Evening Edition

Evening Edition is an Open Thread

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Rivals declare new I.Coast government as war fears mount

by David Youant, AFP

1 hr 21 mins ago

ABIDJAN (AFP) – Rivals challenging Laurent Gbagbo’s claim to the presidency of Ivory Coast declared they had formed a new government Sunday, as international mediators tried to settle the standoff amid fears of civil war.

Former South African president Mbeki stepped in to try to head off violence after both the incumbent Gbagbo and his old rival Alassane Ouattara swore themselves in as president following a disputed runoff vote on November 28 in the divided country.

But after Mbeki held emergency talks with the two rivals, Ouattara upped the ante, pressing the mediator to demand Gbagbo quit as his own allies declared they had formed a new government.

2 Mbeki mediates in I.Coast presidential standoff

by David Youant, AFP

Sun Dec 5, 10:45 am ET

ABIDJAN (AFP) – International mediator Thabo Mbeki was huddling with Ivory Coast’s presidential rivals here Sunday to head off an outbreak of political violence after both men swore themselves in as president following a disputed election.

The former South African president stepped in as world powers called for a peaceful resolution to the November 28 election, which was meant to end a decade of conflict but has been marred by deadly violence.

The 53-member African Union (AU) dispatched Mbeki to try to avert “a crisis of incalculable consequences”. Mbeki has previously helped mediate a peace deal which led to the holding of the west African country’s first elections in a decade last month.

3 Mbeki arrives to mediate I.Coast presidential standoff

by Roland Lloyd Parry, AFP

Sun Dec 5, 5:59 am ET

ABIDJAN (AFP) – Ivory Coast looked for a way out of its bloody presidential standoff Sunday with former South African leader Thabo Mbeki arriving on an emergency mediation mission.

Mbeki was dispatched by the African Union (AU) to help settle the crisis after long-term incumbent Laurent Gbagbo and his rival Alassane Ouattara each claimed the presidency after a disputed election.

An airport official said Mbeki landed in Abidjan about 9:00 am (0900 GMT) and was met by South African diplomats but no Ivorian officials.

4 Charge against Wikileaks founder ‘not political’: Sweden

AFP

1 hr 32 mins ago

STOCKHOLM (AFP) – A Swedish prosecutor handling rape allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange dismissed suggestions from one of his lawyers Sunday that the case might be politically motivated.

And as fresh leaks of US diplomatic cables heaped more embarrassment on Washington, one report suggested that the revelations would force a major reshuffle of their diplomatic, military and intelligence staff.

Swedish prosecutor Marianne Ny, who is handling the rape allegations in Sweden, defended the pursuit of the case in comments to AFP Sunday.

5 [Danger and doubt stalk eurozone crisis talks Danger and doubt stalk eurozone crisis talks]

by Roddy Thomson, AFP

27 mins ago

BRUSSELS (AFP) – Europe’s finance ministers meet in Brussels on Monday with Ireland’s bailout endangered by domestic politics and the response mechanism to the wider eurozone debt crisis surrounded by doubts.

When eurozone ministers gather Monday, followed by their full European Union partners Tuesday, they will seek to move from fire-fighting to securing solid future foundations for the eurozone at the December 16-17 EU summit.

“If the 1990s was the decade of constructing the economic and monetary union, and the 2000s the decade of turning it into reality, we are now at the beginning of the decade of its fundamental reform,” the EU’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said in a speech to employers Friday.

6 Cancun climate talks enter final stretch

by Claire Snegaroff and Anna Cuenca, AFP

Sun Dec 5, 6:50 am ET

CANCUN, Mexico (AFP) – World climate talks in Cancun on Sunday entered their final stretch beset by fears of a repeat of the failures that nearly wrecked the December 2009 Copenhagen summit.

Environment ministers began arriving in the Mexican resort city at the weekend to find themselves plunged into a mood soured by a row over the Kyoto Protocol and a logjam of inter-connected, unresolved issues.

After more talks among senior officials, the ministers on Tuesday get down to a four-day haggle, due to climax on Friday.

