A carnival procession in the northern German city of Braunschweig was cancelled today shortly before it was supposed to start after police received a tip-off about a possible Islamist attack, police said.

The news comes in the wake of two deadly shootings in Copenhagen at a freedom of speech event and at the capital's main synagogue.

This weekend marks the start of the carnival season in Germany ahead

of the start of Lent on Wednesday.

- dpa