Jonny Wilkinson, no more than an occasional rugby player these days but still the player with the most caps from England’s World Cup winning team, has ended his 12-year stay at Newcastle in favour of a two-season deal with Toulon, France… the French club financed by wealthy businessman Mourad Boudjellal.

Wilkinson, still recovering from a knee dislocation from last September, will earn around £750,000 a year playing alongside nine fellow recruits from Premiership and Celtic League sides.

Sébastien Bruno and Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe of Sale, prop Tim Ryan of Munster, Bristol flanker Joe El-Abd, Cardiff centre Jamie Robinson and Kris Chesney with Saracens have already signed up.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the height-challenged president of France, has chosen yet another glamour girl to join his cabinet (or should that be “harem”).  The former television presenter, Christine Kelly, who also happens to look great in a bikini, has been made Minister for Overseas Territories.

French bank Societe Generale has seen net profits crash by 84% for the third quarter, hit by the credit crisis.

Net profits in the 3 months to the end of September fell to €183m  ($235m; £145m) from €1.12bn  in the same period last year.

The bank has been hit hard by the chaos in the finance sector with the collapse of Lehman Brothers alone prompting a €447m write down.

Despite the results the bank said it was positioned to deal with the downturn.