By David Lawder and Jorgelina do Rosario WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) -The International Monetary Fund said on Friday that it has reached

Aston Villa return to Europa Conference League action as they try to get their qualification hopes back on track against Bosnian champions Zrinjski Mostar. Playing European football for the first time in 13 years and having successfully negotiated Hibernian in the play-off round, Villa’s group stage started in disappointing fashion as they twice came from behind to equalise through Jhon Duran and Lucas Digne away to Legia Warsaw but eventually went down 3-2 in the Polish capital. That means victory over eight-time Bosnian title winners Zrinjski, who have climbed back to the top of the domestic game since Krunoslav Rendulic took over as manager last November, is a must and Unai Emery’s men are in good form since that defeat in Warsaw. They have beaten Chelsea and Brighton in the Premier League – the latter in a shock 6-1 thumping at the weekend – and will be heavy favourites to triumph on home turf, although Zrinjski are currently top of Group E after stunningly coming from 3-0 down at half-time to beat AZ Alkmaar 4-3 in their Europa Conference League opener. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the fixture; see all the latest Europa League odds and tips for tonight here. When is Aston Villa vs Zrinjski Mostar? The match kicks off at 8pm BST on Thursday 5 October at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 2, with coverage on the channel from 7:45pm BST. Subscribers can stream the action via discovery+, which is also available via Amazon Prime. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. What is the team news? Villa were hit by the news that Boubacar Kamara, Moussa Diaby and Jacob Ramsey would all miss the match earlier this week, while Alex Moreno is out until after the international break and both Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia are long-term absentees. Leon Bailey should be back in contention after a thigh strain, however. Krunoslav Rendulic normally favours a 4-3-3 formation with Tomislav Kis and Nemanja Bilbija in contention to lead the line and Zvonimir Kozulj pushing for a start after scoring twice in Zrinjski’s remarkable comeback against AZ last month. Predicted line-ups Aston Villa: Olsen; Cash, Konsa, Lenglet, Digne; Luiz, Tielemans; Traore, McGinn, Zaniolo; Duran Zrinjski Mostar: Maric; Corluka, Jakovljevic, Radic, Memija; Ivancic, Balic, Kozulj; Cuze, Kis, Ticinovic Odds Aston Villa win 1/10 Draw 10/1 Zrinjski Mostar win 30/1 Get the latest football odds here Prediction Villa to build on their impressive Premier League form and get their qualification hopes back on track. Aston Villa 4-1 Zrinjski Mostar Read More Unai Emery urges Aston Villa to adapt quickly to demands of European football Ollie Watkins scores hat-trick as rampant Aston Villa hit Brighton for six Unai Emery savours ‘special’ Villa Park atmosphere in rout of Brighton England boss Gareth Southgate hoping for positive news over Bukayo Saka fitness Arsenal renew Pedro Neto interest but face competition from two Premier League rivals Consistency the key for Vincent Kompany as he bids to lift Burnley

The European Union is urging Afghan authorities to follow up on the poisoning of schoolgirls in the country's northern region

Former Wallabies flanker Phil Waugh has been appointed chief executive of Rugby Australia

Luis Diaz scored twice as Colombia stunned Brazil 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier, days after his father was released by kidnappers. The Liverpool striker netted twice in four minutes late in the second half, watched by his father Luiz Manuel Diaz who was held for 12 days before his release last week. Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli had put Brazil in front after just four minutes. Colombia’s first win over Brazil for eight years lifts them into third in the South American qualifying table with Brazil, who suffered a second successive defeat in the competition, down to fifth. On a night of surprises, goals from Ronald Araujo and Darwin Nunez saw Uruguay beat Argentina 2-0. Lionel Messi struggled to impose himself, hitting the crossbar in the second half as Argentina’s 100 per cent record since lifting the World Cup was ended. Uruguay’s win lifts them to second in the table, two points behind Argentina. Venezuela are in fourth after a goalless draw with Ecuador, Chile and Paraguay also drawing a blank while Bolivia won the battle of the bottom two with a 2-0 win over Peru. PA Read More Moment Liverpool star Luis Diaz reunites with father after 12-day hostage ordeal Luis Diaz reunited with kidnapped parents after returning to Colombia Father of Luis Diaz reveals details of kidnapping ordeal

