Axios

The abrupt transition to online learning at the beginning of the pandemic was especially harmful to English-language learners in U.S. schools, a new report finds.

Driving the news: The report, released Monday by UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization, found that the COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on most Latino students, but especially on those learning English.

Department of Defense press secretary John Kirby told CNN Tuesday the Pentagon is regularly talking with former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to work to release Americans being wrongfully held in Russia and around the world.

Why it matters: Richardson and his institution have successfully negotiated the release of several Americans detained abroad, including in Russia. Brittney Griner been detained there since February, while Paul Whelan has been held in the country since 2018.

The strong Western response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a "powerful deterrent" against a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told Axios last month.

The big picture: Wu cast Taiwan's perseverance against China as part of a larger democratic struggle against authoritarianism, and he urged fellow democracies to come to Taiwan's aid in the case of a Chinese military attack.

The internet and new digital technologies allowed independent film to flourish in China over the past two decades, a film scholar writes in a new book.

The big picture: Filmmakers in China's rural areas taught themselves filmmaking, shunned major production studios, and showcased their work directly to online audiences, allowing authentic rural stories to challenge more dominant urban narratives.

Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles warned of a "military build-up occurring at a rate unseen since World War II" and vowed to strengthen Australian defense during a speech on Monday in Washington, DC.

Why it matters: The remarks laid out a vision for Australia's leading role in Indo-Pacific security, and signaled that Australia's new Labor government will maintain a close security partnership with the U.S. as well as the tough China policies of the two previous governments.

The deaths of at least 22 Mexican migrants smuggled in a hot truck last month came as data shows an increase in encounters of U.S. authorities with people from that country.

The big picture: As a whole, migrant encounters — which include Border Patrol apprehensions and those who are turned away at ports of entry — have increased sharply over the last few years. The percentage of Mexican encounters, though small, appears to be growing since 2019.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday voted to extend the mandate for aid deliveries to people in rebel-held areas of northwest Syria for six months.

The big picture: The mandate had expired on Sunday after Russia vetoed a plan for a one-year extension, and vowed to do the same for any resolution extending the mandate for more than than six months.

The jubilation that many Chinese nationalist netizens expressed over last week's assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe underscores the depth of anti-Japan sentiment in China — and the challenge Beijing faces in controlling the domestic nationalism it has often stoked.

Why it matters: To the Chinese Communist Party and its domestic supporters, Abe represented what they saw as an unwelcome resurgence of Japanese nationalism and militarism.

A senior ISIS leader was killed in a drone strike conducted by the U.S. military in northwest Syria on Tuesday, U.S. Central Command announced.

Driving the news: Maher al-Agal was the militant group's leader in Syria and one of ISIS' top five in charge.

Japan on Tuesday held a funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, four days after the country's longest-serving premier was assassinated at a campaign rally.

Driving the news: Family and close friends attended the private funeral on Tuesday at the Zojoji Temple in Tokyo, while crowds gathered outside, with flowers, notes and green tea, a symbol of good luck, CNN reports.

The U.S. will provide Ukraine with a new $1.7 billion aid package to help the country pay health workers and provide other essential services.

Why it matters: Ukraine's health care system has been battered by Russia's unprovoked invasion. As of late May, the WHO has verified more than 240 attacks on Ukrainian health facilities.

The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Tehran next week for a trilateral meeting with the leaders of Iran and Turkey, the so-called Astana format of meetings for Syria-related talks, AP reports.

Driving the news: The White House said Monday that Iran is providing Russia with "hundreds" of unmanned aerial vehicles — including weapons-capable drones for use in Ukraine.

The vast majority of Donetsk residents have now fled, according to a local official who said the death toll from last weekend's airstrike on the eastern Ukrainian region's town of Chasiv Yar has risen to 34.

Driving the news: Donetsk regional military administration leader Pavlo Kyrylenko tweeted Tuesday that state emergency service workers had cleared about 70% of the rubble in the apartment block following Saturday night's strike, but search and rescue operations continued. "One child was among the dead," he said.

Raging wildfires in Portugal have injured dozens of people as another potentially record-breaking heat wave sweeps Europe one month after historic high temperatures, per the Independent.

The big picture: Portugal and Spain are already enduring temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Parts of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg are set to see similar temperatures this weekend. And forecasters warn temperatures in the U.K. could top 40 Celsius (104°F) for the first time ever.