7 Ghost of Copenhagen stalks Cancun climate talks

by Claire Snegaroff and Anna Cuenca, AFP

Sun Dec 5, 3:47 am ET

CANCUN, Mexico (AFP) – World climate talks in Cancun were on Sunday entering their final stretch beset by fears of a repeat of the failures that nearly wrecked the December 2009 Copenhagen summit.

Environment ministers began arriving in the Mexican resort city at the weekend to find themselves plunged into a mood soured by a row over the Kyoto Protocol and a logjam of inter-connected, unresolved issues.

After more talks among senior officials, the ministers on Tuesday get down to a four-day haggle, due to climax on Friday.

8 Pietersen swells England lead with double hundred

by Robert Smith, AFP

Sun Dec 5, 3:33 am ET

ADELAIDE, Australia (AFP) – Kevin Pietersen became the fifth Englishman to score a double century in Australia as England’s lead ballooned to 306 runs on the third day of the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

The number four showman relished his return to the ground where he last hammered a big century to continue England’s relentless accumulation of runs to plunder the home attack.

When rain washed out play after tea England were 551 for four with Pietersen on a majestic 213 and Ian Bell providing solid support on 41.

9 Cables link Chinese officials to Google hack

Sun Dec 5, 3:27 am ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US diplomats in Beijing have linked China’s top propagandist to the cyber attacks that prompted Google to take down its search engine in China early this year, leaked diplomatic cables show.

“A well-placed contact claims that the Chinese government coordinated the recent intrusions of Google systems,” a cable dated earlier this year said.

“According to our contact, the closely held operations were directed at the Politburo Standing Committee level,” the cable said, referring to the ruling body of the Chinese Communist Party.

10 Egypt goes to polls as opposition cries foul

by Samer al-Atrush, AFP

Sun Dec 5, 2:55 am ET

CAIRO (AFP) – Egypt went to the polls on Sunday for second-round runoffs in a parliamentary election that President Hosni Mubarak’s party is poised to win almost unopposed in the face of an opposition boycott.

At one polling station in Cairo shortly after polls opened at 8:00 am (0600 GMT), police outnumbered the few voters waiting to cast their ballots, an AFP photographer reported.

Egypt’s two main opposition blocs, the Muslim Brotherhood and the liberal Wafd party, withdrew from the race after official results from last Sunday’s first round gave the ruling National Democratic Party 90 percent of the seats decided outright.

11 Ivory Coast’s Gbagbo must step down, says rival

By Loucoumane Coulibaly and David Lewis, Reuters

1 hr 12 mins ago

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara said on Sunday that incumbent Laurent Gbagbo must step down after a disputed poll in Ivory Coast, and he named a rival government as African mediators tried to resolve the stalemate.

The November 28 election was aimed at reuniting the West African nation, split after a 2002-3 civil war, but both Gbagbo and Ouattara have claimed victory and taken presidential oaths.

Gbagbo was sworn in as president on Saturday even though the electoral commission declared Ouattara the winner, according to provisional results.

12 IMF to urge increase in EU safety net

By Jan Strupczewski and Noah Barkin, Reuters

2 hrs 13 mins ago

BRUSSELS/DUBLIN (Reuters) – The IMF will urge euro zone governments on Monday to boost the size of their rescue fund and recommend the European Central Bank buy more bonds to prevent the bloc’s debt crisis from derailing economic recovery.

According to a report that IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn will present to euro zone finance ministers at a meeting in Brussels, the turmoil hitting countries in the currency area’s southern periphery constitutes a “severe downside risk” and more action from member states is needed.

Together with the IMF, the EU set up a 750 billion euro ($1 trillion) rescue facility in May, but it now faces pressure to increase it after last week’s rescue of Ireland failed to ease fears of contagion to Portugal, Spain and other high-deficit countries.

13 Egyptians vote in run-off after opposition quits

By Marwa Awad and Tom Pfeiffer, Reuters

Sun Dec 5, 12:00 pm ET

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptians voted on Sunday in a run-off parliamentary election which President Hosni Mubarak’s party will win almost unchallenged after the two biggest opposition groups quit a contest they said was rigged.

The National Democratic Party (NDP), which has never lost a vote, is sure of a crushing victory after the Muslim Brotherhood and liberal Wafd party withdrew. The fiercest run-off races were where NDP candidates were pitted against each other.

