巴西民众抗议总统任命
巴西几大城市星期三举行抗议活动，示威者们对四面楚歌的罗塞夫总统任命前总统卢拉为幕僚长表示谴责。
罗塞夫宣布对卢拉的任命后，大约2000名示威者星期三在巴西利亚和圣保罗举行集会。卢拉离任时声望很高。罗塞夫表示，任命卢拉能加强巴西政府的执政能力。
示威者说，罗塞夫任命卢拉担任幕僚长，是为了让他免于因一桩涉及国有石油公司的洗钱丑闻而受到起诉。
作为罗塞夫政府的内阁成员，卢拉只能在巴西最高法院受审。
卢拉否认与巴西石油公司丑闻有牵连。
与此同时，负责调查巴西石油公司丑闻的一位法官公布了一段录音。这位法官说，卢拉的电话录音显示，他曾为免于受到起诉而寻求帮助。
Brazilians Protest New Presidential Appointment
Protests broke out in several Brazilian cities Wednesday as demonstrators condemned the move by embattled President Dilma Rousseff to appoint former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as her chief of staff.
Some 2,000 demonstrators Wednesday gathered in the streets of Brazilia and Sao Paulo after Rousseff named Lula, who left office with very high popularity ratings, saying it would strengthen her government.
Demonstrators say Lula was appointed in order to protect him from prosecution in a money laundering scandal involving the state-owned Petrobras oil company.
As a member of Rousseff's cabinet, Lula can only be tried before the Brazilian Supreme Court.
Lula denies involvement in the Petrobras scandal.
But adding to Wednesday's unrest was the release of audio recordings by a judge heading the Petrobras investigation. The judge said the recordings of Lula's phone conversations indicate Lula was seeking help in avoiding prosecution.
朝半岛紧张之际 美军战备状态受质疑
美国军方领导人星期三对美军同中国、俄罗斯、伊朗及朝鲜等国军队进行常规战争的能力表示担忧。
美国陆军参谋长米利对众议院军事委员会说，由于美国军方将资源集中用于中东地区的反恐及打击反叛行动，一旦世界其他地区爆发冲突，将无法为一场“更高端”的战争进行计划和准备。
尽管美国军方对战备状况的担忧主要是针对与俄罗斯和中国等强国的潜在战争，但目前正值朝鲜半岛因平壤核威胁而造成的紧张局势升级。
平壤今年1月进行核试验，并在2月试射远程火箭，此后美国和韩国都增强了战备态势。
华盛顿向该地区增调军队和资源，同时美韩两国正在举行迄今最大规模的联合军演，参加军演的有1万7000名美军官兵、30万韩国部队以及美国的战机和军舰。
U.S. Military Readiness Questioned Amid Korea Tensions
U.S. military leaders voiced concern Wednesday about their ability to fight a conventional war against the armed forces of countries like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley told the House Armed Services Committee the military’s anti-terrorism and counterinsurgency focus on the Middle East has taken resources away from planning and preparation to fight a “higher end” combat force if a conflict erupted in another part of the world.
But while most of their readiness concerns were directed at potential conflicts with major powers Russia and China, they also come at a time of escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula over the North’s nuclear threat.
U.S. and South Korean forces have increased their readiness defense posture following Pyongyang’s nuclear test in January and long-range rocket launch in February.
Washington has moved more troops and assets into the region and the two allies are currently conducting their largest joint exercises ever, involving 17,000 American troops, 300,000 South Korean troops, and an array of U.S. aircraft and naval vessels.
