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)

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 rules, but a lot of the burden is falling on the consumer too because regulation can't always keep up.Presenter and producer: Marie Keyworth(Image: Woman using mobile phone. 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

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 country should be working towards. Presenter/producer: Laura Heighton-Ginns(Photo: Omar Deen stands on a railway platform. Credit: Omar Deen)