THE first new treatment for asthma attacks in 50 years has been developed and could be "game-changing" for millions of people with the condition. Asthma attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) flare-ups - also known as exacerbations - can be deadly. Advertisement 3 Four people with asthma and 85 people with COPD die every day in the UK - the new treatment has been labelled "game-changing" Credit: Getty 3 Asthma attacks and COPD flare-ups are currently treated with steroid tablets Credit: Getty Four people with asthma and 85 people with COPD die every day in the UK, according to official figures - with someone having an asthma attack every 10 seconds. People with the conditions are currently treated with steroid tablets. But now an injection has been shown to be more effective, reducing the need for further treatment by 30 per cent. Researchers say their findings, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, could be "game-changing" for millions of people with asthma and COPD around the world. Advertisement Read more on winter illnesses BUG BEAR Grim winter virus takes hold as killer lung infection targets under-5s SICK OF IT Grim warning as norovirus cases surge by 40% in weeks amid 'tripledemic threat' Lead investigator of the trial Professor Mona Bafadhel from King’s College London said: “This could be a game-changer for people with asthma and COPD. "Treatment for asthma and COPD exacerbations have not changed in fifty years despite causing 3.8 million deaths worldwide a year combined." The injection treat flare-ups called "eosinophilic exacerbation" and involve symptoms including wheezing, coughing and chest tightness due to inflammation resulting from high amounts of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell. Eosinophilic exacerbations make up to 30 per cent of COPD flare-ups and almost half of asthma attacks. Advertisement Most read in Health HORROR ORDEAL My GP gave anxiety meds for 'panic attacks' - my mum spotted the truth ON DEATH'S DOOR Teen left fighting for life with 'brain-swelling bug' after sharing a vape HORROR HEALTH BATTLE I lost parents to same deadly condition – then I was struck down by it WOOING POWER Testosterone does NOT make you sex-mad - but will still boost your love life Until now, steroid drugs have been the main medication. Steroids like prednisolone can reduce inflammation in the lungs but have severe side effects such as diabetes and osteoporosis. How to spot asthma in your child and signs of an asthma attack Many patients also " fail " treatment and need repeated courses of steroids, re-hospitalisation or die within 90 days. The study, led by scientists at King's College London and sponsored by the University of Oxford , looked at benralizamab, a drug already available that could be re-purposed in emergency settings. Advertisement The research team explained benralizamab is a monoclonal antibody which targets eosinophils to reduce lung inflammation It's currently used for the treatment of severe asthma. The trial found a single dose can be more effective when injected at the point of exacerbation compared to steroid tablets. Participants in the study, who were high risk of an asthma or COPD attack, were split into three groups by the research team. Advertisement One group received benralizamab injection and dummy tablets, another received standard of care (prednisolone 30mg daily for five days) and dummy injection and the third group receiving both benralizumab injection and standard of care. Neither the people in the study, or the study investigators knew which study arm or treatment they were given. After 28 days, respiratory symptoms of cough, wheeze, breathlessness and sputum were found to be better with benralizumab. After 90 days, there were four times fewer people in the benralizumab group that failed treatment compared to standard of care with prednisolone. Advertisement Treatment with the benralizumab injection took longer to fail, meaning fewer episodes to see a doctor or go to hospital. There was also an improvement in the quality of life for people with asthma and COPD. Prof Bafadhel said: “Benralizumab is a safe and effective drug already used to manage severe asthma. "We’ve used the drug in a different way – at the point of an exacerbation - to show that it’s more effective than steroid tablets which is the only treatment currently available. Advertisement “We hope these pivotal studies will change how asthma and COPD exacerbations are treated for the future , ultimately improving the health for over a billion people living with asthma and COPD across the world.” Geoffrey Pointing, 77, took part in the study Geoffrey, from Banbury, said when you're having a flare up, it's very difficult to tell anybody how you feel - you can hardly breathe. "Anything that takes that away and gives you back a normal life is what you want," he added. On the injections, he said: "It's fantastic. I didn't get any side effects like I used to with the steroid tablets. "I used to never sleep well the first night of taking steroids, but the first day on the study, I could sleep that first night, and I was able to carry on with my life without problems. "I want to add that I'm just grateful I took part and that the everyone involved in the ABRA study are trying to give me a better life.” Dr Sanjay Ramakrishnan, Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia, who is the first author of the ABRA trial and started the work while at the University of Oxford, said: “Our study shows massive promise for asthma and COPD