Before the Bell: Stock futures sharply higher after Crimea vote

	Click to View in Browser 03/17/2014 Stock futures sharply higher after Crimea vote NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures rose on Monday, rebounding from a steep drop in the previous week, after Sunday's referendum over whether Crimea will join Russia passed without violence. Five months later, jurors face tough task in Madoff aides' trial NEW YORK (Reuters) - Like Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme itself, the trial of five of his former aides has been virtually unprecedented in its scope. Twitter CEO Costolo to make first China visit SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter Inc CEO Dick Costolo will meet Shanghai government officials, academics and students in his first visit to China, signaling Twitter's interest in cracking a lucrative but thorny market with 600 million Internet users. RWE to sell DEA to Russian-led investors for $7.1 billion FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Shares in troubled utility RWE rose after it reached a deal to sell its oil and gas production arm to investors led by Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman for 5.1 billion euros ($7.10 billion), a high price but the group will lose one of its main profit drivers. Chrysler recalls 18,092 Fiat 500L cars for transmission issue DETROIT (Reuters) - Chrysler Group is recalling 18,092 Fiat 500L cars in the United States because drivers may not be able to shift out of park, according to documents filed with U.S. safety regulators. Vodafone agrees $10 billion deal to buy Spain's Ono LONDON (Reuters) - Vodafone Group Plc has agreed to buy Spain's largest cable operator Ono for 7.2 billion euros ($10 billion), in the latest move by the British group to rebuild its European operations with a broadband offering. Renault and Nissan name management team to step up integration PARIS/TOKYO (Reuters) - Renault and Japanese alliance partner Nissan unveiled their boldest steps yet to combine key operations and pursue economies of scale to rival auto giants like Volkswagen . Activist investors bump into each other in campaigns NEW YORK, March 17 (Reuters) - When Barington Capital Group in October reported a stake of more than 2 percent in Darden Restaurants Inc with a vow to shake up the company, another investment firm was caught off guard. Growth in compensation for U.S. CEOs may have slowed BOSTON (Reuters) - Big U.S. companies appear to have handed out smaller increases in compensation to their chief executives in 2013 than in 2012, mainly as a result of reduced grants of stock options, according to an early review of annual regulatory filings. Damage control at Pimco after Gross, El-Erian clash NEW YORK (Reuters) - In mid-February, a group of current and former Pimco employees were invited to a private farewell party for Mohamed El-Erian on March 10, to mark his impending departure as chief executive of the world's largest bond fund. Related Video Breakingviews: After Ono, Vodafone needs to cut costs Crimeans nurse hangovers, presume fait accompli Global Investing Discount brokers' volumes rise as small investors pile into stocks Tufts University offers financial aid for students' year off A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend