New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will meet with President Donald Trump on Monday ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, Mamdani’s office said. https://cnn.it/4jjXFiy

A new analysis of the road network of the Roman Empire has dispelled the enduring myth that all roads lead to Rome, showing instead that other important cities – such as Constantinople, or modern-day Istanbul – were more central in the network. https://cnn.it/4h3CvUE

In a world where "best of" lists drive clicks and sell publications, the natural urge to follow the arbiters of taste — plenty of whom "don't know anything," chef David Chang says — is getting in the way of discovery. https://cnn.it/3SRF6b2

German Chancellor Merz's party is set for dire night in state elections, exit polls show, piling pressure on his leadership as far-right party surges. https://cnn.it/4yNArWP

Italy is preparing to ban face coverings in schools and cap the number of foreign students per class, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said as she played up her right-wing credentials at a youth event organized by her party. https://cnn.it/3Tcu4NE

CNN's Don Riddell asks: What can a good laugh do for you? Well, a lot more than you think. https://cnn.it/4rs11T2

As the Smithsonian Institution prepares to launch a nationwide search for a new leader, an unexpected question mark hangs over the position that's long been considered a plum one in the worlds of art, science and history. https://cnn.it/4hAWvOq

Israeli President Isaac Herzog pardoned a soldier who shot and killed an incapacitated Palestinian attacker in the occupied West Bank in 2016, despite opposition from the military's chief of staff. https://cnn.it/4jbop4P