this is bbc america, and now live from london, "bbc world news." >> hello, i'm geeta guru-murthy with "bbc world news." our top story, the french president opens an international conference on the threat posed by islamic state militants, saying there's no time to lose. three days to go until the independence referendum. scotland's first minister and the british prime minister david cameron hit the campaign trail. european scientists reveal their target landing site for the first ever attempt to place a spacecraft on a comet. and the man accused of killing a former russian spy here in london is hosting a

television show about critics of the kremlin. hello. the french president has called for a global response to fight islamic state militants. opening an international conference in paris, the president said the group posed a security threat the world over. about 30 countries are now gathered for talks which aimed at coordinating their strategy against i.s. militants who have taken parts of northern iraq and syria. here's what president hollande had to say. >> translator: the terrorist movement has attacked the weak and the most vulnerable. women and children. this terrorist movement has also

attacked religious minorities. it has pursued them. it has sought to destroy whole communities. this terrorist movement has acted on who swaths of territory in iraq and syria, it ignores borders and even claims to establish a state. so this is a global threat and the response has to be a global response. >> the iraqi president also spoke of the urgency in tackling i.s. >> translator: today we are in the midst of a confrontation in iraq and we are at a quantititive juncture in the terrorists' thinking. the terrorists no longer act to

terrorize populations. they commit various crimes in order to establish a state and that is what has happened. in fact, the victims of the occupation are of all faith, all ethnic groups, all religions. >> the iraqi president. earlier i spoke to a military analyst who commanded u.n. troops. i asked him why it's taken so long for the international community to get together, to tackle i.s. >> firstly, i think they were surprised at the growth of the islamic state terrorists, and are they taking radical enough measures at the moment, no. they're not. which is what this conference is all about. to get things moving faster. >> do you think air strikes are enough or will troops on the ground and action on the ground be essential? >> the only way to stop people like this who won't listen to reason, who won't talk politics, they won't talk economics, they

don't care who murder innocent people, who went there to help the people on the ground, the only way to deal with them, i'm afraid, is to conquer them, and that means troops on the ground, and those troops on the ground are highly likely and must come from the countries of the region. >> is that possible, though? and which countries? >> well, i would say that's what they're trying to work out. they're trying to divvy up who does what. i mean, the united states, the united kingdom putting troops on the ground at the moment is not acceptable. first, the publics aren't very keen on it in their home countries. but secondly, we're a bit toxic, and that's what the islamic state wants us to do. >> the countries like saudi, qatar, kuwait are accused of individuals from those countries tunnelling to i.s. and the idea of islamic government taking the lives of other muslims at the end of the day, that's just not plausible,

is it? >> and they've got to get real, quite frankly. because this is a real threat to saudi. this is a new threat to iran. >> why do they not see it as that? >> well, i don't know why they don't. let's just hope that's going to change. >> but saudi and iran being on the same side? >> i know it's difficult, but shias and sunnis have lived together since millennium and this is such a throat both states, perhaps it's time for them to wake up and understand that the threat is so great, they've got to put aside differences that they perceive in their own religion. >> colonel bob stewart. we're hoping to speak to our correspondent in paris on the latest in those talks in the next few minutes. we move to saudi arabia, because health officials in their country say they're doing all they can to avoid the outbreak of the deadly mers virus. there's no known cure. it was first detected in saudi

arabia in 2012. since more than 850 cases of infection have been confirmed globally. more than 300 people have died. cases of it have been confirmed in jordan, qatar, the uae, and also parts of africa and the united states. the exact source of the infection is unknown but it can cause kidney failure and pneumonia. officials have been accused of not doing enough to contain the outbreak, but the bbc is told the situation is now under control. the bbc has special access to saudi arabia. >> reporter: is this the key source of the deadly mers virus? camels are key suspects for passing the disease to humans, which is why health officials are taking samples from these prized animals. there's believed to be a strong link between camels and the virus, but still very little is known about how it jumps from

animals to humans and that is worrying scientists. the virus is fairly harmless in the animals, but in humans it can cause pneumonia and kidney failure, killing more than a third of those infected. but the real problem began when patients ended up here. poor infection control measures in hospitals like this one where i was shown around meant when a mers patient arrived, the virus spread fast. doctors here admit staff weren't washing their hands between parents or wearing masks properly, which means they were helping pass it on. it wasn't until a year and a half into the outbreak when the king sacked his health minister over his handling of the crisis that things started to change. >> so now we are going to start. >> reporter: now hundreds of hospital staff are trained in infection control and the number of mers patients have fallen

dramatically, from hundreds back in the spring, to very sporadic cases now. >> deep breathing. for one minute. >> reporter: but still, relatively little is known about mers. the government has advised people to wear protective gear when handling camels, especially if they're sick. but at this market on the outskirts, we didn't see anyone taking much notice. raw camel milk, which could contain the virus, was being sold and drunk freely. >> translator: i don't know about this virus. it didn't come here. i have drunk raw camel milk every day and i am fine. >> reporter: at these high biosecurity labs, scientists are trying to figure out where this virus came from, particularly on the run-up to around haj, when

around two million people will descend on mecca. >> being that it's a virus transmittable from human to human is a big concern, because we have overcrowding and this is an excellent media for the infection to spread. >> reporter: but the government is reassuring pilgrims. >> mers is not any more an issue in saudi. we will do our best to ensure that we continue doing all what we can do to have a safe haj. >> reporter: the outbreak may be under control for now, but the world health organization says the situation continues to be a public health concern. in other news today, the bodies of two british tourists have been found on a beach in thailand. the man and woman were found with head wounds on the island of koh toa in the gulf of

thailand. rescuers have been called off temporarily because of more rain. more than 400 people have died after days of heavy rain triggered flooding and landslides. hundreds of thousands of people are still trapped by the flood waters. winds of up 200 kilometers an hour have shaken buildings as hurricane odile made landfall in mexico. a maximum alert for the region and prepared shelters for up to 30,000 people around the tourists reports of los cabos. to our top story. the international summit in paris, about how to fight militants from islamic state. our correspondent barbara usher has been traveling with the u.s. secretary of state john kerry on

his tour of the middle east, as you can see from her twitter feed. she joins me now from the u.s. ambassador's residence in paris. all looking very lovely in the sunshine there, barbara. but, of course, talks are on a very, very serious and alarming matter. we've seen it all escalating over the summer. does it look like they're going to get anything concrete out of these talks? >> reporter: well, i don't think they'll get anything concrete out of the conference today. this is really one step in a process that's been ongoing for a number of weeks, what's turning out to be a big coalition, at least 40 countries, and then trying to sort out what each of those countries is going to do. i think u.s. officials, for example, see this conference as a one step in trying to formalize that process, building momentum towards the u.n. general assembly next week, when they hope to have a bit more of a coherent plan about how it's all going to work. john kerry himself has said that he's covered all the bases. after his trip to the middle

east, he says that he feels confident that the sunni arab states are supporting the plan, that they have made various offers, including offers to help with the military campaign, and that other countries have stepped in as well with the possibilities for other parts of the program, including cutting funds to the islamic state, strengthening controls on the border, to stop the flow of foreign fighters, and so on. so this is just a way to rally the process with a view to next week, but also it's a way to introduce the new iraqi government, which is a key part of the whole thing, because the americans are saying they're going into iraq at the invitation of the iraqi government, and therefore they want that iraqi government to be strengthened and to have its say in the international community as well. >> can this work without this coalition, the u.s., the uk, and others working with the government of syria, and also, what about the role of iran? because the iranian supreme

leader has apparently given his first interview talking about potential approaches from the u.s., iran rejecting them at the moment. >> reporter: iran is a pretty glaring absence here because it is one of the key players in the region and in the conflict. the french did float the idea of inviting iran, but my understanding is that they got opposition specifically, or particularly from the sunni arab states, which see iran as their main regional rival. they've just been convinced to actually gather together and go after a sunni muslim movement, even though they think iran is perhaps a bigger threat, but they definitely don't want iran in that picture, too. so that means that, you know, they can get together and perhaps weaken islamic state, but unless iran is brought in at some point, it's differently to see how the region can be stabilized. in terms of syria, it's another main player, the syrian government, but western countries and the sunni arab governments who were very strongly against the assad regime have completely ruled out working with syria at the

moment. that might not be such a big deal while they're focused on going against islamic state in iraq, but president obama has made clear that he's ready to go beyond iraq into the bases of islamic state in syria and he would do so without coordination or cooperation from the syrian government. so that is a whole area that is kind of unexplored and raises a lot of questions and tensions within the coalition. one of the reasons why they're focusing on iraq at this conference. >> barbara, good to talk to you. thanks very much indeed for your time. sorry to everyone watching that. just so glitches on the sound from paris. no problem, because aaron is right here for our next look at scotland, and it is all about the money. i mean, so much hinges on the financial risk. >> absolutely. you know, uncertainty. you know what the markets hate? markets hate uncertainty and that's really what we've got so far at the moment. thanks, geeta. i'm sure you've been hearing about it. a few days of campaigning left ahead of the scottish referendum vote that's on thursday, and most of the economic focus has

been on the high finance and the business angles, like currency, interest rates, and corporate headquarters. where do today go? whether it is the banks or supermarkets or any of the other thousands of small and medium sized companies, which will fernly feel the effects of whatever the outcome, it's clear the bottom line for business has been a huge battleground. there are some huge financial uncertainties associated with break up such a close political and economic union that has endured for more than 300 years, and according to some experts, there's already been an outflow of some 600 -- just more than $670 million from uk equity funds in the past week alone. in fact, the u.s. bank morgan stanley says it's seen some of the largest uk equities selling on record. we're going to be keeping up with that all week. talking about this this week. shares of air france have fallen almost 3.5%. the air france pilots begin a one-week strike over company plans to cut costs to try and recapture some of the market

share, which has been taken away from them by the budget airlines. air france has called for a week long strike, which would be the longest that the company since 1998. the airline says it still hopes to operate close to 50% of planned flights today, monday, but if you do have flights booked on air france, i would check before going to the airport. okay, let's talk about this. this week is the most hyped and talked about tech flotation, a tech company going public on the strok exchange. we're talking about alibaba. this is the founder, aock excha. we're talking about alibaba. this is the founder, a very rich man. they are expected to price the deal on september 13th. world investors are waiting, but some established companies are worried about what they see as alibaba's encoachment roachment u.s. soil. it's almost easier to list what

alibaba the group doesn't do, but stay tuned for "gmt" coming up, we'll break it down and explain all the things alibaba does. that's it with the business for now. geeta, back to you. >> thank you very much, indeed. stay with us. much more to come. state media says for the first time since records began, it can't find evidence of eggs in the river. more adventures await in the seven-passenger lexus gx. see your lexus dealer.

wow, this hotel is amazing. oh no. who are you? who are you? wrong answer. wait, daddy, this is blair, he booked this room with priceline express deals and saved a ton. yeah, i didn't have to bid and i got everything i wanted. oh good. i always do. oh good. he seemed nice. express deals. priceline savings without the bidding.

so i can reach ally bank 24/7, but there are24/7branches? it's just i'm a little reluctant to try new things. what's wrong with trying new things? feel that in your muscles? yeah... i do... try a new way to bank, where no branches equals great rates. this is "bbc world news." i'm geeta guru-murthy with the top stories. the french president has opened an international conference on the threat posed by islamic state militants by saying the threat was global and the response must be global. and just three days to go before the scottish independence referendum. it's still too close to call on which side might win. sorry, there you are.

let's go to scotland. our political editor norman smith is there. our assistant political editor. he's in northeast scotland in aberdeen, i think, is where you are at at the moment. just tell me, for those looking on outside who say we're in a world of global political turbulence, a huge threat of i.s. why is a stable country like britain looking at breaking itself up? >> reporter: well, in part because many, many scots feel they could be a more prosperous and a very different sort of country if they went it alone, because all the indications we have from the opinion polls is that this is on a knife edge and could go either way. there really is nothing between the two sides despite months, years indeed of campaigning. we've reached the stage when it seems there are no new arguments. there are no new policies.

