North Macedonia's surprise win away to Italy in their World Cup playoff semi-final last week set up an unexpected clash against Portugal with the country's Prime Minister offering the squad 500,000 euros ($549,300.00) if they reach the 2022 tournament.

The result shocked the soccer world and derailed a possible clash between the last two European champions Italy and Portugal, who both surprisingly missed out on automatically qualifying from the group stage for the World Cup in Qatar.

After the playoff draw the headlines were all about the expected drama of one of the two soccer powers missing out on the finals with so many top players in their squads and how a likely playoff showdown between them would be full of drama.

But North Macedonia did not follow the script and knocked four-time World Cup winners Italy out of contention.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-begins-talks-over-alternative-proposals-to-biennial-world-cup-plan-466692">FIFA begins talks over alternative proposals to biennial World Cup plan</a>

Portugal meanwhile survived late drama in their playoff semi-final as they beat Turkey 3-1 after visiting striker Burak Yilmaz missed a penalty five minutes from the end that could have forced extra time at Porto’s sold-out Dragao stadium.

Italy did not have such luck in Palermo, losing 1-0 after an added time Aleksandar Trajkovski goal silenced the crowd at the Renzo Barbera stadium who watched in disbelief as the opposing bench ran onto the pitch to celebrate victory with the players.

North Macedonia, who featured at Euro 2020 in their first appearance at a major tournament since the break up of Yugoslavia three decades ago, will now face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in another packed stadium in Porto on Tuesday.

The 50,000 tickets for Tuesday's game at the Dragao stadium were sold out in a few hours amid huge expectations&nbsp;from local fans as Portugal bid for a place at the global tournament.

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski, who last year went to the Vatican to ask Pope Francis to pray for the team, went onto their plane on Sunday to wish the squad goodbye before they left for Porto and promised to reward them if they reach the finals.

BIGGEST ALLY

Macedonia coach Blagoja Milevski's biggest ally as they prepare to face Portugal will probably be the fact that their opponents have no idea what approach his team will take.

"To be honest, we don't really know what to expect next Tuesday," Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva told a news conference on Sunday, explaining that they were surprised at how differently Macedonia played in their previous matches.

Milevski explained their approach before the Italy clash, telling reporters: “Every game is unique, so anything can happen. I don’t have any specific pattern I like to follow.

“Of course, we are not at the same level as Italy yet but we're not here as a fluke and we expect to put in a great performance. I want my players to go out there and enjoy themselves.”

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/north-macedonia-clash-matter-of-life-and-death-want-hell-breaking-loose-at-stadium-cristiano-ronaldo-466678">North Macedonia clash matter of life and death, want hell breaking loose at stadium: Cristiano Ronaldo</a>

And they did just that as they produced an upset for the ages that surprised the Portuguese as much as Italy.

"I won't lie, we were all expecting it was going to be Italy (in the playoff final)," Portugal midfielder Joao Moutinho told a news conference on Saturday.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos is very much aware of the quality of their opponents, pointing out that North Macedonia won four of their last five World Cup qualifiers on the road.

"They won in Germany and in Italy. To say they are weaker is the wrong way of approaching this game," Santos said on Monday.

"We'll face North Macedonia with the same mentality as we would have against Italy. I know it’s the game of their lives, but it's also ours too. We can't afford missing the World Cup."

North Macedonia's surprise win away to Italy in their World Cup playoff semi-final last week set up an unexpected clash against Portugal with the country's Prime Minister offering the squad 500,000 euros ($549,300.