treatment. "COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide but treatment for the condition is stuck in the 20th century. "We need to provide these patients with life-saving options before their time runs out. Advertisement Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Innovation, at Asthma + Lung UK, added: “It’s great news for people with lung conditions that a potential alternative to giving steroid tablets has been found to treat asthma attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations. "But it’s appalling that this is the first new treatment for those suffering from asthma and COPD attacks in 50 years, indicating how desperately underfunded lung health research is. Read more on the Scottish Sun LOOKING UP I'm a four-time world champ but my eyesight is going so I've made crucial change ISLE SAY Stunning home with panoramic views for sale for just £135k - but there's a catch “Every four minutes in the UK, someone dies from a lung condition. Thousands more live with the terror of struggling to breathe every day. With your help, we're fighting for more life-changing, life-saving research to transform the future for everyone living with breathing problems. Together, we’ll make sure that families everywhere never face a lung condition without the best treatment and care. “Our vision is a world where everyone has healthy lungs. We can only get there with your help.” Advertisement Side effects of steroids Steroid tablets can be lifesaving but can have side effects, particularly if you’re taking higher doses over a long period of time. Most of these side effects are unlikely with a short course of steroids, but they may happen if you keep needing short courses to deal with symptoms that keep coming back, or because you keep having asthma attacks. Some side effects may be noticeable straight away, such as stomach problems, or changes to your mood (feeling depressed, or feeling ‘high’ or manic). Others may only be noticeable after weeks or months, such as weight gain, or a puffy ‘moon’ face. These are unlikely with a short course of steroids but can happen with repeated courses. Some side effects may develop over time. You’re more at risk of side effects like steroid-induced diabetes, or osteoporosis or thin skin and bruising if you’ve been taking steroid tablets for a long period of time, or if you need several short courses of high dose steroids in a year. Some 93 per cent said they had at least one condition linked to taking oral corticosteroids long-term. Source: Asthma + Lung 3 Benralizumab is a safe and effective drug already used to manage severe asthma, but it's now been used in a different way Credit: GettyThanksgiving Weekend Sports Guide: Your roadmap to NFL matchups, other games, times, oddswww.jili178.ph 。

Berlin confirmed plans to reform its legal framework make it a clear criminal offence to “facilitate the smuggling of migrants to the UK” as part of the agreement, the Home Office said. The Home Office said the move would give German prosecutors more tools to tackle the supply and storage of dangerous small boats. Both countries will also commit to exchange information that may help to remove migrant-smuggling content from social media platforms and tackle end-to-end routes of criminal smuggling networks as part of the deal. It comes ahead of the UK and Germany hosting the so-called Calais Group in London, which sees ministers and police from the two countries, alongside France, Belgium and the Netherlands, gather to discuss migration in Europe. Delegates are expected to agree a detailed plan to tackle people-smuggling gangs in 2025 at the meeting on Tuesday. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For too long organised criminal gangs have been exploiting vulnerable people, undermining border security in the UK and across Europe while putting thousands of lives at risk. “We are clear that this cannot go on. “Germany is already a key partner in our efforts to crack down on migrant smuggling, but there is always more we can do together. “Our new joint action plan with deliver a strengthened partnership with Germany, boosting our respective border security as we work to fix the foundations, and ultimately saving lives.” Nancy Faeser, German federal minister of the interior said: “We are now stepping up our joint action to fight the brutal activities of international smugglers. “This is at the core of our joint action plan that we have agreed in London. “It will help us end the inhumane activities of criminal migrant smuggling organisations. “By cramming people into inflatable boats under threats of violence and sending them across the Channel, these organisations put human lives at risk.” She said that “many of these crimes are planned in Germany” and the deal would help to counter “this unscrupulous business with even more resolve.” “This includes maintaining a high investigative pressure, exchanging information between our security authorities as best as possible, and persistently investigating financial flows to identify the criminals operating behind the scenes,” Ms Faeser said. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the announcement “doesn’t go far enough”. “The British public deserves a serious plan to control our borders and stop criminal gangs,” he said. “The National Crime Agency has said a deterrent is necessary to reduce the number of crossings, yet Labour scrapped the only deterrent before it even got started. “Meanwhile the numbers of illegal immigrants coming here continue to climb, with an 18% increase compared to the same period last year, with more than 20,000 people having made the crossing since the election.”I'm A Celebrity's Alan Halsall lifts lid on family life after split with Lucy-Jo Hudson

