Officials from the Ilan District Prosecutors' Office said that they are having a DNA test made on the body of veteran entertainer Ni Min-jan (倪敏然) in order to make a final confirmation of his identity.
Prosecutors said that they already collected DNA samples from Ni and his two younger sisters, Ni Chien-chien (倪茜茜) and Ni Bei-bei (倪蓓蓓), on Sunday evening.
The DNA samples were immediately sent to the Prosecutors' Office for the Taiwan High Court (高檢署). The results are expected to be released within the next few days.
On Sunday afternoon, police at Ilan's Toucheng Township received a report about a male who had hanged himself on a tree in an abandoned orchard. They found Ni's identification in his wallet, indicating the body was that of the comedian.
Ni had been dead for about 10 days when he was found, and his face and body had swollen and could hardly be recognized by family members. A DNA test was therefore necessary to confirm his identity.
Ni had reportedly been missing for more than two weeks. He admitted that he had suffered from depression and had trouble sleeping. Ni was having financial and family problems. He was experiencing a low point in his acting career, while having an extramarital affair with Chinese actress Xia Yi (夏禕) who now works in Taiwan.
Although Xia repeatedly denied the rumored affair, she admitted it during a telephone interview with the tabloid Apple Daily on Sunday. According to Xia, she dated Ni for a while after he told her that he had already divorced his second wife, Lee Li-hua (李麗華). Lee herself was also a well-known actress before she married Ni and retired in 1985. But Xia broke up with Ni after she found out that he had not really divorced his wife.
"I was also reluctant to give up," Xia said. "But he had a family. How could I possibly be with him?"
"Let's not talk about this anymore since he has gone," Xia said. "Maybe he had no choice but to lie about his marital status. But he was still a good man."
But Yu Tien (
"Ni did not cover up his marital status from Xia. She should have come back as soon as possible to clarify the matter," Yu complained to the media.
Yu confirmed that Ni did have some financial difficulties, and had recently borrowed NT$300,000 from him to pay his debts.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS