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Canada Post taking steps to stop home mail delivery

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The government-owned corporation that delivers mail in Canada is taking steps to stop home delivery.

Canada Post is initiating talks with 13 communities to begin converting about 136,000 addresses from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes, a standalone unit with designated space for each of the multiple residences it serves. It is the first step in a move that will end home delivery for about 4 million addresses over the next five years.

“It’s a process that can take six to nine months from beginning to end,” Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton said in an interview. “Nothing will happen right away.”

Hamilton said Canada Post will work with city planners and neighborhoods to determine the best locations for community mailboxes.

Hamilton said of the 17.6 million addresses Canada Post currently serves, 75% already have some form of centralized delivery. Some people use community mailboxes or a post office box, while others live in an apartment or condominium.

Hamilton said eliminating home delivery would save Canada Post about CDN $400 million (US$291.96 million) a year.

It has been facing staggering financial losses. Canada Post said in November its losses in the first nine months of 2025 topped CDN$1 billion (US$73 million).

Hamilton said Canada Post would not lay off workers due to the delivery changes. “This will reduce the number of letter carriers. They will have work, but it will be elsewhere,” he said.

Canada Post currently employs around 60,000 people.

The process to end home delivery is beginning after meetings with union officials, the corporation said in a statement.

Members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers will begin voting Monday on whether to ratify new contract agreements with the national mail carrier.

They have been without a new contract since November 2023, and the union has staged two nationwide strikes and a series of other disruptions during contract negotiations.

A resident of one of the affected communities said losing her home mail delivery wouldn’t be an issue.

“It won’t actually bother me at all,” said Liane Beadon, 44, who lives in North Vancouver, British Columbia, and works remotely from home. “I think it’s a smart move in order to preserve having mail delivery and keeping costs low for Canadians.”


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Airline adding bunk beds for economy travelers but bans snacks, smells and cuddling

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Sleep on a long-haul flight in economy class has always been a fantasy for many travelers. Air New Zealand will soon offer a solution that involves climbing into a triple-tier bunk bed wearing special socks.

The airline will soon open bookings for four-hour stints in the Skynest sleep pods and says they will be the first lie-flat beds for budget air travelers. Fliers will get cozy with their fellow passengers, however, so crumbs, strong perfumes and bedsharing are forbidden.

The curtained berths will be available to economy and premium economy fliers on the airline’s new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from November. The planes will service the Auckland to New York route, which is one of the world’s longest commercial flights and leaves economy passengers sitting upright for a marathon 16 to 18 hours.

Instead, travelers will have the option of a pre-booked four-hour spot in a curtained pod, with costs starting from 495 New Zealand dollars ($291) on top of the price of their economy tickets. But use of the six pods, arranged in a triple-bunk style layout between cabins, will put fliers in close proximity to others, prompting the airline to publish etiquette notes.

Passengers must refrain from snacking in the pods, which can’t be used by children or any additional visitors.

“That means solo snoozes only please, no musical nests or tag-teaming,” Air New Zealand’s website says. For those worried about cleanliness, the airline assures travelers that the pillows, blankets and sheets supplied “are all refreshed” between four-hour naps.

Fliers are also required to change into specially provided socks to enter the pod, fasten their seatbelts over their blankets and forgo dousing themselves in any smelly “perfumes or potions.” Passengers will be woken by a gentle change in lighting at the end of their four-hour stint in the bunk – or by a flight attendant, possibly less gently, if they don’t rouse in time.

Each berth is about the length of a regular bed — 80 inches or 203 cm — but the pods don’t leave headroom for sitting up and access “requires bending, kneeling, crawling, or climbing into the space,” the aircraft’s website says. The bunks are 25 inches (64 cm) wide at shoulder height, tapering to 16 inches (41 cm) at the foot of the beds.

Seats or couches that convert into beds in the sky aren’t a new offering for business and first class travelers, but Air New Zealand believes its lie-flat bunks for economy travelers will be a world first.

The offering from New Zealand’s national carrier is the latest from airlines seeking to sell seat upgrades and other add-ons to economy travelers. Air New Zealand first announced the economy beds were in development in 2020.