The Brotherhood, the biggest opposition group with a fifth of seats in the outgoing parliament, won no seats in the first round. Wafd won just two. Egyptian monitors cited ballot box stuffing, voter intimidation by hired thugs and other abuses.

14 Obama touts South Korea trade deal

By Doug Palmer and Kim Yeonhee, Reuters

Sun Dec 5, 7:33 am ET

WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) – President Barack Obama vowed at the weekend to work with Republicans and Democrats to pass a free-trade pact with South Korea that he said was a model for future agreements he would seek in Asia and around the world.

U.S. and South Korean negotiators struck a deal Friday on the long-delayed pact, which was signed in 2007 but had not been ratified for three years because of U.S. auto and beef industry concerns.

The pact was an accomplishment for Obama, who faced an embarrassing setback when negotiators failed to settle their differences before he visited Seoul last month, but it was greeted less positively in South Korea.

15 Hong Kong protesters demand China free Nobel winner Liu

By James Pomfret, Reuters

Sun Dec 5, 8:27 am ET

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hundreds of people marched in Hong Kong on Sunday to demand China free dissident Liu Xiaobo, a week before the human rights activist is formally awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway.

Holding banners reading “Free Liu Xiaobo” and singing for his release to the strumming of guitars, nearly one thousand marched to Beijing’s liaison office in support of the Nobel Peace Prize winner, who is the first Chinese recipient of the accolade.

China denounced Liu’s award as an “obscenity” and sparked a torrent of diplomatic scorn toward Norway, with Beijing pressuring diplomats to boycott the ceremony.

16 Senate bid to renew "middle-class" tax cuts fails

By Kim Dixon and Patricia Zengerle, Reuters

Sat Dec 4, 8:15 pm ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic measures to extend tax cuts for most Americans failed in the Senate on Saturday as Republicans — and some Democrats — blocked them because they did not also extend low rates for the wealthy.

President Barack Obama said he was disappointed with the vote, but indicated he was open to compromise on the tax cuts enacted under former Republican President George W. Bush, if certain conditions were met.

The Democratic plans — to renew low tax rates for individuals with income up to $200,000 and for those making up to $1 million — failed in procedural votes, as Republicans said low tax rates for the wealthiest should also be extended.

17 WikiLeaks founder says guards against death threats

By Keith Weir and Adam Cox, Reuters

Sat Dec 4, 8:45 pm ET

LONDON/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Friday he and colleagues were taking steps to protect themselves after death threats following the publication of leaked U.S. diplomatic cables on their website.

One of Assange’s lawyers said he would also fight any attempt to extradite his client to face questions over alleged sexual misconduct, adding that he believed foreign powers were influencing Sweden in the matter.

Washington is furious about the leak of hundreds of confidential diplomatic cables that have given unvarnished and sometimes embarrassing insights into the foreign policy of the United States and its allies.

18 WikiLeaks uses Swiss Web address as options narrow

By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated Press

1 hr 36 mins ago

GENEVA – WikiLeaks’ elusive founder, his options dwindling, has turned to Switzerland’s credit, postal and Internet infrastructure to keep his online trove of U.S. State Department cables afloat.

Supporters say Julian Assange is considering seeking asylum in Switzerland. He told a Spanish newspaper that he faced “hundreds of death threats,” including some targeting his lawyers and children, aside from the pressure he is getting from prosecutors in the U.S. and other countries.

After a number of web companies dropped WikiLeaks, much of the site’s traffic was coming through the wikileaks.ch Web address Sunday. The address is controlled by the Swiss Pirate Party, a group that formed two years ago to campaign for freedom of information. The site’s main server in France went offline but it remained reachable through a Swedish server.

19 More foreign fighters seen slipping back into Iraq

By LARA JAKES and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press

Sun Dec 5, 1:46 pm ET

BAGHDAD – Intelligence officials say foreign fighters have been slipping back into Iraq in larger numbers recently and may have been behind some of the most devastating attacks this year, reviving a threat the U.S. military believed had been almost entirely eradicated.

It is impossible to verify the actual numbers of foreign insurgents entering the country. But one Middle Eastern intelligence official estimated recently that 250 came in October alone. U.S. officials say the figure is far lower, but have acknowledged an increase since August.

At the same time, Iraqi officials say there has been a surge in financial aid to al-Qaida’s front group in Iraq as the U.S. military prepares to leave by the end of 2011. They said it reflects fears by Arab states over the growing influence of Iran’s Shiite-led government over Iraq and its Shiite-dominated government.

20 US works to secure networks as hackers advance

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press

Sun Dec 5, 8:25 am ET

WASHINGTON – It will take several more years for the government to fully install high-tech systems to block computer intrusions, a drawn-out timeline that enables criminals to become more adept at stealing sensitive data, experts say.

As the Department of Homeland Security moves methodically to pare down and secure the approximately 2,400 network connections used every day by millions of federal workers around the world, experts suggest that technology already may be passing them by.

The department that’s responsible for securing government systems other than military sites is slowly moving all the government’s Internet and e-mail traffic into secure networks that eventually will be guarded by intrusion detection and prevention programs. The networks are known as Einstein 2 and Einstein 3.

21 Doctors testing warm, beating hearts in transplant

By ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer

Sun Dec 5, 1:07 pm ET

LOS ANGELES – Andrea Ybarra’s donated heart was beating rhythmically by the time she awoke from the grogginess of her surgery.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. In fact, it was warm and pumping even before doctors transplanted it.

Ybarra belongs to a small group of people who have had a “beating heart” transplant, an experimental operation that’s mostly been done in Europe. The donor heart is placed into a special box that feeds it blood and keeps it warm and ticking outside the body.

22 Medevac team saves lives in southern Afghanistan

By BRENNAN LINSLEY, Associated Press

Sun Dec 5, 8:08 am ET

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – It was pushing dusk when the call came: “One Category Alpha.” The voice crackled over the radio, urgent but matter-of-fact. Translation: One man badly wounded, medical care needed right away.

The medical evacuation team – a pilot, co-pilot, crew chief, flight medic and, on this day, an AP photographer – scrambled into the Black Hawk helicopter. In a few minutes we were zigzagging at more than 240 kph (150 mph), the fields and mud compounds blurring past like a movie in fast forward. The crew chief held up two fingers: Distance from landing zone, two minutes.

As darkness fell, the Marines ignited a colored smoke grenade to mark the landing zone. The Black Hawk touched down only to be fired on by insurgents hiding nearby, despite the clear red cross marked on its nose and sides. It rose again and circled.

23 Visited porn? Web browser flaw secretly bares all

By JORDAN ROBERTSON, AP Technology Writer

1 hr 50 mins ago

SAN FRANCISCO – Dozens of websites have been secretly harvesting lists of places that their users previously visited online, everything from news articles to bank sites to pornography, a team of computer scientists found.

The information is valuable for con artists to learn more about their targets and send them personalized attacks. It also allows e-commerce companies to adjust ads or prices – for instance, if the site knows you’ve just come from a competitor that is offering a lower price.

Although passwords aren’t at risk, in harvesting a detailed list of where you’ve been online, sites can create thorough profiles on its users.

24 Mediators try to intervene in Ivory Coast chaos

By MARCO CHOWN OVED, Associated Press

43 mins ago

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast – International mediators tried to intervene Sunday in Ivory Coast’s growing political crisis after both candidates in the disputed election said they were now president, raising fears the country could again be divided in two.

In the northern opposition stronghold of Bouake, several hundred people marched down a main boulevard Sunday afternoon, calling for incumbent Laurent Gbagbo to stand down. Villagers wielding machetes also created their own checkpoint in protest along one major road in the region.

“It’s important not to have violence, not to return to war – to find a peaceful solution,” former South African President Thabo Mbeki said Sunday after arriving in Abidjan to try and mediate at the behest of the African Union.

25 NY bust: Medicaid patients’ Rx drugs go to dealers

By CAROLYN THOMPSON, Associated Press

1 hr 58 mins ago

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Ethel Johnson couldn’t get her prescription for pain medication filled fast enough. The 60-year-old Buffalo woman was hurting – but investigators say that wasn’t the reason for the rush.

