Validation at last for bunions and dwindling bank balances... men really do find heels sexy, writes Deirdre Reynolds.

The allure of high-heeled shoes is no secret among women, who have used them to entice men from the streets of ancient Rome to the New York City sidewalks of Carrie Bradshaw. 

France’s largest general strike in three years hobbled transportation, school, hospital and mail services as unions demanded that President Nicolas Sarkozy protects jobs and consumers during the global economic crisis.