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Europol has warned that militants from so-called Islamic State (IS) will aim to step up attacks on European targets, as they face defeat in the Middle East.

The European police force says more foreign fighters will try to come back to Europe, and «several dozen» capable of attacks could already be there. Their tactics could include car bombs, kidnappings and extortion, it said. But the report plays down the likelihood of attacks on critical infrastructure, such as nuclear sites.

It says that IS militants now prefer soft targets, and there is now a greater emphasis on «lone actors» such as the perpetrator of the lorry attack in Nice in July. It warns that some Syrian refugees in Europe may be vulnerable to recruitment by extremists who infiltrate refugee camps.

Europe has been shaken by a series of attacks in recent years blamed on IS militants.

The report said the EU faced a range of threats and attacks from both organised networks and lone actors, either directed or inspired by IS and involving a range of weapons including bladed weapons and vehicles.

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Three women — a local politician and two journalists — have been shot dead in Finland as they left a restaurant.

The motive for the killings in the early hours of Sunday in the south-eastern town of Imatra is unclear. A local man aged 23 and with a criminal record has been arrested.

Police said it appeared the victims had been chosen at random. The local politician was named as Tiina Wilen-Jappinen, the chairwoman of Imatra’s town council.

A rifle was used to carry out the shootings, police said, and the alleged perpetrator was detained almost immediately.

The victims had all been shot in the head and torso, Finland’s national broadcaster YLE reported. Two of the victims, including Ms Wilen-Jappinen, are reported to have been in their 50s and one in her 30s.

Crime levels are relatively low in Finland, but the country has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world, with hunting a popular pastime.

A top UN envoy has warned the Syrian city of Aleppo risks becoming «one giant graveyard» as the government advances on rebel-held areas.

Stephen O’Brien pleaded with UN Security Council members to protect civilians «for the sake of humanity».

At least 34 people died in the latest shelling of government and opposition-controlled areas, reports say. Troops and militiamen have retaken more than a third of the rebel-held eastern part of Aleppo since the weekend.

Stephen O’Brien, the UN’s humanitarian affairs chief, made the comments as the Security Council met for an emergency session to discuss the crisis in the city. «For the sake of humanity we call on — we plead — with the parties and those with influence to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard,» he told the council.

An estimated 25,000 people have been displaced, he added, while for those inside opposition-controlled areas some are so hungry they are reduced to scavenging.

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Russia is «not seeking conflict with anyone», President Vladimir Putin has said in his annual Kremlin speech to parliament and the nation.

«Unlike some foreign colleagues who see Russia as the enemy, we do not seek — and never sought — enemies. We need friends,» he said. But «we will not permit harm to our interests», he added. He said Russia was ready to work with the new US administration to fight terrorism.

Mr Putin has previously said he hopes for better relations with the US once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. He praised the courage of Russian military personnel fighting rebel groups in Syria, in support of President Bashar al-Assad — and drew applause in the ornate Kremlin hall. «Of course I’m counting on joint efforts with the US in fighting a real — not invented — threat, that is, international terrorism,» he said.

He also warned that any attempt to «break the strategic parity» could be globally catastrophic — an apparent reference to the Russian-US nuclear balance.

US and EU politicians have criticised the heavy Russian bombing campaign in Syria, especially in Aleppo. They say Russia should strike harder against so-called Islamic State (IS), instead of backing President Assad’s forces, who are accused of grave human rights abuses.

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