Business Daily

Abdullah lives in northern Syria. He is 14, he lost his mother and brothers to the Syrian civil war. For years now Abdullah has been working to feed the rest of his family, and he's just survived one of the world’s most devastating earthquakes. In this episode of Business Daily Ed Butler hears Abdullah's story. Abdullah works at the Harakat Tarhin oil refinery outside Al Bab in north-west Syria. It's a makeshift oil refinery and they make fuel to feed the cars, trucks and heaters on which the region depends. Oil is usually refined in massive industrial buildings, run by multi-national firms, but where Abdullah works it’s cooked in the back yard. He tells us he knows how dangerous his job is but that he has no choice and must carry on working. Presenter / producer: Ed Butler Image: Abdullah; Credit: BBC

Last month’s devastating earthquake didn’t just claim thousands of Turkish lives, it ravaged northern Syria as well. International help for that region has struggled to get through. In this episode of Business Daily Ed Butler looks at how the region is battling to pick up the pieces, and whether local business-people are helping or simply profiting from the crisis. Amnat Soueif, a mother of two, tells Ed how she's providing for her children. Elizabeth Tsurkov, a senior fellow at the New Lines Institute, tells us about conversations she's having with families in the region about their trauma. Abu Amer runs a vegetable stall in the Idlib area - he tells us how commodity prices have been affected by the earthquake and Bassam Abu Muhammad, a blacksmith, tells us that since the earthquake he's moved into making and selling tents. Presenter / producer: Ed Butler Image: A displaced Syrian child; Credit: Getty images

Without being able to see clearly, people in low and middle income countries can find it difficult to secure a job or support their family. Globally around one billion people need to wear glasses but do not have access to them. We look at what’s being done to help. Producer / presenter: Sam Fenwick (Image: Ankit Sharma; Credit: Ankit Sharma)

Ahead of the Oscars, Business Daily goes behind the scenes of a celebrity gifting suite. Before the ceremony and the parties, celebrities are often invited to hotel suites, usually close to where the awards ceremony will happen. The rooms are filled with skincare products, makeup, jewellery, clothes, shoes, bags, you name it. Celebrities can take the gifts away for free - all companies want in return is a superstar endorsement. In this episode entertainment reporter KJ Matthews finds out how this business actually works with Nathalie Dubois who has been running these suites for almost 20 years. We also hear from Nthenya Mwendwa, a designer from Kenya who's bracelet bag was recently chose by a celebrity at a gifting suite and worn on the red carpet. Hear what that photos and the exposure has done for her small business. Presenter: KJ Matthews Producer: Carmel O'Grady Image: Sharon Stone at a gifting suite in Cannes: Credit: Nathalie Dubois

We follow in the footsteps of a Viking Saint who's legacy is bringing visitors and their cash to remote areas from Sweden and Norway. More and more people are choosing to go on modern day pilgrimages, we walk part of the world's most northern pilgrimage trail to find out how businesses on the route are benefitting. Producer / presenter: Robert Walker (Image: People walking on grassland. Credit: Getty Images)

Oscar Bilayin Kudor runs a business in Ghana producing cassava flour. He wants to grow his business but traditional banks are reluctant to lend him the money to buy expensive machinery. 1.4 billion people around the world people can't get access to formal banking. Two thirds of them live in low and middle income countries. One of Ghana’s largest banks, Absa Bank thinks it has a solution. It’s giving small businesses grants to help them access formal banking facilities. Having a bank account makes it easier for households to budget and businesses are more likely to thrive. In this episode we also look at how digital banks are helping more people get bank accounts and why access to banking is key to empowering women. Producer/Presenter: Sam Fenwick Image: Oscar Bilayin Kudor; Credit: Oscar Bilayin Kudor

The digital health market is growing rapidly - in 2021 the sector was valued at 195 billion US dollars. Companies offer apps and devices to monitor our vital statistics, our activity, our nutrition, our hormones. And those apps collect a lot of data about us. Presenter Marie Keyworth visits Web Summit, a large tech conference in Lisbon, to find out what is happening to this information. And asks how consumers can get the most out of health apps whilst feeling comfortable about data privacy... Plus Marie explores the aftermath of the Roe v Wade ruling which raised concerns that law enforcement officials could subpoena abortion-related data from data companies and women's health apps, to use in a prosecution. Eirini Rapti, the founder of the menstrual cycle tracking app Inne tells Marie how her company responded to Roe v Wade, and the impact it might have on international growth. Russell Glass, the CEO of Headspace Health which started as a mindfulness app, says they follow robust privacy and security r

