French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday pledged to cut taxes for pensioners and raise the minimum wage in January but refused to reinstate a wealth tax, as he sought to respond to a wave of protests that have challenged his authority.<br />In his first national address following France's worst unrest for years, Macron sought to restore calm and struck a humble tone after accusations his governing style and economic policies were fracturing the country.<br />But he refused to reinstate a wealth tax and to back down on his reform agenda, which he said would proceed in 2019 with overhauls of pensions, unemployment benefits and public expenditures.<br />His response came 48 hours after protesters fought street battles with riot police, torching cars and looting shops - the fourth weekend of protests for the so-called "yellow vest" movement which started as a revolt against high fuel costs.<br />Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/world/2018/12/10/macron-must-unify-france-as-unrest-is-hurting-econo