and in the end, their decision may come down to those people who are still at this very late stage undecided. and one of the curiosities of this campaign is as we get closer to that final vote on thursday, the pitch being made by the two sides is basically the same one. so we are expecting the prime minister to come here later today, and he will urge scots not to use this vote as some sort of protest vote against his government or austerity measures or particular policies because his argument is this is much bigger than that. this is forever. there is no going back. it's scots vote to break apart the union, that is forever. that is exactly the argument we are hearing from scotland's first minister, only he draws a different conclusion. he says to scots, yes this is an irrevocable moment, but seize this opportunity. this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. so grasp the moment. it will not come again in your

lifetime. so paradoxically, we've now reached the stage where it is neck and neck, and they are both basically making the same argument, the same core argument in a last-ditch attempt to win over those few undecided voters. >> norman, just briefly, has the queen intervened? she made a comment over the weekend. we also hear that things have got pretty heated and pretty raw on the ground at times. >> reporter: i think things have got quite heated in part because of the passions this issue arouses, and in part, because it is so close. so there have been mutual recriminations on both sides about alleged intimidation and the behaviors of rival groups of supporters. in terms of the queen, yes, indeed, she did make a comment yesterday on her way to church when she urged people in scotland to think very carefully about their future. now, that was interpreted by

some as an implicit comment in favor of the union. talking to those around alex sammond said it was no such thing, they insist it was referendum small talk. the queen was simply passing the time of day with an onlooker waiting outside the church. and buckingham palace have insisted the queen will not get involved, it is a matter for the people, and not just the fact that she regards it as a constitutional duty to be neutral, but also if there is a yes vote, then she will be queen of scots and cannot be seen in any way to have interfered in this debate. >> norman smith, for now, many thanks. there is much more for you on the referendum votes a "bbc world news," including a special program, with interviews with key players, as well as analysis of many issues.

the rosetta spacecraft is close to landing on a comet, a comet. scientists are in the process of revealing details of how and where the spacecraft will try to place its land craft. with me is our science correspondent rebecca morell. this is a really big deal for scientists because it gives a clue as to the possible start of life on earth, doesn't it? >> exactly. studying comets is really important, because comets are kind of pristine objects. they've been around for 4.6 billion years, they're actually unchanged. but they might also give clues tooz how life started on earth, too.as to how life started on e, too. there is an idea that perhaps an impact of a comet on the earth

might have brought with it the chemicals needed to kick start that. so getting an up close look at a planet as they're planning to do in november will really give us an idea of whether this might be right. >> so what's the time scale here? >> today they've picked the landing site. and landing on this comet is not going to be easy. it's a really weird shape. i think at first they hoped it would be vaguely spherical, a bit knobbly. this looks like a rubber duck, with a smaller head on top. and finding an area that's flat on this comet has been really difficult. site j, which is kind of on the crown of the head of the duck, if you think about it that way, is kind of the least bad option. it's flattish, and it's got a few active areas nearby, so there are going to be sites of interest. but actually setting down a lander on this thing is going to be incredibly difficult. i don't know if you remember the mars curiosity rover, and the seven minutes of terror. this is going to take seven hours to drop down and i'm describing it as the seven hours

of hell for the scientists. it's going to be nerve racking because everything could go wrong. or right. >> oh, my goodness. let's hope it goes right. november it's happening? >> november. in a few weeks time. >> thanks very much indeed. i'm back in just a few minutes with a look further over all of our top stories. stay with us. asian debt that recognizes the shift in the global economy. you know, the kind that capitalizes on diversity across the credit spectrum and gets exposure to frontier and emerging markets. if you convert 4-quarter p/e of the s&p 500, its yield is doing a lot better... if you've had to become your own investment expert, maybe it's time for bny mellon, a different kind of wealth manager ...and black swans are unpredictable. watch this. sam always gives you the good news in person, bad news in email. good news -- fedex has flat rate shipping. it's called fedex one rate. and it's affordable. sounds great. [ cell phone typing ] [ typing continues ] [ whoosh ]

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hello, i'm geeta guru-murthy with "bbc world news." our top stories. the french president opens an international conference on the threat posed by islamic state militants, saying there is no time to lose. the mers virus appears to have jumped from camels to humans in saudi arabia, with no known cure, what could be done to stop it? and happy birthday, prince harry. the british royal turns 30 after leading the closing celebrations at the invictus games. plus, a man accused of killing a former russian spy

here in london is to host a television show about critics of the kremlin. hello, and welcome. the french president has called for a global response to fight islamic state militants. opening an international conference in paris, the president said the group posed a security threat the world over. about 30 countries have gathered for the talks which are aimed at coordinating a strategy against i.s. militants, who have taken control of parts of northern iraq and syria. here's what president hollande had to say. >> the terrorist movement has attacked the weak and the most vulnerable. women and children, this terrorist movement has also

