Thursday newspaper round-up: Phones4U, Aston Martin, LV

(Sharecast News) - ExxonMobil and Chevron are the world's most obstructive organisations when it comes to governments setting climate policies, according to research into the "prolific and highly sophisticated" lobbying ploys used by the fossil fuel industry. The biggest US oil companies, as well as American Petroleum Institute, a lobby group, were found to be the worst offenders in a global report by lobbying experts at the thinktank InfluenceMap. It concluded that companies were manipulating governments to take "incredibly dangerous paths" in their approach to climate action. - Guardian A senior executive of France's national telecoms operator sought to arrange a call with a rival on untraceable "burner" mobiles as part of an unlawful plot that led to the collapse of the retailer Phones 4U, according to a potentially explosive High Court claim. Benoit Scheen, who in 2014 oversaw European businesses outside France for Orange, including its 50pc stake in the British mobile network EE, allegedly approached Philipp Humm of Vodafone via text message. - Telegraph

Nestled in the Swiss countryside on the outskirts of St Gallen is a luxury car showroom that more closely resembles an elite members club. Visitors are invited to lounge in front of an open fireplace and enjoy food prepared by a resident chef as they decide whether to part with wads of cash. For years the space, run by businessmen Florian Kamelger and Andreas Baenziger, is where some of the world's wealthiest individuals have chosen to splash millions of pounds on Aston Martin's limited edition cars - the most expensive and prestigious on offer. - Telegraph

The board of LV= is facing mounting criticism over the decision to sell the mutual insurer to an American private equity firm after it emerged that most of its 1.2 million members stand to receive only £100 each from the £530 million deal. The customer-owned mutual formerly known as Liverpool Victoria yesterday revealed the details of its plan to sell itself to Bain Capital, after first agreeing the takeover last December. - The Times

The costs of green home heating systems will fall dramatically, the boss of Ofgem has predicted. Jonathan Brearley said that he expected costs to fall in the same way as they had for other green technologies, such as offshore wind and electric vehicles. - The Times