Ticket to Ride launched and won the Spiel de Jahres 20 years ago. Along with Catan and Carcassonne , it is widely considered to have helped push the popularity of modern board gaming. The original title is really easy to pick up, just as easy to teach , and it has enough direct competition for routes to keep it interesting. But, after 20 years, you’re probably a bit sick of trying to get routes into Miami and Las Vegas. Fortunately, since its launch, Ticket to Ride has spawned an absolute ton of map packs and variants, most of which bring new game mechanics as well as alternative maps. Below are the 10 that we feel are the best. Note that the map collection sets below do require you to have either the original Ticket to Ride or Ticket to Ride: Europe to play them as you need the train cards and trains from one of these games. 1. Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails Ticket to Ride is a game all about trains. Except when it isn’t. As the name suggests, Rails & Sails combines trains with boats. First, you can choose from the Great Lakes or the whole world map on the double-sided board. Then, once you’ve picked your destination cards, you split your transportation stock between trains and ships, and you can’t change your mind later. Substantial bonuses and penalties are awarded in this game, and while the original can be considered a bit light, Rails & Sails ’ complexity may put some people off. It also lasts longer, with a game taking around 90 minutes. 2. Ticket to Ride: Europe Ticket to Ride: Europe was one of the first standalone variants of the game and it introduced ferries and tunnels as well as stations. The European map is excellent and the new mechanics do add an extra layer but without over-complicating matters. This is still easy enough for beginners to grasp, although the original title remains the best teaching game of the bunch, and you can always add the Europa 1912 expansion for even more depth. 3. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 7: Japan & Italy Map Collection 7: Japan & Italy includes a double-sided board. In Japan, certain routes are reserved for the Bullet Train. Once a single player claims the Bullet Train route, all players contribute to the shared project. At the end of the game, points are awarded to players according to how much they contributed. There is also a separate inlay for routes that involve the Tokyo subway system. Italy has regions with bonuses for connecting more regions. There are also ferry routes, which require the use of ferry cards as well as standard train cards. 4. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 5: UK & Pennsylvania The UK side of the UK & Pennsylvania map pack adds a whole new mechanic of technology. Initially, players won’t be able to build many routes but, as the game progresses and more technology is researched, many options open up. Pennsylvania is similar to the original titles except it incorporates stocks and shares for some light investment action. 5. Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries is a standalone game that is similar to the original but does add a couple of location-specific mechanics – tunnels and ferries. To use a tunnel, the player flips the top 3 train cards from the deck. If one of these trains matches the color of the tunnel, the player has to pay extra or forego building the route. Ferries require the payment of a set number of wild cards to establish the route. 6. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 6: France & Old West The France board doesn’t have routes between cities. Instead, players turn cards and the routes could benefit anybody at the table. It ramps up the luck element of the game, which some people will appreciate. The Old West map is the one we prefer here, with players having a starting city. Routes must be built outwards from that starting point rather than anywhere on the board. 7. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 4: Nederland Nederland is a unique Ticket to Ride map because it incorporates money into the game. When a bridge route is first claimed, the player pays a toll to the bank. If another player claims that route, the first player receives the toll fee. Bonuses are awarded according to how many toll tokens players have at the end of the game. 8. Ticket to Ride: London Ticket to Ride: London is a standalone variant of the game that is especially popular for its brevity with a single game taking around 20 minutes to complete. In London, players are building bus routes rather than train routes, to complete destination tickets, connect districts, and, of course, get the most points by the end of the game. 9. Ticket to Ride: First Journey Ticket to Ride: First Journey is almost identical to the original Ticket to Ride , except it scores differently. Rather than adding up routes and calculating the longest contiguous route lengths, the winner of Ticket to Ride: First Journey or Ticket to Ride: First Journey (Europe) is the first player to complete six destination tickets. It’s a simpler system and is designed to keep the attention of younger players. 