How much better off are the better looking? A growing body of research seems to confirm that life is simply easier and more lucrative for attractive people. Labour economist Daniel Hamermesh has been studying this for years and says beautiful people do get paid more, have less difficulty securing bank loans and are typically offered more jobs, opportunities and perks. South African fashion model Marike tells us very candidly how her looks means she often gets things for free - meals, experiences, perks. She also talks about the role social media advertising plays in this. She says you can make millions of dollars through social media if you are pretty. We also hear from author Emily Lauren Dick about how unconscious bias around attractiveness and particularly weight can impact recruitment or promotion opportunities in the workplace. Producer/presenter: Deborah Weitzmann (Photo: South African fashion model Marike: Credit: Marike)

BBC journalist Rayhan Demytrie is from Uzbekistan and was recently invited back to her country to explore how after almost 30 years the government is opening up the country and it's economy. In part two of this two part Business Daily special Rayhan hears how young entrepreneurs are pushing to grow their businesses and increase exports. Rayhan also finds out how digital only banking companies are transforming access to financial services for many Uzbek people. In the capital city of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Rayhan explores how the city has developed and changed in recent years and finds out more about the corruption that continues to cause problems for businesses. Presenter / producer: Rayhan Demytrie Image: Tashkent bazaar; Credit: Getty Images

BBC journalist Rayhan Demytrie is from Uzbekistan and was recently invited back to her country to explore how after almost 30 years the government is opening up the country and it's economy. In part one of this two part Business Daily special Rayhan hears how tourists are encouraging business growth in the famous Silk Road city of Samarkand. In an interview with the Uzbek deputy finance minister, Odilbek Isakov, Rayhan asks about selling and privatising state owed assets like a Coca-Cola bottling plant and whether doing this is profitable for the country. We also hear how important ties with Russia are in Uzbekistan and how a very cold winter has put pressure on energy supplies and the economic revival of this former Soviet country. Presenter / producer: Rayhan Demytrie Image: Mosque in Samarkand: Credit: Getty Images

A few months ago we covered the story about the renovation of Penn Street railway station in New York. So many World Service listeners got in touch with us about their experiences of using the railway network in America we decided to make a programme based on their views. Omar Deen, who lives in Toledo, Ohio tells us he feels disadvantaged by the dominance of car travel in the United States and says he would like to have an alternative to driving or flying to get around. Another listener, Bill Potter in Alabama tells us there are no train tracks where he lives and to make rail an option for him, miles and miles of track would have to be laid. Under President Joe Biden, the US government has increased funding for trains, but the network is patchy – there are major cities and entire states with no passenger rail services. Kristen Lewis, co-director of Measure of America at the Social Science Research Council says it is possible for America to have a better rail transport network and that's a goal the count

Ayo is a victim of trafficking and modern slavery and tells us his story of being taken from Nigeria to the UK and forced to work. We also hear from Emily Kenway, a former policy adviser to the UK’s first anti-slavery commissioner and author of The Truth About Modern Slavery, who explains what modern slavery actually is. Sara Thornton, who was the UK’s independent anti-slavery commissioner until April 2022, explains some of the reasons behind an increase in the number of people being recognised as victims of modern slavery in the UK. We also explore some incoming changes to the UK’s world-leading anti-slavery legislation, changes that Kate Roberts, head of policy at the London-based anti-trafficking charity Focus on Labour Exploitation, tells us she is very concerned about. Producer/presenter: Frey Lindsay (Photo: Child behind wooden crate. Credit: Getty Images)

The global bicycle market is set to grow by 5% every year over the next decade. Demand has been rising, particularly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic as people look for an alternative to crowded public transport. Concern for climate change and rising fuel prices have also helped to push people onto bikes. Portugal is the biggest bicycle manufacturer in Europe. According to Eurostat, it produced 2.9 million bicycles in 2021, with exports generating around 594 million euros - almost 610 million US dollars - and sales are up 49% this year. The Secretary General of the industry group Abimota, Gil Nadais, explains how Portugal has benefitted from EU import tariffs. Pedro Araújo, the CEO of Polisport Group tells us how the industry is working together to cope with rising energy prices and to overcome supply chain problems and staff shortages. Portugal's Secretary of State for Urban Transport, Jorge Delgado explains how the government is trying to encourage more people to cycle in Portugal, where th

There has been a surge in the number of workplaces in the United States voting to join a labour union. Amid this wave of unionisation, companies are pushing back hard. We find out what is happening in the US and how businesses and politicians are reacting. We hear from a worker at outdoor clothing co-operative REI where staff have voted to unionise, plus Michelle Miller, who runs Co-worker, an organisation that supports employees who want union representation. Michael Strain, an economist at the centre-right policy organisation, the American Enterprise Institute, explains that workers are actually doing quite well at the moment as unemployment is low. And have you heard of union-busting? Rebecca Givan is an associate professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Rutgers University in New Jersey - she explains what is happening. Producer/presenter: Rob Young (Photo: Workers on strike from the New York Times. Credit: Getty Images)