North Macedonia's surprise win away to Italy in their World Cup playoff semi-final last week set up an unexpected clash against Portugal with the country's Prime Minister offering the squad 500,000 euros ($549,300.00) if they reach the 2022 tournament. The result shocked the soccer world and derailed a possible clash between the last two European champions Italy and Portugal, who both surprisingly missed out on automatically qualifying from the group stage for the World Cup in Qatar. After the playoff draw the headlines were all about the expected drama of one of the two soccer powers missing out on the finals with so many top players in their squads and how a likely playoff showdown between them would be full of drama. But North Macedonia did not follow the script and knocked four-time World Cup winners Italy out of contention. ALSO READ: FIFA begins talks over alternative proposals to biennial World Cup plan Portugal meanwhile survived late drama in their playoff semi-final as they beat Turkey 3-1 after visiting striker Burak Yilmaz missed a penalty five minutes from the end that could have forced extra time at Porto’s sold-out Dragao stadium. Italy did not have such luck in Palermo, losing 1-0 after an added time Aleksandar Trajkovski goal silenced the crowd at the Renzo Barbera stadium who watched in disbelief as the opposing bench ran onto the pitch to celebrate victory with the players. North Macedonia, who featured at Euro 2020 in their first appearance at a major tournament since the break up of Yugoslavia three decades ago, will now face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in another packed stadium in Porto on Tuesday. The 50,000 tickets for Tuesday's game at the Dragao stadium were sold out in a few hours amid huge expectations from local fans as Portugal bid for a place at the global tournament. Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski, who last year went to the Vatican to ask Pope Francis to pray for the team, went onto their plane on Sunday to wish the squad goodbye before they left for Porto and promised to reward them if they reach the finals. BIGGEST ALLY Macedonia coach Blagoja Milevski's biggest ally as they prepare to face Portugal will probably be the fact that their opponents have no idea what approach his team will take. "To be honest, we don't really know what to expect next Tuesday," Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva told a news conference on Sunday, explaining that they were surprised at how differently Macedonia played in their previous matches. Milevski explained their approach before the Italy clash, telling reporters: “Every game is unique, so anything can happen. I don’t have any specific pattern I like to follow. “Of course, we are not at the same level as Italy yet but we're not here as a fluke and we expect to put in a great performance. I want my players to go out there and enjoy themselves.” ALSO READ: North Macedonia clash matter of life and death, want hell breaking loose at stadium: Cristiano Ronaldo And they did just that as they produced an upset for the ages that surprised the Portuguese as much as Italy. "I won't lie, we were all expecting it was going to be Italy (in the playoff final)," Portugal midfielder Joao Moutinho told a news conference on Saturday. Portugal coach Fernando Santos is very much aware of the quality of their opponents, pointing out that North Macedonia won four of their last five World Cup qualifiers on the road. "They won in Germany and in Italy. To say they are weaker is the wrong way of approaching this game," Santos said on Monday. "We'll face North Macedonia with the same mentality as we would have against Italy. I know it’s the game of their lives, but it's also ours too. We can't afford missing the World Cup."

North Macedonia PM offers 500,000 euros to players if they upset Portugal to reach World Cup finals

The Amazon Great Indian Sale started on January 20 for Prime members and is set to begin today for the non-prime users of the website.&nbsp;

The sale will carry on until January 24, clashing with Flipkart Republic day sale.&nbsp;

Amazone will offer various discounts, cash-backs, exchange discounts, no-cost EMI&#39;s as well as introduce new products.&nbsp;

The e-retailer will offer deals on electronics including smartphones, laptops, TV, gaming as well as consumer goods and so on.&nbsp;

Here&#39;s whats in store -&nbsp;

There will be 35% sale on mobile phones - customers will get up to Rs 17,000 off on Honor smartphones, and up to Rs. 7,200 off on Samsung handsets; Moto and Lenovo will have Rs. 6,000 off and up to Rs. 3,000 off respectively.&nbsp;

Other phones on sale will include Google Pixel XL 128GB, Moto G5 Plus 64GB, Honor 6X 32GB, Samsung On5 Pro Gold, 10.or G 4GB, BlackBerry KEYone, and LG Q6. There will also be discounts on Lenovo K8 Note, Intex Cloud C1, Nubia M2 64GB, Micromax Canvas Infinity, and InFocus Snap 4.