The airline has increased fares and cut some domestic flights from its schedule in response to increased jet fuel costs during the war in the Middle East. In March, it suspended its earnings outlook due to fuel price volatility and warned that more changes to its routes were possible.

But on one of its longest flights, travelers might finally get some shut-eye — although they should expect snoring, for which earplugs are provided, the airline said.

“Statistically, someone’s going to do it,” Air New Zealand’s website reads. “It might be you.”


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ICE acting director Todd Lyons will resign at end of May, DHS says

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Todd Lyons, a key executor of President Donald Trump’s mass deportations agenda, will resign at the end of May, federal officials announced Thursday.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced Lyons’ departure, calling him a great leader of ICE who helped to make American communities safer. Mullin said Lyons’ last day will be May 31.

“We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector,” Mullin said in a statement. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press asking why he is resigning.

Lyons, who was named acting director in March 2025, led the agency at the center of President Donald Trump’s plans to reshape immigration to the U.S.

Under his leadership, the agency was granted a massive infusion of cash through Congress, which it used to expand hiring and detention capabilities. It also ramped up arrests to meet demand from the administration.

ICE was also central to a series of high-profile immigration enforcement operations in American cities, including Chicago and Minneapolis, a deployment that ended after backlash erupted over the deaths of two American protesters at the hands of federal immigration officers.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson described Lyons in a post on X as “an American patriot who made our country safer.”

Stephen Miller, the president’s deputy chief of staff and the main architect of his immigration policy, called Lyons “a phenomenal patriot and dedicated leader.”

“His courageous work at ICE has saved countless thousands of American lives and helped deliver safety and tranquility to millions of Americans,” Miller said in a statement.

It’s not clear who might replace Lyons. But whoever does will take over an agency flush with cash while still a flashpoint for controversy. ICE is at the center of a battle in Congress, with Democratic lawmakers demanding restraints on immigration officers before agreeing to restore routine funding for DHS.

His departure also comes as DHS is under new leadership after Trump fired former Secretary Kristi Noem, who led the department through the administration’s major immigration policy changes.

Mullin, who took over as secretary last month, is likely to continue to advance the president’s agenda but has struck a softer tone on some of the administration’s most contentious policies.

Public perceptions of ICE during Lyons’ tenure were low. In a February AP-NORC poll, most U.S. adults, including independents, said they have an unfavorable view of the agency.

Lyons faced questions in Congress over the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and was asked if he would apologize for the way some Trump administration officials characterized Good as an agitator. He declined to do so.

“I welcome the opportunity to speak to the family in private. But I’m not going to comment on any active investigation,” Lyons said.

Lyons said he had seen video that captured Pretti’s shooting but said he could not comment, citing an active investigation.

Lyons, who joined ICE in 2007 as an immigration enforcement agent in Texas, signed off on a memo, first obtained by The Associated Press, that granted federal immigration officers sweeping powers to forcibly enter homes and make arrests without a judge’s warrant.

Trump’s border czar Tom Homan described Lyons as serving selflessly and “a highly respected and effective acting Director of ICE.”

__

Golden reported from Seattle.


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Drone maker AEVEX raises $320 million in US IPO

April 16 (Reuters) – Drone maker AEVEX said on Thursday that it had raised $320 million ​in its U.S. initial public offering after ‌pricing shares at $20 each.

The Solana Beach, California-based company sold 16 million shares within its ​indicated price range of $18 to $21 apiece.

Defence‑linked companies are scrambling to raise funds in equity markets, capitalising on investor appetite sharpened by the Middle East conflict and rising defence spending.

Companies such as AEVEX are now finding a more receptive audience among institutional investors looking for hedges against global instability.

The war in Ukraine has underscored the crucial role of unmanned systems, with warfare increasingly moving toward drones. Roughly 4 million drones were produced in Ukraine alone in 2025, according to AEVEX’s prospectus.

Shares of aerospace parts maker Arxis rose 36% in their Nasdaq debut on Thursday. 

AEVEX provides airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance offerings to the U.S. government and ​its allied forces. The defense contractor’s portfolio includes unmanned systems that can deliver munitions, explosive payloads ‌and ⁠guided strikes against targets.