attacked religious minorities. it has pursued them. it has sought to destroy whole communities. this terrorist movement has acted on whole swaths of territory in iraq and syria. it ignores borders and it even claims to establish a state. so this is a global threat. and the response has to be a global response. >> the iraqi president masum also spoke. >> translator: we are at a juncture in the terrorists' thinking. the terrorists no longer act to

terrorize populations. they commit various crimes in order to establish a state and that is what has happened. in fact, the victims of the occupation are of all faiths, all ethnic groups, all religions. >> more on the conference in the next few minutes, but first of all, we go to a domestic problem in saudi arabia, because health officials there say they're doing all they can to avoid an outbreak of the deadly middle east respiratory syndrome, or mers virus, at this year's haj pilgrimage. more than 850 cases of inspection have been confirmed and more than 300 people have died. cases have also been confirmed in jordan, qatar, as well as africa, europe, and the u.s., especially usually after traveling to the middle east. the exact source of the infection isn't known, but it can cause kidney failure and

pneumonia. saudi officials have been accused of not doing enough to contain the outbreak, but the country's acting he ining healtr has told the bbc it's under control. >> reporter: is this the key source of the deadly mers virus? camels are prime suspects for passing the disease to humans, which is why health officials are taking samples from these prized animals. there's belief to be a strong link between camels and the virus, but still very little is known about how it jumps from animals to humans and that is worrying scientists. the virus is fairly harmless in the animals, but in humans, it can cause pneumonia and kidney failure, killing more than a third of those infected. but the real problem began when patients ended up here.

poor infection control measures in hospitals like this one meant that when a mers patient arrived, it spread fast. patients weren't washing hands between patients or wearing masks properly, which means they were helping pass it on. it wasn't until a year and a half into the outbreak when the king sacked his health minister over his handling of the crisis, that things started to change. >> so now we are going to start. >> reporter: now hundreds of hospital staff are trained in infection control and the number of mers patients have fallen dramatically from hundreds back in the spring to very sporadic cases now. >> take normal breath. deep breathing. for one minute. >> reporter: but still, relatively little is known about mers. the government has advised people to wear protective gear when handling camels, especially

if they're sick. but at this market on the outskirts, we didn't see anyone taking much notice. raw camel milk, which could contain the virus, was being sold and drunk freely. >> translator: i don't know about this virus. i have drunk raw camel milk every day and i am fine. >> reporter: scientists are trying to figure out where this virus came from, particularly on the run-up to hajj, when around two million people will descend on mecca. >> being a virus that is transmittable from human to human is really a big concern for hajj, because we have intensive overcrowding in hajj and this is excellent media for a respiratory infection to spread. >> reporter: but the government is reassuring pilgrims.

>> it is no more an issue in saudi. we will do our best to ensure that we continue doing all that we can do to have a safe hajj to all our guests and pilgrims. >> reporter: the outbreak may be under control for now, but the world health organization says the situation continues to be a public hell concern. let's go back now to our top story, the international conference on the threat posed by isis. now, we're hearing from this conference that bolstering the iraqi army is one option. more air strikes and getting a sort of regional coalition. from your perspective in iraq, first of all, how bad now is the advance of isis? what is the threat from them perceived? >> reporter: well, for many people, they have seen worst

days. especially in june when the threat of isis was very clear here in baghdad, the capital of iraq. back then, something interesting happened actually. it was not just the iraqi troops that defended the iraqi capital, but when that threat became very near to the shiite heartland, the heartland of the shiite majority in iraq, but militias are backed, sponsored and trained by iran, came to the front lines to defend the iraqi capital with significant iranian support, and there is also iraqi support for the kurds in the north as well. two months on, the scene is a bit different. there is some balance. iraqi troops in many places have actually bounced back, especially in breaking the siege, and also the peshmerga, the kurdish troops in the north,

with significant air support from the american air force, succeeded to push back as well. so now the threat is not as it was in june, but you still have towns and cities in northern and western iraq, primarily the sunni areas, the part of iraq where the sunni minority lives, that is still under the control of i.s. so for iraqs who are hoping to get that part of their country back, you know, something more needs to happen. >> it's a very complicated picture, but if there is going to be more western-backed intervention, is that going to, again, go down very badly as we've seen previous interventions go down? does the responsibility of regional powers and the involvement of regional powers help? can you hear us? have we lost you, rafid?