How do you launch a successful start-up in a country where there’s been more than a decade of civil war? In this episode of Business Daily Maddy Savage hears how an entrepreneur from Syria was inspired by Scandinavia’s tech scene. Khaled Moustafa founded Syria’s first ride-sharing app, Yalla Go, in 2019. The platform now has hundreds of thousands of users who can book taxis on their smartphones to get around Syria's biggest cities. Khaled shares his story with Maddy and talks about some of the challenges, and benefits, of launching a business during a time of conflict. We also hear from a Yalla Go driver and get a glimpse into Syria’s emerging tech scene. Presenter/producer: Maddy Savage (Photo: Khaled Moustafa. Credit: Khaled Moustafa)

The market for real handmade products is reported to have surged in recent years. Initiatives such as Australia's Seasons of New England Expo and Makers Markets in the UK have led to a revival in small artisanal businesses. Online platforms also give skilful craftspeople a vast market to sell to. Business Daily's David Reid hears from sellers in Manchester making things as diverse as balloon animals and mushroom growing kits. We also hear about the benefits of working with your hands. The philosopher and motor mechanic, Matthew Crawford, is the author of 'The Case for Working with your Hands' and 'The World Beyond Your Head' – he tells us why office work and current management practices have removed judgement and decision making from our day-to-day efforts and alienated us from the real results of the work we do. Produced and presented by David Reid. (Image: A potter making a pot using a wheel. Credit: Getty Images)

In this epsiode of Business Daily Ashish Sharma looks at how the art world has tried to preserve Ukraine´s cultural and artistic heritage from the ongoing war. Hear the story of how valuable Ukrainian paintings were put on trucks and sneaked out of Ukraine as Russia began heavily bombing the country. Thanks to the idea of one art collector they are now on display in a museum in Madrid. Ashish also managed to link up with Kyiv to speak to the Director of the National Art Museum of Ukraine, Yulia Lytvynets and Nadia Tymchuk the CEO of the Museum´s Charitable Foundation about how they are trying to protect important artefacts and preserve Ukrainian culture. Presenter/producer: Ashish Sharma (Photo: Exhibition of Ukrainian art in Spain. Credit: Getty Images)

It is estimated almost eight million people have left Ukraine in the past 12 months. They have all had to start again - finding housing, schools and a way to earn a living. In this episode we hear from Ukrainians who are staying resilient through huge changes to their lives. They tell us about making sure they can provide for their families, run businesses and help their employees. Konstantin Klyagin is an IT and software entrepreneur from Kyiv. When the war started he was on a flight and unable to land in Ukraine. He now lives in Lisbon, Portugal and tells us about helping his employees relocate with him. Vadim Rogovskiy runs an company developing AI software for use in online shopping. Vadim now lives between New York and Poland. He relocated his whole team to Warsaw, Poland on the day of the invasion. Presenter / producer: Alex Bell (Image: Konstantin Klyagin; Credit: Konstantin Klyagin)

It is estimated almost eight million people have left Ukraine in the past 12 months. They have all had to start again, finding housing, schools and a way to earn a living. Some have managed to carry on running their businesses and others have set up new companies in the countries they now call home. Business Daily has been hearing some of their stories of remarkable resilience. Volodymyr and Regina Razumovskaya, now living in Perth, Western Australia, tell us about first leaving Donetsk in 2014 only to be forced to leave their new home and business in Kyiv eight years later. Polina Salabay describes the moment she realised she had to leave her home and dance school business behind in Lviv. She now lives in Canada and runs Polli’s Dance teaching Canadian and Ukrainian children. And Anastasia Kozmina and boyfriend Oleksiyy Danko, tell us how they turned their side hustle into a business when they moved to England. Presenter / producer: Alex Bell (Image: Polli's Dance: Credit: Polina Salabay)

Nearly a year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ed Butler examines the real state of the Russian economy. Ami Daniel, chief executive of Windward, a maritime data company, tells Ed about the Russian oil tankers transferring millions of tonnes of crude oil between ships to bypass sanctions. As the war continues, millions of euros worth of Russian assets remain frozen as a result of sanctions. Urmas Reinsalu, the Estonian foreign minister, tells us about an initiative Estonia is leading to actually seize and exploit some of Russian’s frozen billions for the benefit of Ukraine. Presenter / producer: Ed Butler (Image: A market in Kyiv; Credit: Getty Images)