Goldman Sachs, BofA Securities and Jefferies are the joint lead bookrunning managers. AEVEX will list ​on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday under the ticker symbol “AVEX”.

(Reporting by Pritam Biswas and Disha Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)


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Prosecutors in a Minnesota county charge ICE agent with assault

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuters) – Prosecutors in Minnesota’s Hennepin County have charged a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent with assault for allegedly pointing his gun at two people in a car along a highway in Minneapolis in February.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said on Thursday she believed the charges were the first to be brought against an ICE officer over actions related to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year.

The officer, identified as 35-year-old Gregory Donnell Morgan, allegedly pointed a gun at two people in another vehicle along a highway in the Twin Cities area, according to prosecutors.

Morgan has been charged with two counts of second-degree assault. There is now an active nationwide warrant for his arrest, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said in a statement. 

ICE, part of the Department of Homeland Security, did not respond to a request for comment. DHS also did not respond to a request for comment.

ICE is at the heart of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, triggering protests in targeted cities that expanded nationwide following the fatal shootings in January of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota – Alex Pretti and Renee Good. 

Hennepin County prosecutors said Morgan appeared to attempt to bypass slower traffic when the alleged victims’ vehicle “briefly moved into the shoulder to slow him down.” Morgan sped up to pull alongside their vehicle, prosecutors added.

He then “opened his (vehicle’s) window, and pointed his duty weapon directly at both victims in the other vehicle while continuing to drive illegally on the shoulder,” prosecutors said.

Morgan said “he feared for his safety and the safety of others,” when he drew his gun, according to the complaint from prosecutors.

Trump has cast ICE’s actions as necessary to curb illegal immigration, improve domestic security and fight fraud.

Rights advocates say the crackdown has violated free speech and due process rights and created an unsafe environment for minorities. 

Advocates also say Trump’s administration has used isolated fraud cases to collectively target communities and questioned his ability to tackle fraud, citing pardons given to those who have faced fraud convictions in the past.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Kate Mayberry)


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Philippines, US to build industrial hub to strengthen supply chain security

MANILA, April 17 (Reuters) – The United States and the Philippines will build a 4,000-acre (1,620 hectares) industrial hub after Manila joined a Washington-led initiative to secure AI and semiconductor supply chains, the U.S. State Department said in a statement. 

The Philippines becomes the 13th country to join Pax Silica, a program seeking to safeguard the full technology supply chain, including critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, computing and data infrastructure. 

The intiative is a key pillar of the Trump administration’s economic statecraft strategy aimed at reducing its dependence on rival nations and strengthen cooperation among allied partners. Other signatories include Australia, Finland, India, Qatar, South Korea and Singapore. 

The new industrial hub will be built in the Luzon Economic Corridor, a strategic hub for economic activity that includes the capital Manila and neighboring regions with industrial and manufacturing activities. The Philippines, Japan and the United States have committed to ramp up infrastructure investments in the corridor under a trilateral framework agreement. 

“It is intended to serve as a staging point for a purpose-built platform for allied manufacturing,” the State Department said in a statement. 

“The two Allies are committed to strengthening shared supply chains in critical minerals, semiconductors, electronics, and other goods,” it added. 

Relations between Manila and Washington have blossomed under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has pivoted closer to the United States. The former U.S. colony is also central to Washington’s efforts to counter China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores and Karen Lema; Editing by John Mair)


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South Korea says not aware of US protest over minister’s remarks on North Korea nuclear site

By Kyu-seok Shim

SEOUL, April 17 (Reuters) – South Korea’s Unification Ministry said on Friday it was not aware of any U.S. protest or curbs on intelligence sharing following a report that Washington was unhappy about the disclosure of a previously unconfirmed North Korean nuclear site.

The ministry said it had explained to the U.S. side that Minister Chung Dong-young’s public remarks about a North Korean nuclear facility at Kusong were based on publicly available information, including international research reports, and understood that its explanation had been accepted.

The Dong-A Ilbo reported that the U.S. had conveyed its displeasure to Seoul after Chung said at a parliamentary hearing on March 6 that North Korea had a uranium enrichment facility in Kusong, alongside well-known sites in Yongbyon and Kangson.

The newspaper, citing sources in South Korea and the United States, said Washington had indicated it would partially restrict the sharing of North Korea-related intelligence with Seoul, with Chung’s remarks serving as the trigger amid broader accumulated U.S. frustration over a series of bilateral foreign and security disagreements.

A ministry spokesperson said at a press briefing that it had “sufficiently explained the background” on Chung’s remarks after an inquiry from the U.S. embassy in South Korea and understood that “the U.S. side had accepted” the explanation.

The spokesperson also said the ministry was not aware of any protest or measures to restrict intelligence-sharing from the United States.

In separate comments to Reuters, the ministry said that if there had been any U.S. measures, it did not believe they were directly related to the minister’s comments.

The U.S. embassy in Seoul gave no immediate comment.

Chung told the parliamentary committee in March that North Korea had been enriching weapons-grade uranium at Yongbyon, Kangson and Kusong, citing remarks by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi at a board of governors meeting that month.

The IAEA transcript of Grossi’s introductory statement shows he mentioned only facilities at Yongbyon and Kangson, with no reference to Kusong.

(Reporting by Kyu-seok ShimEditing by Ed Davies)


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MLB roundup: Guardians’ Parker Messick loses no-hit bid in 9th vs. Orioles

Guardians rookie Parker Messick carried a no-hit bid into the ninth inning before Leody Taveras led off with a single to begin a two-run rally, but Cleveland held on for a 4-2 victory over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.

Messick (3-0), making his 11th major league appearance, only permitted two baserunners in the first eight frames on walks to Taylor Ward in the first and Taveras in the sixth. The left-hander tied his career high with nine strikeouts and walked two.

Taveras hit a grounder to the left of second baseman Juan Brito, who dove but couldn’t keep the ball in the infield. Blaze Alexander followed with a single, chasing Messick after eight-plus innings. Cade Smith gave up two hits and allowed two inherited runners to score, but was credited with his fourth save.

Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer and George Valera and Steven Kwan had RBI hits for the Guardians, who snapped a two-game skid in the opener of the four-game series.

Tigers 10, Royals 9

Colt Keith’s single capped a three-run, ninth-inning rally, allowing Detroit to stretch their winning streak to six games with a wild victory over visiting Kansas City.

Riley Greene’s two-run, two-out double tied the contest for the Tigers. Greene then scored on Keith’s single to right off Lucas Erceg (0-1). Greene had three hits and scored two runs, and Dillon Dingler had a two-run homer.

The Royals erased a five-run deficit with a six-run seventh, and Vinnie Pasquantino’s solo homer made it 9-7 in the top of the ninth. Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer among four RBIs and Bobby Witt Jr. had three hits, scored three runs and drove in another.

Giants 3, Reds 0

Landen Roupp carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, Jung Hoo Lee had three hits with an RBI and San Francisco snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over host Cincinnati.

P.J. Higgins’ sixth inning single off Roupp (3-1) proved to be the only hit of the game for Cincinnati. Erik Miller struck out the side in the ninth to pick up his first career save. San Francisco scored all of its runs in the seventh off hits from Matt Chapman, Lee and Casey Schmitt.

Cincinnati starter Chase Burns held the Giants to two hits over six shutout innings. Brock Burke (1-1) took the loss after allowing three unearned runs. Reds reliever Connor Phillips was ejected in the eighth inning for hitting Willy Adames in the thigh with a pitch. Benches cleared after a strikeout of Sal Stewart which ended the game got heated.

Angels 11, Yankees 4

Mike Trout homered for the fourth straight game to cap a monster series at Yankee Stadium and help Los Angeles pull away from New York.

Trout hit five homers in the four-game series, becoming the fourth player to hit five homers in a series against the Yankees. The others were Jimmie Foxx (1933), Darrell Evans (1985) and George Bell (1990). Jo Adell added his fourth career grand slam in the eighth and former Yankee Oswald Peraza homered in the first, giving the Angels an American League-leading 32 home runs.

Aaron Judge homered in the first inning and Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer to center in the third to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Ben Rice also homered, but the Yankees lost for the seventh time in nine games.

Nationals 8, Pirates 7 (10 innings)

James Wood had two hits, including a two-out go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inning to lead Washington over host Pittsburgh.