we might have lost the line there. >> reporter: i can hear you now. i got most of the question. well, two things. first, you know, iraqis managed to form a more inclusive government last week. this is a government now that is based on a power sharing agreement between the main actions here in iraq, the shiite majority, the kurds in the north, and the sunnis. that needs to be built on in terms of having a united iraqi stance against i.s. at the same time, more coordination with especially the western military backing in terms of air support. that is the combination that is required. but also, without antagonizing

iran. iran still has influence and good relations with many parties near iraq, especially the shiite and the kurds, so iran has to have a kind of role in this whole strategy if it is to succeed. >> yes, and they're not at the conference. many thanks indeed. sorry about the problems on the line. thanks. troops from the united states and 14 other countries are beginning 11 days of military exercises in western ukraine. the cease-fire in the east of the country does seem to be holding and that is despite both sides claiming that the other side has broken the truce. as laura westbrook explains. >> reporter: a show of force in lieu hank-- in luhansk. visible support surrounds the separatists and for now the guns

are silent. but after months of daily shelling, the conflict has left its scars. a church service was held to remember the victims killed during this war. more than 3,000 people have died and this city is still without power or running water. there has been some progress. 73 ukrainian army and pro-russian fighters exchanged. but among the rebel troops, there's no attempt to hide. this is an unfinished war. r >> translator: i think the cease-fire will be over soon. we are waiting for the ukrainian army. we will see each other soon. >> reporter: on the ukrainian side, these fighters near the city of mariopal strengthened. it's been ten days since the cease-fire began, and it is holding, though both sides claim violations. nevertheless, kiev is showing signs of softening its stance in

these eastern regions. this week, ukrainian president petro poroshenko says he will submit a bill to parliament granting wider sell self-rule rights, although they will remain part of ukraine. however, critics say he's surrendering too much power here. here in donetsk, months of fighting has left deep scars. in recent days, shelling and gunfire has rocked the city. >> translator: we all hope for the cease-fire. but where is the cease-fire? you should stick to what you say. do not blame the rebels, do not blame kiev, just do what you say. >> reporter: for the people of this area, the cease-fire held out the best prospect of peace, but it's an uneasy truce. laura westbrook, bbc news. in other news today, the bodies of two british tourists

have been found on a beach in thailand. the man and woman were found with head wounds. police say their clothes and a blood-stained hoe were found nearby. officers are checking footage of shops for clues. rescuers are in india and pakistan, they've been called off temporarily because of more rain. over 400 people have died after flooding and landslides. hundreds of thousands of people are still trapped by the waters. winds of up to 200 kilometers an hour have uprooted trees and shaken buildings as hurricane odile made landfall in mexico. authorities have declared a maximum alert for the region and have prepared shelters for up to 4,000 people. stay with us here on "bbc world news." there is much more to come. more on the attempt to find and land the rosetta probe on a comet. will you help us find a new house for you and your brother?

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this is "bbc world news," i'm geeta guru-murthy. the french president has opened an international conference on the threat posed by islamic state militants. and health officials in saudi arabia say they're doing all they can to prevent more cases of the deadly mers virus ahead of next month's hajj pilgrimage. now, australia has announced it will send 600 troops and fighter jets to the united arab emirates to assist the international coalition in fighting islamic state militants. the prime minister tony abbott says that the death of a british aide worker showed the need for more to be done to counter the jihadists. our sydney correspondent has

this report. >> reporter: syria. and australia's first suicide bomber. a man known as abu alistrali, giving his final video address in september last year. originally from brisbane, here he is preparing the explosives before setting off in a truck to blow himself up at a syrian army check point. australia, like britain, has a problem. there are an estimated 60 australians training and fighting with extremist groups in syria and iraq. on social media, you can find them promoting their ideas with a distinctive aussie twang. >> this is the message i want to send to you.

