This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

I'm Nick Miles and at 13 hours GMT on Thursday the 24th of October,

these are our main stories.

Leaders of Commonwealth countries are expected to defy Britain at their summit in Samoa

and agreed to look at ways to secure reparations from London for historical slavery.

A senior member of the Italian government has been

criticized for praising the country's soldiers who fought alongside the Nazis in

the Second World War. More than 30,000 factory workers at Boeing have rejected a new wage offer.

Also in this podcast, researchers say Polar Bears face a greater risk of disease than they did 30 years ago.

There's potential that pathogens could be an additional stressor for polar bears that could impact their health.

Rubbish carried by a balloon sent from North Korea has landed in and around the presidential compound in South Korea.

We begin this podcast in the Pacific Nation of Samoa where dozens of

political leaders have gathered for the Commonwealth Heads of Government

meeting. A number of mostly Caribbean nations have raised the issue of securing

reparations from London for historical slavery, including the Foreign Minister of the Bahamas Frederick Mitchell.

There appears to be even a reluctance to have the conversation start.

Many of the institutions in the UK have already conceded the point of apology.

The British government isn't quite there, but at this time the discussion needs to be

had about the history of this and the ill effects of what happened after slavery was abolished,

which continued to affect our societies today.

Britain was one of the major slave trading nations.

A UK government spokesman said reparations were not on the agenda and would not be paid.

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