Brevan Howard Asset Management has appointed Oualid Lahsini as chief executive officer of its Middle East business. Lahsini,

Josh Lowe hit a two-out, two-run double in the ninth inning in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night

Kourtney Kardashian, 44, showed off her toned physique while celebrating National Sunscreen Day

The first press conference to promote KSI’s fight against Tommy Fury in October descended into chaos on Tuesday, when Tommy’s father John Fury fumed at the “antics” on-stage and flipped a number of tables in anger – but one UFC fighter believes Fury should now “follow it up” and “smack someone”. The comments from Darren Till, a British mixed martial artist with an 18-5 win/loss record, come as the “absolute horse s***” event also saw Dillon Danis walk on wearing a Toy Story alien hat (in reference to Logan Paul’s infamous 2017 ‘suicide forest’ video) and Paul bring out a birthday cake for his rival depicting a bloodied Danis on the canvas. Till told gambling website SafeBettingSites: “The press conference was everything we expected: cringeworthy and embarrassing. “I thought Tommy and Dillon came across better than I expected. John’s John isn’t he? He likes to make a kerfuffle and do nothing about it, so what can you say? “It’s big John Fury! We all have to love him.” The UFC middleweight, who has been filmed sparring with Tyson Fury in the past, added: “Obviously I'm mates with Tyson and the Fury family and they’re a good bunch but how many outbursts can you have without actually doing something? “Now it’s time for him to follow it up and have an outburst and then smack someone!” In further surprising remarks from the fighter, Till claimed Danis – who had to pull out of a fight against KSI earlier this year – “100 per cent” won’t show up for his fight against Paul on 14 October. “He’s not going to take the fight, I’m sure of that, but I’m ready to step in any time and they can contact me or my management. All the details are on Twitter [X].” And then, in comments which will likely irritate KSI, Till noted the YouTuber did “look a little bit scared” during his face-off against Tommy Fury and that “Jake Paul’s probably the only guy who’s beating any real fighters at the moment”. While KSI co-founded Prime with former boxing opponent Logan, the YouTuber has had a long-running feud with Jake ever since he defeated content creator Joe Weller in 2018 for his first fight and called out the “It’s Everyday Bro” rapper in an interview afterwards. After Jake Paul took on Tommy Fury himself in a boxing match earlier this year, and secured his first loss, KSI released a video in which he said, while bursting out laughing: “They said you can’t beat a professional fighter, and they were right! You couldn’t!” Previous opponents for the younger Paul brother have included former basketball player Nate Robinson, ex-MMA star Ben Askren and former UFC champion Tyron Woodley. While KSI claimed during Tuesday’s press conference that “people are going to look at me differently” if he is victorious, Tommy Fury insisted “YouTube boxing will be done” if he defeats the rapper. However, Till believes the form of boxing is “here to stay”. “Jake’s at the forefront and Tommy’s already beaten him, although it was a close fight. I think influencer boxing is here to stay and we just have to make do with it because it's where the money is,” he said. KSI and Logan Paul take on Tommy Fury and Dillon Danis respectively on 14 October in Manchester. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Taika Waititi has confessed that he had "no interest" in working in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and only signed up to direct 'Thor: Ragnarok' to provide for his children.

Jayson Tatum had 30 points and 12 rebounds in less than three quarters and the Boston Celtics used a blistering start to pull away from the Indiana Pacers, winning 155-104 on Wednesday night to remain unbeaten

France is at risk of flouting the European Union’s fiscal guidance while Germany and Italy are deemed not