a message from a muz lslim brother's heart to another brother's heart. >> the most notorious, a gangster and drug dealer who's now fighting with islamic state in syria. he recently posted this picture of a boy believed to be his son holding a severed head. he had previously been jailed for his part in a plot to carry out attacks in australia. like with british jihadists, the authorities here are concerned about what happens if any of these men return home. >> we're worried, because we also know very well from the returnees -- and they don't all return and become lunatic terrorists. some of them have had their boots filled with violence sufficient to last them a lifetime. but we know from previous experience that numbers have come back, and got involved in recruiting others and planning terrorist events. >> reporter: that also presents

a challenge for australia's mainstream moderate islamic population. australia, like britain, has a long-established muslim community. on the whole, it's pretty well integrated into australian society. but many muslims are unhappy about what's happening in iraq and in syria. and some are prepared to go and fight. hello? hi. this is john from the bbc. we managed to get hold of one man by phone who says he left australia six months ago and is now fighting with islamic state in northern iraq. he's of middle eastern origin, but had been living and working in sydney. i asked him about the recent beheading of the american journalist james foley.

>> reporter: but on the streets of sydney, australia's government is worried such people could carry out this kind of threat here, if they ever make it home. this country, like britain, is facing huge challenges more than a decade on from its support for the u.s.-led war in iraq. a war that is still not over. we are going to take you now over to paris, because there is that meeting to deal with isis, and a number of foreign ministers from around 30 countries have gathered in paris. we are just about to see a press conference by the french foreign minister. we heard statements earlier from president hollande and from the iraqi president also masum,

basically calling for a quick radical response, and saying the only way to protect global security really was to come together. a swift radical response is what the iraqi president called for, and the french have said that they are starting to look at a interim reconnaissance mission, just starting that in iraq today, as, of course, the stepping up of military action looks very likely. but let's listen in now to the start of this news conference. >> translator: give you a brief account of the meeting which brought together 29 delegations, 29 countries, and international organizations amongst which the five members of the u.n.

security council, a number of arab countries, and more generally, representative from across the world. the object of the conference was defined this morning by the iraqi and french presidents, that is to bring together a strong movement for peace and security in iraq. in a few moments, we shall circulate the conclusions the two of us draw from the meeting, but i'll first give the floor to my colleague and friend. but first of all, i should like to stress a few points. first of all, the movement, which is not a state, nor

representative of islam. all the people that are here state it is necessary to make it retreat and disappear. it is very straight forward. they say to the world, either you are with us or we kill you. that is what the international

community, whatever the differences, has decided to do. a second point is that this is something which concerns everybody, not only the countries first hit, iraq, syria, and the neighboring countries, but it's all of the nearer middle east. because a terrorist group does not stop of its own accord. that is why recently there was a meeting. there will soon be another meeting at the u.n. and there will be further meetings because everybody is concerned. my third point is that in order to fight these terrorists efficiently, and that is going to take time, there has to be an

all-inclusive action. this morning, we discussed a political approach because the iraqi authorities have now decided on an inclusive approach following the elections. which with our support, they will be able to carry forth. so it is a political approach, which is called for and indeed essential and that explains united support to the new iraqi authorities. so a political approach. but beyond that, there is security. when you are facing a terrorist group as dangerous as this one, a certain number of measures have to be taken of a military nature, and these will vary according to the country. but they will serve to help our iraqi friends in their struggle.

>> that's the french foreign minister laurent fabius speaking live in paris at that con froens take on islamic state. they want a broad spectrum crucially involving the sunni arab state. more on that throughout bbc news. i'm geeta guru-murthy, back here tomorrow. 3rd and 3. 58 seconds on the clock, what am i thinking about? foreign markets. asian debt that recognizes the shift in the global economy. you know, the kind that capitalizes on diversity across the credit spectrum and gets exposure to frontier

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[ brakes screech ] flo: unh... [ tires squeal, brakes screech, horn honks ] ooh, ooh! [ back-up beeping, honking ] a truckload of discounts for your business -- now, that's progressive. hello, you're watching "gmt" on bbc. i'm lucy hawkings. our top story, how to take on islamic state in iraq and syria. foreign ministers from an international coalition are meeting in paris to come up with a strategy. we'll be looking at the role that sunni arab nations could play. >> translator: this is a global threat and the response has to be a global response. three days to go before the scottish referendum. why has the queen remained virtually silent on the independence debate?