Germany news: Crowds to turn out for Carnival parade

The biggest day of Carnival celebrations puts political caricatures at the center of it, with tens of thousands of revelers set to line the streets to watch the Rosenmontag parades in Cologne and Düsseldorf. LivePoliticsGermanyGermany news: Crowds to turn out for Carnival paradeRoshni Majumdar with Reuters, AFP, dpa02/16/2026February 16, 2026The biggest day of Carnival celebrations puts political caricatures at the center of it, with tens of thousands of revelers set to line the streets to watch the Rosenmontag parades in Cologne and Düsseldorf.https://p.dw.com/p/58ovcCarnival celebrations continue until WednesdayImage: Ina Fassbender/AFPAdvertisementSkip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to know Cologne, Düsseldorf set to see satirical effigies making fun of politicians during Carnival parades German president travels to Lebanon Here are the major headlines from Germany on February 16, 2026: Skip next section German president travels to Lebanon02/16/2026February 16, 2026German president travels to LebanonGerman President Frank-Walter Steinmeier travels to Lebanon on Monday, before traveling onward to Jordan on Wednesday. The main agenda of the trip has to do with maintaining a ceasefire that was brokered by the US in 2024 to halt the fighting between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group. Israel has fired rockets and missiles into southern Lebanon nearly daily in recent months, saying it was necessary to prevent Hezbollah from rearming. A central tenet of the truce requires Hezbollah to lay down its weapons.   Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Shiite political party and militant group in Lebanon. It is designated as a terrorist organization by the US, Germany and several Sunni Arab countries, while the EU lists its armed wing as a terrorist group. https://p.dw.com/p/58oyySkip next section Welcome to our blog02/16/2026February 16, 2026Welcome to our blogGuten Tag. It's a Monday like no other here in western Germany! It's the day of Rosenmontag, or Rose Monday, the highlight of the six-day Carnival celebrations in the Rhine river region of Germany. The biggest celebration takes place in Düsseldorf and Cologne, where tens of thousands of people dress up in costumes to watch carnival parades. The parades feature caricatures of politicians and take aim at conversations that dominate political life at home and around the world. Follow along here for updates throughout the day. https://p.dw.com/p/58ovtShow more postsRoshni Majumdar Roshni is an editor and writer at DW's online breaking news desk.@RoshniMajSend us your feedbackYour feedback