A massive gold discovery in central China has the potential to reshape the nation’s gold reserves and contribute significantly to global supply. The Geological Bureau of Hunan has claimed that Chinese geologists have identified more than 40 gold veins, with reserves of 300 tonnes, at a depth of 2,000 meters (6500 feet) beneath the Wangu goldfield in Pingjiang County. The total gold reserve at the site, extending to a depth of 3,000 meters (9800 feet), is estimated to exceed 1,000 tonnes. This massive reserve is valued at approximately 600 billion yuan (approximately $83 billion). Discovery reveals visible gold in rock cores A gold vein is a geological feature where gold accumulates within cracks in underground rock. These veins are formed by hydrothermal processes, where hot, mineral-rich fluids travel through fissures in the Earth’s crust. Chen Rulin, an ore-prospecting expert at the bureau, noted that many drilled rock cores revealed visible gold, with one tonne of ore from the 2,000-meter range containing up to 138 grams of gold. Liu Yongjun, the bureau’s vice head, highlighted the use of new ore prospecting technologies, such as 3D geological modeling, at the Wangu goldfield. Drilling around the site’s periphery has also uncovered promising prospects, Liu added. The Hunan Provincial Geological Institute has classified the discovery as a “massive” gold reserve, with the institute emphasizing that the find is “significant in enhancing the country’s resource security.” China leads global gold production In 2022, China’s gold mining production reached 403 tonnes. The Wangu goldfield is one of China’s key mining hubs, contributing to the nation’s position as the world’s leading gold producer, accounting for about 10% of global production in 2023. Furthermore, over 100 million yuan ($13 million) have been invested in the area for mineral exploration since 2020, the South China Morning Post reported . China is a global leader in mining, particularly in the production of precious metals used in next-generation batteries and electronics. Additionally, China leads the world in exporting mining technology, pioneering innovations to reduce carbon emissions in the mining process. However, despite its substantial gold production, China’s consumption surpasses its mining capacity, resulting in significant imports from countries such as Australia and South Africa. While global gold prices rose following the announcement of the discovery, the long-term outlook remains uncertain due to ongoing geopolitical tensions, which continue to create instability in global markets. By the end of 2023, it is estimated that a total of 234,332 tonnes of gold have been mined throughout history, according to the World Gold Council. The majority of this gold extraction has occurred after 1950. Beyond its monetary value and aesthetic appeal, gold plays a vital role in numerous technological advancements. Its unique properties, such as excellent electrical conductivity and resistance to corrosion, make it indispensable in electronics, aerospace, and even medical applications . As technology continues to evolve, gold’s importance in facilitating innovation is likely to remain paramount.NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rising near records Monday and adding to last week’s gains. The S&P 500 was 0.1% higher, as of 12:56 p.m. Eastern time, and sitting a bit below its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 286 points, or 0.7%, to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% higher. Treasury yields also eased in the bond market amid what some analysts called a “Bessent bounce” after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent , a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Bessent has advocated for reducing the U.S. government’s deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through tax and other revenue. Such an approach could soothe worries on Wall Street that Trump’s policies may lead to a much bigger deficit, which in turn would put upward pressure on Treasury yields. After climbing above 4.44% immediately after Trump’s election, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell back to 4.30% Monday, down from 4.41% late Friday. That’s a notable move, and lower yields help make it cheaper for all kinds of companies and households to borrow money. They also give a boost to prices for stocks and other investments. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks the market’s expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with overnight interest rates, also slid. The Fed began cutting its main interest rate just a couple months ago from a two-decade high, hoping to keep the job market humming after bringing high inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. But immediately after Trump’s victory, traders reduced bets for how many cuts the Fed may deliver next year. They were worried Trump's preference for lower tax rates and higher spending on the border would balloon the national debt. On Monday, traders went back to increasing their bets for the number of cuts possible in 2025, according to data from CME Group. A report coming on Wednesday could influence how much the Fed may cut rates. Economists expect it to show that an underlying inflation trend the Fed prefers to use accelerated to 2.8% last month from 2.7% in September. Higher inflation would make the Fed more reluctant to cut rates as deeply or as quickly as it would otherwise. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle expects that to slow by the end of next year to 2.4%, but he said inflation would be even lower if not for expected tariff increases on imports from China and autos favored by Trump. In the stock market, Bath & Body Works jumped 14.8% after delivering stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The seller of personal care products and home fragrances also raised its financial forecasts for the full year, even though it still sees a “volatile retail environment” and a shorter holiday shopping season this year. Much focus has been on how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. Last week, two major retailers sent mixed messages. Target tumbled after giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Another big retailer, Macy’s, said Monday its sales for the latest quarter were in line with its expectations, but it will delay the release of its full financial results. It found a single employee had intentionally hid up to $154 million in delivery expenses, and it needs more time to complete its investigation. Macy’s stock fell 3.3%. Among the market's leaders were several companies related to the housing industry. Monday's drop in Treasury yields could translate into easier mortgage rates, which could spur activity for housing. Builders FirstSource, a supplier or building materials, rose 6.8% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500. Among homebuilders, D.R. Horton climbed 6.1%, PulteGroup added 5.9% and Lennar rose 5.5%. In stock markets abroad, indexes moved modestly across much of Europe after finishing mixed in Asia. In the crypto market, bitcoin was trading around $95,300 after threatening to hit $100,000 late last week for the first time. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

WASHINGTON — It's DOGE time at the U.S. Capitol. Billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy arrived Thursday on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators behind closed doors about President-elect Donald Trump's plans to “dismantle” the federal government. Trump tapped the two business titans to head his Department of Government Efficiency , tasked with firing federal workers , cutting government programs and slashing federal regulations — all part of what he calls his "Save America" agenda for a second term in the White House. “We're going to see a lot of change around here in Washington,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson , as Musk, with a small child on his shoulders, breezed by and into the private meeting. Washington has seen this before, with ambitious efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government that historically have run into resistance when the public is confronted with cuts to trusted programs that millions of Americans depend on for jobs, health care, military security and everyday needs. But this time Trump is staffing his administration with battle-tested architects of sweeping proposals, some outlined in Project 2025 , to severely reduce and reshape the government. Musk and Ramaswamy said they plan to work alongside the White House's Office of Management and Budget, headed by Trump's nominee Russ Vought, a mastermind of past cuts . “DOGE has a historic opportunity for structural reductions in the federal government,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal . “We are prepared for the onslaught.” The duo, invited for what Johnson called a “brainstorming” session as they begin this “journey” together, face a first test in private with House and Senate lawmakers — some eager to hear what they have in mind. “I am fired up to go out and do something,” said Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., who joined with Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, in launching what they are calling the DOGE caucus in the House, with more than 50 Republicans and two Democratic members. Bean said the DOGE caucus will unveil an email tip line where people can report wasteful spending. He also envisions a scoreboard of sorts that people can view on a website showing “how many positions we’ve cut, agencies we’ve cut, what the actual number is.” In the Senate, Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa and Rick Scott, R-Fla., have launched a similar caucus. “I think that’ll be a great start to the whole process,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who will chair a House Oversight subcommittee in the new year as part of “building the bridge between Congress and DOGE.” While neither Musk nor Ramaswamy have much public service experience, they bring track records in private business — Musk's operations have vast government contracts — and enthusiasm for Trump's agenda, having campaigned alongside him in the final stretch of the election. The world's richest man, Musk poured millions into a get-out-the-vote effort to help the former president return to the White House. He is known politically for having transformed the popular social media site formerly known as Twitter into X, a platform embraced by Trump's MAGA enthusiasts. Despite its name, the Department of Government Efficiency is neither a department nor part of the government, which frees Musk and Ramaswamy from having to go through the typical ethics and background checks required for federal employment. They said they will not be paid for their work. One good-government group has said that DOGE, as a presidential advisory panel, should be expected to adhere to traditional practices of transparency, equal representation and public