According to secretly recorded telephone conversations, the sooner Johnson could pick up her pills, the more quickly she could sell them to her dealer. Her pain pills were destined for the street.

Johnson is among 33 people charged so far in a large-scale investigation that has opened a window into an emerging class of suppliers in the illicit drug trade: medical patients, including many who rely on the publicly funded Medicaid program to pay for their appointments and prescriptions. She has pleaded not guilty.

26 Egypt holds parliament runoffs amid fraud claims

By SALAH NASRAWI, Associated Press

2 hrs 15 mins ago

CAIRO – Egypt held runoff parliamentary elections Sunday that are certain to hand President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling party a crushing victory after the two main opposition groups decided to boycott in protest of alleged fraud in the first round.

The vote, which will decide the fate of 50 percent of parliament’s 508 elected seats, was marred by reports of armed clashes in the north and south and allegations of widespread vote buying in many constituencies in Cairo.

With a large-scale crackdown ahead of the vote that included arrest sweeps, Egypt’s ruling establishment appeared determined to purge the largest opposition group, the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, from the next legislature. The aim seems to be to ensure the Brotherhood cannot use parliament as a platform for dissent amid uncertainty over the country’s future and in the lead-up to next year’s more crucial presidential elections.

27 South Korean trade minister defends deal with US

By KELLY OLSEN, AP Business Writer

Sun Dec 5, 5:29 am ET

SEOUL, South Korea – South Korea’s top trade official on Sunday defended a hard-fought compromise with the United States to salvage a stalled free trade agreement, rejecting accusations that his government gave up too much to seal the deal.

Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk reached a final agreement Friday after four days of negotiations focusing on U.S. demands that South Korea rework the accord to address its big trade surplus in automobiles.

The South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement was originally signed in June 2007, but steps to ratify it stalled amid changes in government in both countries, the global financial crisis and American demands that South Korea take steps to reduce their imbalance in auto trade and ease restrictions on imports of American beef.

28 After the tax fight, parties move to compromise

By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press

2 hrs 26 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Their political options limited, Democrats and Republicans appeared to unite Sunday behind the outlines of an economic package that would temporarily extend expiring tax rates as well as jobless benefits for millions of Americans.

Differences remained over details, and some Democrats continued to object to any plan that would continue Bush-era tax rates at the highest income levels.

Without action, however, Congress faced the prospect of letting the tax rates revert to higher pre-2001 and 2003 levels, and delivering a tax hike to all taxpayers. Negotiations between the Obama administration and a bipartisan group of lawmakers centered on a two-year extension of current rates.

29 More waiting for Indian plaintiffs in $3.4B deal

By MATT VOLZ, Associated Press

8 mins ago

HELENA, Mont. – Native Americans who sued the federal government over lost royalties have been waiting nearly 15 years for the $3.4 billion settlement Congress passed last month. Now they’ll have to wait some more.

The plaintiffs expect it will be at least next August before Indian trust landowners see a dime, and six months after that before the last claims are settled with trust account holders.

That’s because when the political wrangling ends, the red tape begins.

30 Sailor remembers Pearl Harbor attack 69 years ago

By AUDREY McAVOY, Associated Press

18 mins ago

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – The morning of Dec. 7, 1941, Yeoman 2nd Class Durrell Conner was wrapping Christmas presents aboard the USS California when he heard a commotion. Peering through a porthole of the battleship, the 23-year-old saw an airplane approaching low.

“He dropped something, and as he banked away I saw the red emblem of the Japanese on his wings so I knew we were under attack,” Conner said. “He dropped the torpedo that struck the ship right below where I was standing.”

The battleship shook like an earthquake, and the cryptographer rushed to his battle station where he coded and decoded messages for the California’s commander. Since no messages were coming in, he joined a chain passing ammunition to Marines and sailors firing guns on the deck.

31 Devout Hispanic Catholics get new Pa. church

By KATHY MATHESON, Associated Press

1 hr 57 mins ago

AVONDALE, Pa. – When the Rev. Frank Depman came to this farming area in 1990 to serve Latino Roman Catholics, he borrowed space in a church to celebrate one weekly Mass in Spanish.

