Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio. I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

In America, the debate over abortion is becoming even more polarized. As conservative states

pass more restrictive legislation, liberal ones are making late-term abortions easier,

and the president is weighing in to compound the division.

And it can be really tricky to get a taxi in Beirut, unless you know how the decades-old

system of signaling, haggling, and ride-sharing works. And it's exactly this complexity that

keeps upstart taxi firms such as Uber from taking hold.

But first, over the past week, a wave of xenophobic violence has swept through South Africa.

Gangs wielding sticks advance to the streets of Central Johannesburg. Their chance in Zulu

rang clear. Four owners must go back to where they came from.

Yesterday, amid the unrest, Nigeria pledged to repatriate over 600 of its citizens over

concerns for their safety. A petrol bomb was thrown at a mosque and shops have been

burned and looted. Twelve people have been killed in the attacks, which have mostly

been carried out by South Africans targeting migrants from other African countries. It's

not the first time South Africa has experienced such horrors. In 2008 and 2015, dozens of people

were killed in riots against foreigners.

As one of the continent's biggest and most developed economies, South Africa attracts migrants

from across Africa. President Cyril Ramaposa called for an end to the attacks in an

address to the nation.

As I speak to you, the debris of several days of violence and looting continues to litter

many of the streets of our country. There can be no excuse for the attacks on the homes

...