Also, OnePlus 5T Lava Red, LG V30+ Blue variant, Samsung Galaxy A8+ and Galaxy will go on sale for the first time on Amazon.&nbsp;

Laptops and TV&#39;s will hold discounts of up to Rs. 20,000 and up to 40% respectively. The 65-inch TCL Android TV will be discounted by Rs 50,000 and Micromax Bingebox smart TV range will be 30% off. Smart TVs will start at Rs. 14,990 in the sale and will be available at up to 40 percent off.&nbsp;

Buyers will also get up to 35% off on premium Sony and Samsung TVs. Buyers of Samsung TVs will get no-cost EMIs for 12 months while purchasing Sony TVs will be eligible for no-cost EMIs of up to 18 months.

50% discount will be offered on JBL speakers and Sennheiser headphones. PlayStation 4 models will be available with no-cost EMIs and &nbsp;Xbox One S will have Rs 9,000 off.&nbsp;

Amazon will offer 60% off on video games, movies, and music as well.&nbsp;

The Kindle Paperwhite and Paperwhite Starter Pack will be a discount of Rs. 2,500 for Prime members; non-Prime users will get Rs. 2,000 off. Fire TV Stick will be discounted by Rs 999 for Prime users and Rs 500 for non-prime users.&nbsp;

Ebooks will be available at Rs. 19, Rs. 49, Rs. 99 and Rs. 199 price points in the sale.

Moreover, customers who are HDFC bank members will get 10% cashback and customers subscribing to Prime during the sale period will get up to Rs. 300 cashback upon topping up Amazon Pay balance.&nbsp;

Amazone will offer various discounts, cash-backs, exchange discounts, no-cost EMI's as well as introduce new products.

The Amazon Great Indian Sale started on January 20 for Prime members and is set to begin today for the non-prime users of the website. The sale will carry on until January 24, clashing with Flipkart Republic day sale. Amazone will offer various discounts, cash-backs, exchange discounts, no-cost EMI's as well as introduce new products. The e-retailer will offer deals on electronics including smartphones, laptops, TV, gaming as well as consumer goods and so on. Here's whats in store - There will be 35% sale on mobile phones - customers will get up to Rs 17,000 off on Honor smartphones, and up to Rs. 7,200 off on Samsung handsets; Moto and Lenovo will have Rs. 6,000 off and up to Rs. 3,000 off respectively. Other phones on sale will include Google Pixel XL 128GB, Moto G5 Plus 64GB, Honor 6X 32GB, Samsung On5 Pro Gold, 10.or G 4GB, BlackBerry KEYone, and LG Q6. There will also be discounts on Lenovo K8 Note, Intex Cloud C1, Nubia M2 64GB, Micromax Canvas Infinity, and InFocus Snap 4. Also, OnePlus 5T Lava Red, LG V30+ Blue variant, Samsung Galaxy A8+ and Galaxy will go on sale for the first time on Amazon. Laptops and TV's will hold discounts of up to Rs. 20,000 and up to 40% respectively. The 65-inch TCL Android TV will be discounted by Rs 50,000 and Micromax Bingebox smart TV range will be 30% off. Smart TVs will start at Rs. 14,990 in the sale and will be available at up to 40 percent off. Buyers will also get up to 35% off on premium Sony and Samsung TVs. Buyers of Samsung TVs will get no-cost EMIs for 12 months while purchasing Sony TVs will be eligible for no-cost EMIs of up to 18 months. 50% discount will be offered on JBL speakers and Sennheiser headphones. PlayStation 4 models will be available with no-cost EMIs and Xbox One S will have Rs 9,000 off. Amazon will offer 60% off on video games, movies, and music as well. The Kindle Paperwhite and Paperwhite Starter Pack will be a discount of Rs. 2,500 for Prime members; non-Prime users will get Rs. 2,000 off. Fire TV Stick will be discounted by Rs 999 for Prime users and Rs 500 for non-prime users. Ebooks will be available at Rs. 19, Rs. 49, Rs. 99 and Rs. 199 price points in the sale. Moreover, customers who are HDFC bank members will get 10% cashback and customers subscribing to Prime during the sale period will get up to Rs. 300 cashback upon topping up Amazon Pay balance.

Amazon Great Indian Sale: Here's whats on offer

Sri Lanka said on Tuesday it was withdrawing permission for a Chinese company to buy the freehold to 20 hectares of land being reclaimed under a $1.4 billion port project after India objected. 
 
