RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The mayor of Rio de Janeiro gave King Momo the key to the Brazilian city on Friday, ushering in the symbolic Carnival monarch’s five-day reign over the festivities.
Until Wednesday, Momo is charged with presiding over the revelry, participating in the parades and promoting the joy of partygoers. His ruling over the metropolis in the South American country symbolizes society being turned upside down during Carnival.
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Carnival King Momo, Danilo Vieira, dances with the key to the city at a ceremony officially kicking off Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Carnival King Momo, Danilo Vieira, receives the key of the city from Mayor Eduardo Paes during a ceremony officially kicking off Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Performers attend a ceremony officially kicking off Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Performers attend a ceremony officially kicking off Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Carnival King Momo, Danilo Vieira, dances after receiving the keys to the city at a ceremony officially kicking off Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
This year’s Momo is 30-year-old Danilo Vieira, a Rio native who will be taking charge of the celebrations.
“The rules still apply, of course," Vieira told The Associated Press before his symbolic coronation. "We have to follow the rules of our city, our country, but Carnival is run by me."
In 2024, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes issued a decree making the key ceremony an annual official event, obliging his successors to participate.
Rio City Hall expects about 6 million revelers to participate in the raucous street parties, where groups made up of musicians, percussionists and stilt artists draw thousands of partygoers, many scantily dressed and covered in glitter.
Many will head to Rio’s famed Sambodrome, where samba schools will showcase their parades — prepared diligently for months — complete with ginormous floats and elaborate costumes, to judges who will dish out points and eventually announce a winner.
This year's parades celebrate diverse themes including sex workers, late singer and songwriter Rita Lee and Black communities in the Amazon.
While Rio’s Carnival is the most well-known, the festivity is a nationwide phenomenon. Samba schools in the world’s largest tropical rainforest are also preparing parades, and festivities in the colorful, colonial city of Olinda began on Thursday.
In Rio, a recent wave of thefts by young people acting in groups have raised security concerns, with some calling on the mayor and Gov. Cláudio Castro to do more to guarantee revelers’ safety.
“Carnival is meant to be a time of joy, but what we’ve been seeing at the street parties in Rio, beyond the fun, is fear,” former councilwoman Luciana Boiteux said on Instagram earlier this month. She called for better lighting and preventive community policing.
Rio City Hall’s secretariat of public order and the municipal guard said that they have set up a special operation involving around 1,100 agents for patrols. The teams will monitor street parties from start to finish, when the risk of thefts tends to intensify.
Teams specializing in violence against women will also be present at key locations to offer support and guidance, City Hall said.
At Friday’s ceremony, Vieira said that Carnival is also about inclusivity.
“Carnival is love, carnival heals," he said. "A kind of magic happens, bringing joy to every heart, to all races, to everyone.”
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Carnival King Momo, Danilo Vieira, dances with the key to the city at a ceremony officially kicking off Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Carnival King Momo, Danilo Vieira, receives the key of the city from Mayor Eduardo Paes during a ceremony officially kicking off Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Performers attend a ceremony officially kicking off Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Performers attend a ceremony officially kicking off Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
Carnival King Momo, Danilo Vieira, dances after receiving the keys to the city at a ceremony officially kicking off Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Zimbabwe remained unbeaten against Australia at T20 World Cups after a surprising and comfortable 23-run win on Friday.
Defending 169, seamers Blessing Muzarabani grabbed a career-best 4-17 and Brad Evans 3-23 to help dismiss Australia for 146 in 19.3 overs.
Zimbabwe's second victory from two matches left Australia — the 2021 champion and perennial white-ball contender — needing to beat co-host Sri Lanka and Oman to advance from Group B.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates and United States registered their second wins in T20 World Cup history.
The UAE beat Canada by five wickets in New Delhi and the U.S. routed the Netherlands by 93 runs in Chennai.
Zimbabwe shocked Australia in their only previous T20 World Cup match in 2007, a freak five-wicket win in Cape Town. But 19 years later the contest was stunning for how much Zimbabwe dominated.
Zimbabwe lost only two wickets batting. Opener Brian Bennett earlier anchored with an unbeaten 64 off 56 balls. Tadiwanashe Marumani (35) and Ryan Burl (35) contributed and captain Sikandar Raza’s late acceleration (25 off 13 deliveries) was crucial in reaching 169-2.
The game was as good as over when Zimbabwe reduced Australia to 29-4 after 4.3 overs of the chase. Muzarabani and Evans did the damage and returned to finish what they started.
Matt Renshaw, playing in his first T20 World Cup, scored a fighting 65 off 44 balls into the 19th over and partnered with Glenn Maxwell, who struggled for 31 off 32.
“I was bowling to some of the best players in the world, so I am really happy it came off really nice,” said Muzarabani, who also reached 100 wickets in T20s. “Really good to beat Australia, but also (will be) nice to qualify (for the Super 8s), so looking forward to the next game now.”
Zimbabwe is on a mission of redemption after failing to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup, the only full member to miss out. But before this game veteran batter Brendan Taylor was ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury, and during Australia's innings captain Raza left with leg cramps.
Australia was without captain Mitchell Marsh, sidelined for the second successive game due to a testicular injury. When stand-in skipper Travis Head deflected the ball onto his stumps, Australia was four down and in deep trouble.
On a slow pitch the asking rate soared and Zimbabwe didn't allow the batters to break free.
Earlier, Marumani hit seven boundaries to lead Zimbabwe to 61-0 with Bennett, who shared another 60-run stand with Burl.
Opener Aryansh Sharma hit 74 not out off 53 balls to lead UAE across the finish line against Canada. Sharma surpassed Muhammad Waseem’s 66 not out against New Zealand in the previous game for UAE's highest score at a T20 World Cup.
Chasing Canada’s 150-7, the UAE was down to 66-4 as left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar rocked the top order with 3-14 in four overs.
Sohaib Khan provided the turning point — 51 off 29 balls with four sixes — and an 84-run stand off 42 balls with Sharma.
Canada was restricted to a below-par score after medium pacer Juniad Siddique picked 5-35, the second best figures in the tournament.
UAE’s only previous T20 World Cup win was against Namibia in 2022.
The U.S. also notched a second win in tournament history after downing Pakistan in 2024.
Saiteja Mukkamalla scored 79 off 51 balls with four sixes and five fours as the U.S. racked up 196-6. Skipper Monank Patel added 36 off 22.
The Dutch hit back through medium pacer Bas de Leede (3-37), but Shubham Rajane countered with 48 not out off 24 balls to propel the score.
The Netherlands collapsed to 103 all out in 15.5 overs.
Left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh took 4-21, medium pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk 3-21 and wrist spinner Mohammad Mohsin 2-19 as the U.S. earned the biggest win by runs — 93 — for an associate at T20 World Cups.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett celebrates his fifty runs during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Australia and Zimbabwe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Zimbabwe's Ryan Burl plays a shot during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Australia and Zimbabwe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani celebrates the wicket of Australia's Tim David during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Australia and Zimbabwe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Zimbabwe's Ryan Burl celebrates the wicket of Australia's Glenn Maxwell during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Australia and Zimbabwe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Australia's captain Travis Head, second right, toss the coin as Zimbabwe's captain Sikandar Raza, right, watch it before the starts of the T20 World Cup cricket match between Australia and Zimbabwe in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
