Angelina Jolie, Hollywood superstar and a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, is reportedly planning to adopt an aboriginal child from Hualien. The little girl, identified as Hsiao Kai-wan, is a four year old orphan and will be the fifth child for the actress and her partner, screen idol Brad Pitt.
Jolie, 31, filed adoption papers in Hualien in late January through a US based agency, April's Premier Adoption Agency. She plans to adopt the girl as a single parent because she is unmarried, officials have said. Taiwanese law does not stipulate that adopters must be married.
The Taiwanese adoption process is relatively straight forward. Prospective parents must file an application with the Taiwan Supreme Court. The Supreme Court then delegates the case to the relevant Taiwan District Court. The process, including the approval of the home study, child referral and formal completion of the process takes around 10 months. The prospective parent must appear before the appropriate District Court in person towards the end of the process.
PHOTO: AP
Adoptions of Taiwanese orphans by American citizens have risen steeply from 48 adoptions in 2002 to 187 last year.
Jolie and her partner Pitt already have four other adopted children: Maddox, from Cambodia, aged five; two-year-old daughter Zahara, who was adopted from Ethiopia; and three and a half year old Pax Thien, whom Jolie adopted from Vietnam in March of this year. Jolie and Pitt also have a biological daughter, Shiloh, born to the couple last May in Namibia.
Jolie reportedly has tattoos of the geographical coordinates of her children's birthplaces — Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Addis Alem, Ethiopia; and Swakopmund, Namibia. (Catherine Thomas, Staff Writer, With Agencies)
根據報導，擔任聯合國難民事務高級專員公署親善大使的好萊塢超級巨星安吉莉娜裘莉，正計畫收養花蓮一名原住民兒童。這個名叫蕭凱婉的四歲孤女，將成為裘莉及其銀幕偶像情人布萊德彼特的第五名子女。
三十一歲的裘莉一月底透過總部設在美國的收養機構「April's Premier」向花蓮方面遞出領養申請。承辦人員表示，未婚的她打算以單親身分收養這名女童。台灣法律並未規定領養人必須已婚。
台灣的領養申請手續相當簡單，有意領養的父母須先向最高法院提出申請，最高法院再將申請案派發相關地方法院處理。整個申請過程包括到府訪查認可、兒童推薦到手續正式完成，需時約十個月。在申請完成前，有意領養的父母必須親自到相關地方法院辦理手續。
美國民眾申請領養台灣孤兒的案件已從二００二年的四十八件驟增到去年的一百八十七件。
裘莉與男友布萊德彼特已領養了四名小孩：五歲的柬埔寨男童馬達克斯、兩歲的衣索比亞女童撒哈拉及今年三月才收養的三歲半越南男童派克斯。裘莉與彼特還有個去年五月在納米比亞出生的親生女兒希洛。
據報導，裘莉的身上刺有小孩出生地座標的刺青─柬埔寨的金邊、衣索比亞的阿迪斯阿聯及納米比亞的斯瓦科蒙特。
（綜合外電／翻譯：林倩如）
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental condition marked by disruptions in brain-signaling that causes people to behave, communicate, interact and learn in atypical ways. Autism diagnoses in the US have increased significantly since 2000, intensifying public concern over what might contribute to its prevalence. Here is what you need to know. HOW IS AUTISM DIAGNOSED? There are no objective tools for diagnosing autism, such as blood tests or brain scans. Instead, diagnoses are made based on observations and interviews. The term “spectrum” reflects the wide range of possible manifestations. Some people with ASD might have good conversation skills, while others might
A: When is the Lantern Festival? B: The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, which fell on Feb. 12 this year. A: Oh no! Did I miss the 2025 Taipei Lantern Festival? B: Yes, you did. But you can still go to the 2025 Taiwan Lantern Festival in Taoyuan, which will run until this Sunday. A: Let’s go admire the exuberant lanterns. A: 元宵節到底是哪一天？ B: 就是農曆1月15日啊，今年則落在國曆2月12日。 A: 喔不，我是不是錯過了2025台北燈節？ B: 是的，但你還可以去桃園的2025台灣燈會，活動將持續至週日。 A: 那我們去欣賞豐富的花燈秀吧！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
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