Instead, it will grant the state-owned construction company a 99-year lease on the land next to the port in Colombo, under a new agreement. 
 
&quot;India had a big concern about giving freehold land to China near the Colombo harbour,&quot; government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters. &quot;We have amended the agreement. There will be no freehold land but it will be on a 99-year lease.&quot; 
 
The government had put the project on hold pending a review of all the big-ticket agreements signed under the previous administration of Mahinda Rajapakse. The former president relied heavily on Chinese investment to rebuild the country&#39;s infrastructure after the end of the island&#39;s decades-long ethnic war in May 2009, a move which some say alienated India. 
 
The Chinese-funded port was also controversial among environmentalists. Senaratne said the developers had agreed to drop a proposed Formula One track and increase public park space, and environmental safeguards would be put in place. 
 
The project is being funded by China Communications Construction Company and was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2014 during a visit to Colombo. 
 
Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean in a &quot;string of pearls&quot; strategy to counter the rise of rival India and secure its own economic interests. 
 
But Senaratne said the government had decided to go ahead with the project under new terms. Colombo would set up an offshore banking centre to compete with Dubai and Singapore, he said. 
 
The reclamation represents the biggest-ever single foreign investment in Sri Lanka. It will add 269 hectares (672 acres) of real estate in the congested capital, which has a population of over 650,000. Once completed, the Chinese will have 108 hectares (266 acres) on a 99-year lease for commercial development. 
 
Earlier, 20 hectares of that was to be on a freehold basis. Under the agreement, the Sri Lankan government will get 62 hectares (153 acres) and the rest will be public parks and access roads. 
 
China, the largest single lender to Sri Lanka, secured contracts to build roads, railways, and ports under Rajapakse, who is under investigation over allegations of corruption during his decade in power. 
 
The administration of President Maithripala Sirisena says the terms negotiated by the previous government were unfavourable. But it has still decided to go ahead with many of the Chinese-funded projects. 
 
(AFP)

Government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said Sri Lanka has amended the agreement, it will grant the Chinese company a 99-year lease instead

Sri Lanka said on Tuesday it was withdrawing permission for a Chinese company to buy the freehold to 20 hectares of land being reclaimed under a $1.4 billion port project after India objected. Instead, it will grant the state-owned construction company a 99-year lease on the land next to the port in Colombo, under a new agreement. "India had a big concern about giving freehold land to China near the Colombo harbour," government spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters. "We have amended the agreement. There will be no freehold land but it will be on a 99-year lease." The government had put the project on hold pending a review of all the big-ticket agreements signed under the previous administration of Mahinda Rajapakse. The former president relied heavily on Chinese investment to rebuild the country's infrastructure after the end of the island's decades-long ethnic war in May 2009, a move which some say alienated India. The Chinese-funded port was also controversial among environmentalists. Senaratne said the developers had agreed to drop a proposed Formula One track and increase public park space, and environmental safeguards would be put in place. The project is being funded by China Communications Construction Company and was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September 2014 during a visit to Colombo. Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean in a "string of pearls" strategy to counter the rise of rival India and secure its own economic interests. But Senaratne said the government had decided to go ahead with the project under new terms. Colombo would set up an offshore banking centre to compete with Dubai and Singapore, he said. The reclamation represents the biggest-ever single foreign investment in Sri Lanka. It will add 269 hectares (672 acres) of real estate in the congested capital, which has a population of over 650,000. Once completed, the Chinese will have 108 hectares (266 acres) on a 99-year lease for commercial development. Earlier, 20 hectares of that was to be on a freehold basis. Under the agreement, the Sri Lankan government will get 62 hectares (153 acres) and the rest will be public parks and access roads. China, the largest single lender to Sri Lanka, secured contracts to build roads, railways, and ports under Rajapakse, who is under investigation over allegations of corruption during his decade in power. The administration of President Maithripala Sirisena says the terms negotiated by the previous government were unfavourable. But it has still decided to go ahead with many of the Chinese-funded projects. (AFP)

Sri Lanka withdraws freehold land offer to China after India's objection

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