The death of astrologer Chen Chia-ying (陳佳瑛), best known as Vivian, was confirmed yesterday by her father, Chen Lien-chun (陳連春).
Vivian’s parents said in a statement that she died on Wednesday from illness, but had led a full and content life, adding that they wanted to offer thanks to friends and family who had supported them in their time of grief, as the need to handle their daughter’s funeral and affairs had prevented them from personally extending their thanks.
Local media reports said that Vivian, 43, died from breast cancer.
Vivian, one of only a few astrologers to have reached critical acclaim in Taiwan, published horoscopes every year over the past 12 years and regularly appeared on a TV show for 10 years until she left in 2014.
Some readers, surprised that she had not written a horoscope book for next year, made inquiries with her publisher, which at the time said Vivian had been too busy.
According to reports published by the Chinese-language Apple Daily, some netizens who closely followed Vivian on the Internet reported that her account on a Chinese microblogging service had not been updated in more than two months and that messages had gone unread since last month.
Many reacted with shock upon learning of her death.
Fengshui practicioner Chan Wei-chung (詹惟中) said on Facebook that he was sad to hear of her death, adding that people should take heed and care for their own health.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over