Daylen Lile and Drew Millas also had two hits for the Nationals.

Jake Mangum led the Pirates with three of their 15 hits. Griffin, Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe and Nick Gonzales each had two hits and an RBI for the Pirates, who committed four errors.

Brewers 2, Blue Jays 1

A sacrifice bunt by Joey Ortiz scored Garrett Mitchell for the go-ahead run as host Milwaukee edged Toronto.

Milwaukee turned to small ball in the bottom of the seventh to claim the series win. Milwaukee used three straight bunts to take its first lead of the game. Mitchell led off the inning with a walk and a Greg Jones sacrifice bunt moved him to second base with one out.

David Hamilton laid down a bunt single and Milwaukee had runners on first and third. Ortiz’s bunt only dribbled a few feet in front of home plate, but it was enough to score Mitchell for a 2-1 lead.

Rays 5, White Sox 3

Hunter Feduccia and Taylor Walls drew bases-loaded walks in the ninth inning after Junior Caminero hit a game-tying solo home run, propelling streaking Tampa Bay past host Chicago.

The Rays stretched their winning streak to six games, regrouping after Chicago’s Everson Pereira smacked a solo shot in the eighth to give the White Sox the lead. Yandy Diaz, Richie Palacios, Nick Fortes and Caminero had two hits apiece for the Rays.

Chase Meidroth and Pereira both had two hits for the White Sox, who stranded seven runners compared to 14 for Tampa Bay.

Rangers 9, Athletics 6

Joc Pederson stroked the tiebreaking single in a four-run ninth inning as Texas notched a victory over the host Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.

Josh Jung smacked a two-run homer among his three hits and Ezequiel Duran had two hits and two RBIs as the Rangers earned a split of the four-game series with their American League West rivals.

Nick Kurtz’s three-run double in the bottom of the eighth gave the Athletics the lead. Jacob Wilson had a two-run single for the Athletics while Shea Langeliers reached base five times on two hits and three walks. Lawrence Butler, Carlos Cortes, Kurtz and Wilson also had two hits for the A’s.

–Field Level Media


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Federal officials order flight cuts at Chicago O’Hare to reduce airport delays

About 300 flights per day must be cut from the schedule at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on the busiest days this summer in an effort to reduce flight delays, federal officials announced Thursday.

“If you book a ticket, we want you and your family to have the certainty that you’ll fly without endless delays and cancellations,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement.

O’Hare has the most number of flights of any U.S. airport, and it already had one of the worst records for flight delays nationwide last year.

More than 3,080 flights were planned on peak days this summer, which represented a 14.9% increase from the summer before, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration. That increase comes as air traffic controllers deal with taxiway closures for construction projects.

In its draft order, the federal government said both American and United announced expansion plans at O’Hare that could lead to significant delays this summer and limit the airfield’s ability to handle the expected amount of traffic.

Duffy said that the schedule was unrealistic and would have exceeded what the airport could handle. So the number of flights at the airport will be limited to a maximum of 2,708, which is still slightly higher than maximum of 2,680 flights that were scheduled at the peak of last summer. He said that “will reduce delays and make this busy summer travel season a little easier.”

On slower days of the week, fewer flights will have to be cut because a smaller number was scheduled in the first place. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are typically slower days of the week for flights.

The flight limits will take effect May 17 and last through Oct. 24.

Airlines will go through the details of the order to figure out how many flights they have to cancel and then will notify customers.

American Airlines said that once implemented, the FAA’s order will improve reliability and reduce delays for customers traveling through O’Hare this summer.

“We are grateful to Secretary Duffy, Administrator Bedford, and their leadership teams for acting swiftly to ensure that Chicagoans and all consumers continue to benefit from sensible competition and to help minimize flight disruptions during the busy summer season,” American said in a statement.

American told employees in a memo that it estimates that it will have to cut no more than 40 arrivals and departures per day, but it estimates that United might have to cut more than 200 arrivals and departures based on the published schedules. United did not provide an estimate of how many flights it will have to cut.

United said the airline appreciates that the government came up with “a solution that makes sense for everyone who cares about O’Hare’s success.”

