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Volunteers continue to work frantically for a second day Wednesday to clear an Australian beach that is covered in whales after nearly 100 long-finned pilot whales stranded themselves on the sand. More than 50 of the whales have already died after they washed ashore Tuesday morning near Cheynes Beach, east of the city of Albany on the southern tip of Western Australia. Volunteers composed of Perth Zoo veterinarians and marine fauna experts continue to rescue the dozens that remain alive. Environmental experts are not sure why the phenomenon occurs, despite hundreds of whales beaching themselves just last year. The current beached pod of whales was first spotted Tuesday morning swimming off the coast of Albany. As the day progressed, the pod moved closer to the beach, sparking concern of conservation officers. By 4 p.m., the pod covered the shoreline. MYSTERY OVER WHALE DEATHS SPARKS ALARM: WE NEED TO 'PAUSE AND INVESTIGATE' Fifty-two whales have perished, and volunteers are trying to save the still surviving 45, according to Reece Whitby, Western Australia's environment minister. "What we're seeing is utterly heartbreaking and distressing," he told reporters. "It's just a terrible, terrible tragedy to see these dead pilot whales on the beach." Whitby added, "People are committed to doing what they can to save as many whales as they can." Western Australia state’s Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions is monitoring the whales. Peter Hartley, a manager from the department, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. the volunteers are attempting to get the surviving whales back into the water. "We are optimistic that we will save as many as we can," Hartley told ABC, explaining the volunteers are using specialized equipment, including vessels and slings. Pilot whales are highly social animals who often maintain close relationships with their pods, so even after getting the whales back into the water, volunteers still have to encourage the worried whales to swim away. Hundreds of volunteers are assisting in the rescue effort — so many that officials said they had enough help and urged other members of the public to stay away from the beach. "This is just an amazing event," Joanne Marsh, the owner the Cheynes Beach Caravan Park told ABC. "We've never seen anything quite like this." Wildlife experts said the unusual behavior of the whales could be an indicator of stress or illness within the pod. UPTICK IN DEAD WHALES ALONG EAST COAST SPARKS INTENSE DEBATE AMONG ENVIRONMENTALISTS OVER OFFSHORE WIND Macquarie University wildlife scientist Vanessa Pirotta said drone footage of the whales swimming could suggest they had become disoriented. She clarified there is no official reason for the mass strandings. "The fact that they were in one area very huddled, and doing really interesting behaviors, and looking around at times, suggests that something else is going on that we just don’t know," she explained. She said it was unlikely the whales were trying to avoid a predator. "They often have a follow-the-leader type mentality, and that can very much be one of the reasons why we see stranding of not just one but many," Pirotta added. In September 2022, some 200 pilot whales died after a pod stranded itself on the Australian state of Tasmania, an island located off Australia's southeastern coast. The following month, nearly 500 pilot whales died after stranding themselves in New Zealand. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly "paralyzed and unable to act decisively" when the Wagner Group private military company launched an attempted mutiny late last month.  Citing Ukrainian and other security officials in Europe, The Washington Post reported Tuesday that no orders were issued for most of the day.  Intelligence assessments shared with the outlet said Putin had been warned by Russian security services at least two or three days ahead of time that the group's leader, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, was preparing a potential rebellion.  While actions were taken to strengthen security at several facilities, including the Kremlin, officials told The Post that no further steps were taken. PUTIN ENFORCES UKRAINE 'RED LINE,' NOW AIMS TO CREATE 'AS MUCH SUFFERING AS POSSIBLE' WITH GRAIN STRIKES "Putin had time to take the decision to liquidate [the rebellion] and arrest the organizers," said one of the European security officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Then when it began to happen, there was paralysis on all levels. … There was absolute dismay and confusion. For a long time, they did not know how to react." The newspaper said the account of the events was corroborated by officials in western governments – but that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said intelligence assessments were "nonsense" and shared "by people who have zero information." The Wagner troops entered the southern city of Rostov-on-Don on June 24, taking control of the military's headquarters before moving to Voronezh and farther north. PRIGOZHIN APPEARS PUBLICLY FOR FIRST TIME SINCE MUTINY, SUGGESTS MERCENARIES WON'T FIGHT IN UKRAINE Security officials said that – without any clear orders – local military and security chiefs took the decision not to try to stop them and that many could not believe the revolt could occur without some degree of agreement with the Kremlin and some in the security establishment believed preparations for it were no more than a bluff to secure Prigozhin's control of Wagner. "Some supported Prigozhin and the idea that the leadership needs to be cleaned up, that the fish is rotting from the head," a European security official remarked. "There seem to have been important people in the power structures … who seem to have even been sort of waiting for this, as if his attempt had been more successful, they would also" have joined the plot, another official said. Not everyone was supportive of the fight, with a senior member of Russian diplomatic circles telling the post that there was "disarray" and "really was lack of agreement." "We heard all these statements. They were not always consistent … For some time, they did not know how to react," he said.  Prigozhin ordered his mercenaries back to their camps after striking a deal to end the rebellion in exchange for an amnesty for him and his men, and permission to move to Belarus. A Kremlin spokesman said previously that Putin had "listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment and further use in combat" during a June 29 meeting.  The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The defense chiefs of Russia and North Korea came together on Wednesday for a bilateral meeting in the hermit kingdom's capital. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met with his North Korean counterpart, Defense Minister Kang Sun-nam, expressing desire for greater cooperation. NORTH KOREA ISSUES RARE INVITATION TO RUSSIAN, CHINESE DELEGATIONS FOR ANNIVERSARY OF KOREAN WAR ARMISTICE "For Russia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is an important partner, with which we share a common border and a rich history of cooperation," Shoigu said, according to The Moscow Times. Media released by the Russian Defense Ministry showed footage and photographs of the meeting between the two Eastern military leaders. STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS 'NO NEW COMMUNICATIONS' BETWEEN US, NORTH KOREA OVER SOLDIER TRAVIS KING Shoigu expressed gratitude for his "Korean friends" and the "rich program offered."  He added, "From the first minutes I felt your care and attention." NORTH KOREA FIRES 2 MISSILES AMID US NUCLEAR SUB IN SOUTH KOREA, SOLDIER CROSSING DMZ Dictator Kim Jong Un's regime invited Russia and China to send delegations to the hermit kingdom ahead of Korean War Armistice Day celebrations. The long-allied countries are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the holiday, known as Victory Day in North Korea. The Chinese delegation will be led by Political Bureau Central Committee member Li Hongzhong, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. Our two parties and the two countries have had a good tradition of friendly exchanges. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean War," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. "Having a high-level Chinese delegation visit the DPRK and mark the occasion shows the high importance both sides attach to our bilateral ties."

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