10. Ticket to Ride There’s a reason so many variants and expansions of the original have launched, and that’s because Ticket to Ride was and still is a brilliant game. Despite having a collection comprising some of the latest, greatest, and meatiest board games available, we still reach for Ticket to Ride when we want a simple, enjoyable, chilled family game. If you want to get into titles with greater complexity or added mechanics, Ticket to Ride is the best place to start, and if you want to play the map packs you will need one of the base games so you can use the trains and other elements of the game. And, in a lot of cases, if you have Ticket to Ride , you likely won’t need the versions aimed at children, unless they are very young.Cheers rang out in a Maryland grocery store after a lucky lottery player confirmed she’d won a top prize, lottery officials said. The Essex woman was in disbelief when she saw that she matched 10 of her numbers, winning her a top prize of $50,000 in the Joker’s Wild scratch-off game, the Maryland Lottery said in a Dec. 3 news release. When she took her ticket to the grocery store in Middle River, where she’d purchased it, store workers celebrated with her, the lottery said. “They were all clapping for me,” the woman told the lottery. The lucky winner had previously won several $50 prizes from the Joker’s Wild scratch-off game and hoped to win a top prize one day, she said. “I have been pretty lucky with that game. I said, ‘One day I am going to win that $50,000,’” the woman said. She told lottery officials she plans to use some of her winnings to pay off bills and the rest to help family members. The Joker’s Wild game started July 22 and has an odds of winning of 1 in 3.77, according to the game’s webpage. Two top prizes of $50,000 remain unclaimed along with other prizes ranging from $5 to $5,000, the lottery said. Middle River is about a 10-mile drive northeast from Baltimore. Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families. If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website. Wife ‘thought something was wrong’ with husband as Powerball win leaves him speechless Woman just wanted change for $100 bill — but lottery prize left her with a lot more Lucky gambler bets $66 on slot machine — then wins life-changing prize in FloridaSirkka joins the executive team to elevate recruitment strategies and advance growth in travel nursing and healthcare staffing nationwide OMAHA, Neb. , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Solutions , a leader in healthcare staffing and talent innovation, has appointed Kerry Sirkka as Chief Recruitment Officer to spearhead transformative recruitment strategies and drive growth. She has more than 20 years of experience as a seasoned, award-winning healthcare executive with a proven track record in expansion, progress, and operational transformation across healthcare staffing and technology sectors. Sirkka has deep experience in travel, local, per diem, locums, and digital staffing. She has held key roles, foundationally spending nearly two decades leading recruitment operations at AMN Healthcare and taking on key transformational initiatives. She later moved to Head of Caregiver Experience at TheKey, where she drove operational efficiencies across 100 locations, and most recently, to Chief Delivery Officer at IntelyCare, where she managed operations and services to grow the company's healthcare platform. "We're happy to welcome Kerry to our team," said Rebecca Rogers Tijerino , CEO of Medical Solutions . "She brings extensive expertise in recruitment strategy and a proven ability to drive innovation. Her success in building high-performing teams and fostering growth will play a key role in connecting top clinicians with healthcare systems and advancing patient care nationwide." Her professional accomplishments extend beyond the workplace. She is an active member of the American Staffing Association , the American College of Healthcare Executives, and other influential organizations. Her accolades include multiple President's Forum Awards for exceptional performance and nominations for the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Staffing and The American Staffing Association Volunteer of the Year. "I'm excited to join Medical Solutions and contribute to its mission of connecting healthcare facilities with exceptional talent," said Sirkka. "I look forward to working with this talented team to create solutions that meet the changing needs of clients and clinicians." Sirkka's appointment underscores Medical Solutions' dedication to leading the healthcare staffing industry by delivering comprehensive solutions that empower clinicians and support healthcare systems nationwide. ABOUT MEDICAL SOLUTIONS Medical Solutions is one of the nation's largest healthcare talent ecosystems — connecting nurses, allied health clinicians, and clinical leaders with healthcare facilities across the U.S. Its service offerings include contingent staffing, managed services, strike staffing, local contract, PRN, and domestic and international direct hire. For more information, visit www.medicalsolutions.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kerry-sirkka-joins-medical-solutions-as-chief-recruitment-officer-302321558.html SOURCE Medical Solutions LLC