Both airlines will review the order and their scheduled to determine where to make cuts and then notify travelers who are affected.

___

Associated Press Transportation Writer Josh Funk contributed to this report from Omaha, Nebraska.


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After a paralyzing stroke, a South Korean pianist recreates himself as a one-handed performer

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — When a major stroke paralyzed South Korean pianist Lee Hun’s right side in 2012, he first worried about whether he would ever walk again. Playing the piano wasn’t even a consideration.

He returned to the piano only after a mentor told him about a large number of piano pieces for the left hand alone.

After exhaustive practice he made a comeback, playing recitals as South Korea’s only known professional left-hand-only pianist.

He is now preparing for a new challenge: his first joint performance with an orchestra at an international music festival next month.

“I’m so, so nervous I could die,” Lee, 54, said with a smile during a recent interview with The Associated Press at his Seoul home. “It’s just one concerto but working with an orchestra has its own difficulties.”

In August 2012, Lee, then a doctorate candidate at the music school at the University of Cincinnati, abruptly collapsed at his home.

He survived after extensive surgery, but the stroke damaged about 60% of his brain’s left hemisphere. He couldn’t move his right arm and leg and suffered temporary aphasia.

Lee was later brought back to South Korea in a wheelchair. His father, Lee Hae Chang, a baseball legend in South Korea, said his son couldn’t recognize him upon arrival.

“After the stroke, I didn’t even imagine playing the piano. I only thought about whether I could stand on my feet again,” Lee Hun said.

Lee’s condition was also hard on his family, who had to care for him daily. His mother Poong Ok Hee recalled she had fought a lot with her son because of his mood swings. He often resisted her advice and assistance.

Things began changing after he dined with his former piano teacher, Chun Yung Hae, in 2013. Chun encouraged him to play the piano again, saying there were more than 1,000 pieces for the left hand alone. That rekindled his passion for the piano, and Lee began practicing immediately that night.

In 2016, Lee made a formal debut as a one-handed pianist at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, where he received treatment and rehabilitation. After performing Camille Saint-Saens’ “6 Etudes for the Left Hand Alone,” Lee played “Amazing Grace” with Chun, with Lee using his left hand and Chun her right hand. At least one spectator cried.

“He is a pianist so he must play the piano. He was completely hopeless and in despair, so I tried to give him some hope. But I didn’t expect him to play as well as this,” said Chun, who served as dean of the College of Music at Seoul’s Kyung Hee University.

Lee has steadily given recitals, appeared on TV programs and written a memoir. He now walks without assistance and communicates relatively smoothly in Korean.

Local media dub him as “Korea’s Paul Wittgenstein,” an acclaimed Austrian pianist who is considered a pioneer in one-handed piano music. He lost his right arm in World War I and commissioned left-hand repertories by famed composers, including Ravel, Strauss, Prokofiev and Britten. His brother was philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.

On May 2, Lee is to appear at the annual Icheon Young-Artist International Music Festival in South Korea, performing with a festival orchestra. They’ll play Ravel’s “Piano Concerto for the Left Hand,” which was also commissioned by Wittgenstein.

It’s a highly difficult piece for a pianist, Lee said, but it’s something he’s been eager to play.

Chung Eun-hyon, head of Lee’s agency, Tool Music, said Lee has told him it’s his dream to play the concerto. Chung said he feels deeply emotional as he helps “make his dream come true.”

Before becoming a one-handed pianist, Lee said he focused on how to perfect skills to wow audiences. Now, he agonizes over how to convey his emotions and interpretation of music to people.

“He plays a sort of music that truly touches the heart of people and it’s not about finger dexterity,” said Lee Eungkwang, head of a cultural foundation responsible for the Icheon festival.

“I’m really curious what it was like when he played with both hands,” Lee said.

Lee Hun said he hopes to make a two-handed comeback one day, saying he succeeded in pressing a piano key once with his right hand at a concert in November 2024.

Medically speaking, prospects for Lee regaining the use of his right hand and performing with both hands are dim, according to his doctor at St. Mary’s Hospital, Koo Jaseong.

“I still would like to give him a round of applause to his efforts. Though rare, there have been reports of miraculous recoveries too,” Koo said.


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