonesia's biggest private bank.

Shandong Airlines, one of China's smaller carriers, said it has agreed to buy 50 passenger planes from U.S. manufacturer Boeing for $4.6 billion, in another sign of the country's growing demand for air travel.

The company signed an agreement with Boeing on Monday to purchase 16 Boeing 737-800s and 34 Boeing 737 MAX planes, a statement said, in a drive to grow its fleet for future business expansion.

Turkey has agreed "in principle" to increase shipments of natural gas from Russia via the Blue Stream pipeline, its energy minister said on Monday. 

The two countries will increase capacity through the pipeline, which crosses the Black Sea, from 16 billion cubic metres annually to 19 billion cubic metres, said Energy Minister Taner Yildiz. 

China's car market is just gearing up as the world's largest, yet automakers are already eyeing the next big thing -- the market for reselling them. 

Their eagerness to attract buyers in the world's largest car market is on full display at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, which opened to the public on Monday with more than 1,000 vehicles on show. 

Saudi petrochemicals giant SABIC said Sunday its net profit for the first quarter of 2014 dropped by 1.8 percent year-on-year due to lower prices and higher expenses.

The company said in a statement that it earned a net income of $1.72 billion in the first three months of 2014 compared with $1.75 billion in the same period of last year.

Oil prices eased in subdued post-holiday Asian trade Monday, but retained support from the escalating Ukraine crisis following a deadly gunfight over the weekend, analysts said. 

New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for May delivery, dipped 13 cents to $104.17 in afternoon trade and Brent North Sea crude for June eased 42 cents to $109.11 a barrel.

The yen was weaker against the dollar and the euro in quiet Asian trade Monday after data showed Japan's trade deficit quadrupled year-on-year in March.

The greenback fetched 102.52 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade, up from 102.46 yen Friday, while the euro was up at 141.66 yen from 141.46 yen. The single currency drifted lower to $1.3817 from $1.3812.

Never mind the Ukraine crisis and Washington's sanctions against Moscow: U.S. automakers say the Russian market is their next big frontier.

Russia is simply too large and too important for carmakers to ignore, experts said this week.

Automaker Fiat-Chrysler said on Saturday that it would begin producing the iconic American brand Jeep in China from 2015 to meet demand in the world's largest car market.

Fiat-Chrysler -- created by Italy's Fiat acquiring Chrysler of the United States -- will produce three Jeep sport utility vehicle (SUV) models in China, including one specifically designed for the Chinese market, the company said in a statement.

Iran's crude oil exports have hit 1.2 million barrels per day, almost doubling from eight months ago when the country elected a new president, a top government official said Friday.

Mansour Moazami, who holds the planning brief among the Islamic republic's five deputy oil ministers, said the numbers were 20 percent above forecasts and they would rise further.