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday allowed a childless elderly couple, married for the last 30 years, to become parents through assisted reproductive technology, even though the husband, at 58, crossed the upper age limit of 55 specified in the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021. Noting that the wife, who is below 50, is eligible for IVF, Justice Amrita Sinha in her order said: "If the woman is not allowed to avail ARTS even though she is eligible for it, it will be sheer injustice to her. The wife ought not to suffer for the ineligibility of her husband. This is so because the husband has no physical participation in any of the procedures involved for the birth of the child through ARTS." Justice Sinha also said: "The husband has claimed that he is financially strong to bear the expenses of the procedure. Apart from providing moral and financial support to the wife, the husband hardly has a role to play." This is the second case in which the HC interpreted the ARTA 2021 to allow couples to opt for IVF even if one among them overshot the age limits — 50 for women and 55 for men. In May 2024, the Calcutta HC allowed an older couple, who lost their 19-year-old son to suicide in 2023, to become parents again, even though the husband was 59. In the current case, a couple from Cossipore, married in 1994, opted for the IVF after they failed to bear a child in their 30 years of conjugal life. The purpose was to continue with the family line. Accordingly, they went to a fertility clinic in Dec 2023. The clinic, after considering the husband's age, opined that his age was not conducive for undergoing IVF. The clinic advised the couple to approach the state health department and get the go-ahead instead. The state health department denied permission based on the report of the fertility clinic. The couple moved the HC seeking permission. Arguing that "the law cannot be interpreted or applied in such a manner that the same becomes unworkable," Justice Sinha also broached on the HC's 2024 judgment and said it was earlier held that "the couple would be entitled to have the benefit of IVF as one of the parties qualify on the upper age limit stipulated in Section 21(g), irrespective of the fact that the other spouse does not." Bending laws to allow the couple to take an attempt at parenthood, Justice Sinha said, "It cannot be said with certainty that each and every ARTS case would be successful... The facility must be their last resort to get a child for which they are craving for so long."
Australia’s social media ban is a flawed approach to protecting children
Ticket to Ride launched and won the Spiel de Jahres 20 years ago. Along with Catan and Carcassonne , it is widely considered to have helped push the popularity of modern board gaming. The original title is really easy to pick up, just as easy to teach , and it has enough direct competition for routes to keep it interesting. But, after 20 years, you’re probably a bit sick of trying to get routes into Miami and Las Vegas. Fortunately, since its launch, Ticket to Ride has spawned an absolute ton of map packs and variants, most of which bring new game mechanics as well as alternative maps. Below are the 10 that we feel are the best. Note that the map collection sets below do require you to have either the original Ticket to Ride or Ticket to Ride: Europe to play them as you need the train cards and trains from one of these games. 1. Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails Ticket to Ride is a game all about trains. Except when it isn’t. As the name suggests, Rails & Sails combines trains with boats. First, you can choose from the Great Lakes or the whole world map on the double-sided board. Then, once you’ve picked your destination cards, you split your transportation stock between trains and ships, and you can’t change your mind later. Substantial bonuses and penalties are awarded in this game, and while the original can be considered a bit light, Rails & Sails ’ complexity may put some people off. It also lasts longer, with a game taking around 90 minutes. 2. Ticket to Ride: Europe Ticket to Ride: Europe was one of the first standalone variants of the game and it introduced ferries and tunnels as well as stations. The European map is excellent and the new mechanics do add an extra layer but without over-complicating matters. This is still easy enough for beginners to grasp, although the original title remains the best teaching game of the bunch, and you can always add the Europa 1912 expansion for even more depth. 3. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 7: Japan & Italy Map Collection 7: Japan & Italy includes a double-sided board. In Japan, certain routes are reserved for the Bullet Train. Once a single player claims the Bullet Train route, all players contribute to the shared project. At the end of the game, points are awarded to players according to how much they contributed. There is also a separate inlay for routes that involve the Tokyo subway system. Italy has regions with bonuses for connecting more regions. There are also ferry routes, which require the use of ferry cards as well as standard train cards. 4. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 5: UK & Pennsylvania The UK side of the UK & Pennsylvania map pack adds a whole new mechanic of technology. Initially, players won’t be able to build many routes but, as the game progresses and more technology is researched, many options open up. Pennsylvania is similar to the original titles except it incorporates stocks and shares for some light investment action. 5. Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries is a standalone game that is similar to the original but does add a couple of location-specific mechanics – tunnels and ferries. To use a tunnel, the player flips the top 3 train cards from the deck. If one of these trains matches the color of the tunnel, the player has to pay extra or forego building the route. Ferries require the payment of a set number of wild cards to establish the route. 6. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 6: France & Old West The France board doesn’t have routes between cities. Instead, players turn cards and the routes could benefit anybody at the table. It ramps up the luck element of the game, which some people will appreciate. The Old West map is the one we prefer here, with players having a starting city. Routes must be built outwards from that starting point rather than anywhere on the board. 7. Ticket to Ride Map Collection 4: Nederland Nederland is a unique Ticket to Ride map because it incorporates money into the game. When a bridge route is first claimed, the player pays a toll to the bank. If another player claims that route, the first player receives the toll fee. Bonuses are awarded according to how many toll tokens players have at the end of the game. 8. Ticket to Ride: London Ticket to Ride: London is a standalone variant of the game that is especially popular for its brevity with a single game taking around 20 minutes to complete. In London, players are building bus routes rather than train routes, to complete destination tickets, connect districts, and, of course, get the most points by the end of the game. 9. Ticket to Ride: First Journey Ticket to Ride: First Journey is almost identical to the original Ticket to Ride , except it scores differently. Rather than adding up routes and calculating the longest contiguous route lengths, the winner of Ticket to Ride: First Journey or Ticket to Ride: First Journey (Europe) is the first player to complete six destination tickets. It’s a simpler system and is designed to keep the attention of younger players. 10. Ticket to Ride There’s a reason so many variants and expansions of the original have launched, and that’s because Ticket to Ride was and still is a brilliant game. Despite having a collection comprising some of the latest, greatest, and meatiest board games available, we still reach for Ticket to Ride when we want a simple, enjoyable, chilled family game. If you want to get into titles with greater complexity or added mechanics, Ticket to Ride is the best place to start, and if you want to play the map packs you will need one of the base games so you can use the trains and other elements of the game. And, in a lot of cases, if you have Ticket to Ride , you likely won’t need the versions aimed at children, unless they are very young.
Top Stories Australia’s New Immigration Policy Targets Skilled Workers By mayukh - December 7, 2024 Australia has introduced a new immigration policy that prioritizes skilled workers and professionals in industries facing labor shortages. On December 7, 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the government would increase the number of skilled worker visas issued annually, focusing on sectors such as healthcare, information technology, and engineering. Addressing Labor Shortages in Key Sectors The policy is aimed at addressing Australia’s growing labor shortage, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and a shrinking domestic workforce. By attracting highly skilled migrants, the government hopes to support economic recovery and innovation, particularly in sectors vital to Australia’s future. “We need workers with the right skills to help our economy grow and to meet the demands of the 21st-century job market,” said Albanese. “This new policy will help ensure that Australia remains competitive globally.” The new immigration system will also streamline the visa application process for workers in high-demand fields, reducing the wait times for applicants and offering pathways to permanent residency. Additionally, the policy includes a focus on providing workers with support services to help them integrate into Australian society more easily. Critics of the policy argue that it may disadvantage Australian workers who are currently unemployed or underemployed, raising concerns about fairness in the labor market. Others have raised questions about the long-term impact of increased immigration on housing prices and public services. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Linkedin ReddIt Email Telegram Previous article US Congress Passes $1 Trillion Infrastructure Investment Bill mayukh http://digitalmarketnews.comTwo Greenpeace members arrested for protest at Poilievre's residenceOlder music has been getting a second life on TikTok, data shows