Today, the Latino community supports six Spanish-language Masses at five churches each week. Last year it had the most baptisms – about 425 – of any parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Depman said.

The growth has turned spiritual life into a series of logistical challenges for Latinos as they try to schedule an increasing number of liturgies, weddings, funerals, baptisms, first communions and quinceaneras – rites of passage similar to Sweet Sixteens.

32 Texas judge to hold hearing on death penalty law

By JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press Writer

2 hrs 48 mins ago

HOUSTON – In the deeply Republican state that has executed more convicts than any other and the county that has sent the most to death row, an unusual legal proceeding will begin this week: A Democratic judge will hold a lengthy hearing on the constitutionality of the death penalty in Texas.

State District Judge Kevin Fine surprised many Texans last spring when he granted what is usually a routine and typically rejected defense motion and ruled the death penalty unconstitutional. His ruling came in the case of John Edward Green Jr., who is awaiting trial on charges he fatally shot a Houston woman and wounded her sister during a June 2008 robbery.

Following a torrent of criticism from Republican Gov. Rick Perry and other Texans, Fine clarified his ruling, saying the procedures the state follows in getting a death sentence are unconstitutional. Then Fine rescinded his ruling and ordered the hearing, which starts Monday, saying he needed more information before making a final decision.

33 Calif. gay marriage foes gamble on win in Round 2

By LISA LEFF, Associated Press

Sun Dec 5, 1:01 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO – The defenders of California’s gay marriage ban took a pummeling during the first federal trial to explore the civil rights implications of outlawing same-sex marriages. They summoned only two witnesses, one of whom left the stand looking thrashed. Even the lead attorney was left groping for words when pressed to explain how allowing gays and lesbians to wed would undermine traditional unions.

If the courtroom had been a boxing ring, the referee would have called a knockout.

Yet lawyers for the ban’s sponsors say their side was on the ropes for a reason: They disputed that live testimony and reams of evidence were relevant to a lawsuit against the voter-approved Proposition 8, so they did not provide it. In their view, the proceedings were a “a show trial,” and they were willing to invite the unfavorable verdict they eventually got while betting they would win in a later round where the ground rules would be different.

34 States that lost school money face reform dilemmas

By KRISTEN WYATT, Associated Press

Sun Dec 5, 12:31 pm ET

DENVER – It’s like buying a fancy dress but having no date to the prom – dozens of states that crafted new education policies to compete for a share of the $3.4 billion “Race to the Top” school reform grant prizes were shut out.

Now, as the 11 winning states and the District of Columbia set about spending their awards, the losing states are left wondering what to do with ambitious reform plans they planned to fund with the money.

In Colorado, for example, lawmakers had the prize in mind earlier this year when they adopted a contentious plan to pay teachers based on student performance. Now, state educators are obligated to some up with a new evaluation for teachers – with no new money to pay for it.

35 New Resorts owner: All ailing casino needs is love

By WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press

Sun Dec 5, 12:03 pm ET

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Asked about his plans to save Resorts Atlantic City, the first casino in the United States to open outside Nevada, new owner Dennis Gomes briefly touches on spruced up hotel rooms, guest suites and a snazzier casino floor.

But what the place really needs, he says, is a whole lotta love, with some positive spiritual energy thrown in.

Despite his buttoned-down appearance, Gomes is not your typical casino executive.

36 Lobster ports create Christmas trees – from traps

By CLARKE CANFIELD, Associated Press

Sun Dec 5, 10:55 am ET

PORTLAND, Maine – Lobster fishermen are known for bragging about who has the fastest boat or the biggest pickup truck.

Now, some of the top lobster-fishing ports in New England are claiming bragging rights about who has the biggest and best Christmas tree created from lobster traps. As the holiday season gets into full swing, a new lobster trap tree in eastern Maine is stirring the pot.

Gloucester, Mass., started the trap-to-tree tradition 12 years ago, and Rockland, Maine, followed five years later. Both are threatening to be upstaged this year by the small lobstering town of Beals, Maine, which is getting into the act with a monster tree that stands 50 feet tall.

1 comment

    • on 12/06/2010 at 00:11
      Author

Comments have been disabled.