input — as happened with similar advisory entities from the Reagan to the Obama administrations. The Federal Advisory Committee Act “is designed expressly for situations like this," wrote Lisa Gilbert and Robert Weissman, the co-chairs of Public Citizen in a letter to the Trump transition team. "If the government is going to turn to unelected and politically unaccountable persons to make recommendations as grand as $2 trillion in budget cuts, it must ensure those recommendations come from a balanced and transparent process not rigged to benefit insiders.” The nation's $6 trillion federal budget routinely runs a deficit, which this year ran $1.8 trillion, a historic high, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It has not been balanced since the Clinton administration more than two decades ago. Republicans generally blame what they see as exorbitant spending for the deficit, while Democrats point to tax cuts enacted under Republican presidents Trump and George W. Bush as the major driver. Receipts last year as a percentage of gross domestic product came in just below the average for the past 50 years, while outlays were equal to 23.4% of GDP, compared to the 50-year average of 21.1% Some of the biggest increases in spending last year occurred with politically popular programs that lawmakers will be reticent to touch. For example, spending on Social Security benefits went up 8%, Medicare outlays increased 9%, spending on defense went up 7% and spending on veterans health care rose 14%, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he would like to see Musk testify before the House Armed Services Committee on the “bloated defense budget.” “I’d like to see Elon recommend some cuts. Let’s have him testify,” Khanna said. He said he’s open to hearing proposals on non-defense spending, but was skeptical. “If they find waste, maybe, but in terms of big numbers, I mean, no one is going to allow for cutting education funding for special needs kids and for low-income schools, or for cutting Social Security and Medicare,” Khanna said. “If they want to do that, they’re going to hand us a landslide in 2026.”No. 14 ASU, No. 17 Iowa State front-runners for possibly wild Big 12 finishTrump calls Florida meeting with Trudeau productive amid stiff tariff threat

Germany to tighten criminal law as people-smuggling ‘action plan’ agreed with UK

American investors are currently rallying behind a particular stock of a software company, which has heavily invested into Bitcoin. This is being seen as a proxy purchase into cryptocurrency through the US stock market as the value of Bitcoin would ultimately determine the price of the stock of the company. Are MicroStrategy stocks a good investment? MicroStrategy, the stock in question, is primarily a software-based company's efforts into building up a Crypto-Stock Market ecosystem, and has avidly turned itself into a Bitcoin buying machine in 2020 and reportedly holds around $38 billion worth of tokens, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Individual investors are also seeing this as an opportunity of indirectly investing into the cryptocurrency market while avoiding the risk of massive volatility. Bitcoin spiked, MicroStrategy surged faster Even the company's founder, Michael Saylor has repeatedly boasted about the company's volatility, and it is yet to be seen how things end up in the longer run. Since Election Day, MicroStrategy stock prices have surged faster than Bitcoin prices , which itself is a surprising factor as the cryptocurrency value has increased by more than 40% since November 5. FAQs: Are the US stock markets booming? Yes, the US stock markets are currently booming with the Dow Jones Industrial Average having risen sharply in recent days. Have Bitcoin prices increased in November? Yes, the cryptocurrency value for Bitcoin has increased by more than 40% since November 5, the day the US Presidential elections happened. Leadership Crafting a Powerful Startup Value Proposition By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Marketing & Sales Strategies for Startups: From Concept to Conversion By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Finance Crypto & NFT Mastery: From Basics to Advanced By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Office Productivity Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By - Study At Home, Quality Education Anytime, Anywhere View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Web Development C++ Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Advanced Java Mastery: Object-Oriented Programming Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Business Storytelling Masterclass By - Ameen Haque, Founder of Storywallahs View Program Web Development JavaScript Essentials: Unlock AI-Driven Insights with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Office Productivity Mastering Google Sheets: Unleash the Power of Excel and Advance Analysis By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrow's Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Strategy ESG and Business Sustainability Strategy By - Vipul Arora, Partner, ESG & Climate Solutions at Sattva Consulting Author I Speaker I Thought Leader View Program Web Development Master RESTful APIs with Python and Django REST Framework: Web API Development By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Mastering Full Stack Development: From Frontend to Backend Excellence By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Tabnine AI Masterclass: Optimize Your Coding Efficiency By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Finance: Finance Beginner Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) ChatGPT Mastery from Zero to Hero: The Complete AI Course By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Tally Prime & GST Accounting: Complete Guide By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Borneo artist spotlights sustainability in Kenyalang Circus exhibition

Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail

With more than half of the 16 teams still mathematically alive to make the conference championship game, the Big 12 will command a lot of attention in the final week of the regular season. No. 14 Arizona State and No. 17 Iowa State would play for the Big 12 title and likely College Football Playoff spot on Dec. 7 if they both win Saturday and there's a four-way tie for first place. There are seven other teams that begin this week with hopes, slim in most cases, of getting into the game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Last week it was No. 19 BYU and No. 23 Colorado that had the inside track to the championship game. Arizona State beat the Cougars and Kansas knocked off the Buffaloes, and here we are. "Everybody counted us out, I think, two weeks ago," Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said after his team beat Utah 31-28. "We didn't flinch. We didn't waver. And we just keep fighting." The Cyclones were national darlings the first half of the season as they won seven straight games to match the best start in program history. Back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Kansas followed. Now they've won two straight heading into "Farmageddon," their rivalry game against Kansas State at home. "Right now they've got the pen and they continue to write the story," Campbell said of his players, "and I hope they will continue to write it the way they've got the ability to write it. Unwavering. Tough, mentally tough, physically tough. This group has stood for it every step of the way." Arizona State has been an even better story than the Cyclones. The Sun Devils have six more wins than they did last season, when they went 3-9. They were picked to finish last in their first year in the Big 12. They'll go for their fifth straight victory when they play at Arizona on Saturday. "These guys came off no momentum and everybody doubting them, and everybody is still doubting them. That's what makes this special," second-year coach Kenny Dillingham said. "Hopefully the expectations become higher. I don't know if there's a way we can exceed expectations more than we're exceeding them right now." Checking in on five of the Top 25: The Ducks were idle Saturday after clinching a spot in the Big Ten championship game with their win at Wisconsin on Nov. 16. Oregon can go 12-0 in the regular season for the first time since 2010 if it beats Washington at home this week. Oregon's only two losses last season came against the Huskies, both decided by three points. The first was a top-10 matchup in the regular season and the second was a top-five matchup in the Pac-12 championship game. The Ducks are 19 1/2-point favorites this time, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. The Buckeyes' showdown with upstart Indiana combined with Michigan's dropoff after winning the national championship have lowered the volume on this week's meeting with the Wolverines at the Horseshoe. If Michigan beats Ohio State a fourth straight time and it keeps the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten championship game and playoff ... well, there'll be lots of noise in Columbus then. The Lone Star Showdown returns to the gridiron for the first time since 2011, when Texas and Texas A&M were in the Big 12. The Longhorns head to No. 20 Texas A&M on a four-game win streak. The Aggies have lost two of three after Saturday's four-overtime loss at Auburn. The winner advances to the Southeastern Conference championship game against Georgia. The Broncos are tied with Notre Dame for the second-longest active win streak, at nine games, and they seem to have adopted a survive-and-advance mantra. They trailed 23-point underdog Wyoming in the fourth quarter before winning 17-13 and clinching a spot in the Mountain West championship game. They won their previous game, 42-21 against San Jose State, but didn't pull away until the fourth quarter. Two weeks ago they beat a three-win Nevada team 28-21. Just when you think Illinois is about to cash in for the season, they do what they did against Rutgers. The Illini were down 31-30 when they lined up for a 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds left. Ethan Moczulski missed. But wait. Rutgers called timeout before the snap, and Bret Bielema thought better of trying another kick and sent his offense back on the field. Luke Altmyer passed to Pat Bryant for the winning 40-yard touchdown. The Illini won't play for the Big Ten title, but they have a chance for nine wins and a nice bowl. Ohio State played in three of the five regular-season top-five matchups and won three of them. The Buckeyes lost to Oregon and beat Penn State and Indiana. ... Kansas' 37-21 win over Colorado made the Jayhawks the first FBS team with a losing record to beat three straight Top 25 opponents. The Jayhawks, who were 2-6 a month ago, will be bowl eligible if they win at Baylor. ... Nebraska ended the longest power conference bowl drought with its 44-25 win over Wisconsin. The Cornhuskers haven't played in a bowl since 2016. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Child allegedly abducted in Gatineau, Que. found safe, police say