Equipos científicos en Australia trabajan contrarreloj para evitar la desaparición de Rhodamnia zombi, nombrada “árbol zombi” debido a su incapacidad de reproducirse. Identificada recientemente en las selvas tropicales de Queensland, esta especie no puede generar flores, frutos ni semillas como resultado de la roya del mirto, una enfermedad causada por el hongo Austropuccinia psidii. El patógeno afecta a diversas poblaciones silvestres y, si no se controla, podría causar la extinción del árbol en una generación.

Según la revista de divulgación científica Live Science, la roya del mirto se propaga rápidamente desde su detección en Australia en 2010 y afecta a muchas especies de la familia Myrtaceae. El hongo genera esporas que pueden desplazarse por el viento, así como mediante aves, insectos y maquinaria agrícola. Las plantas nativas australianas, al carecer de defensas naturales frente al patógeno, presentan altos niveles de vulnerabilidad como “huéspedes ingenuos”.

Un estudio de la revista académica especializada en ecología australiana Austral Ecology señala que al menos 16 especies adicionales podrían enfrentar una situación similar. Los árboles infectados muestran pústulas de esporas de colores amarillo, naranja o marrón en las hojas, lo que agota los nutrientes de la planta y la debilita progresivamente. El 10 % de las poblaciones conocidas de R. zombi ya han desaparecido, mientras que los ejemplares restantes han perdido la capacidad reproductiva en estado silvestre.

La roya del mirto tuvo su origen en Sudamérica, donde las plantas locales desarrollaron resistencia tras una larga coevolución. En Australia, el hongo llegó a través del comercio internacional de plantas y se ha expandido rápidamente en entornos húmedos como Brisbane, donde encuentra condiciones ideales para infectar nuevas especies. La enfermedad compromete no solo la reproducción de Rhodamnia zombi sino la estabilidad de los ecosistemas de selva tropical, en los que estas especies cumplen funciones determinantes en la estructura y diversidad vegetal.

La dispersión incontrolada del hongo afecta la biodiversidad y el equilibrio de los bosques tropicales australianos. Las especies perjudicadas dejan de producir semillas viables, lo que interrumpe la regeneración natural. Como resultado, se observa la disminución de plantas y cambios en la fauna asociada y los procesos ecológicos de los bosques, de acuerdo a especialistas.

Live Science indica que los expertos consideran que el hongo depende de condiciones ambientales muy específicas y es difícil de erradicar una vez que se establece. Esta situación se agrava por la aparición de nuevas variantes del patógeno y la ausencia de resistencia en las especies endémicas.

Los investigadores pusieron en marcha programas de clonación y cultivo de esquejes de árboles supervivientes en viveros. La reproducción asexual permite multiplicar ejemplares resistentes y trasladar estos árboles a zonas menos favorables para el hongo. Así buscan mantener la variabilidad genética de la especie y su continuidad. El uso de fungicidas puede prolongar la vida de algunos árboles en áreas infectadas el tiempo suficiente para recolectar semillas, aunque esta técnica tiene efectividad limitada.

De forma complementaria, se desarrolla una vacuna de ARN para plantas en fase experimental. Se estudia la posibilidad de inducir tolerancia al patógeno mediante tratamientos moleculares. Hasta ahora, los resultados son preliminares. La acción inmediata se orienta a identificar y multiplicar los ejemplares más resistentes, con vistas a su reinserción en áreas protegidas una vez que las condiciones lo permitan.

La comunidad científica resalta la importancia de monitorear las poblaciones y registrar la evolución de la enfermedad. Evaluar de cerca a las especies afectadas contribuirá a identificar individuos más tolerantes y adaptar las estrategias de conservación de acuerdo a los resultados. La cooperación entre organismos y el apoyo económico a las investigaciones permiten avanzar en el manejo de este problema ecológico.

El caso del árbol zombi muestra los riesgos que enfrentan las especies endémicas ante la introducción de patógenos exóticos y el impacto del cambio climático. La rápida propagación de la roya del mirto en Australia pone de manifiesto la vulnerabilidad de los ecosistemas insulares y la necesidad de respuestas coordinadas. La posible desaparición de Rhodamnia zombi y otras especies asociadas tendría efectos relevantes para la selva tropical de Queensland y en el patrimonio natural australiano.

President Donald Trump confirmed he voted by mail in Florida’s special election Tuesday, but he pivoted from the media attack point to note his mail-in ballot reform agenda provides for «exceptions» — and not only because he has the privilege of being president.

«Yeah, I did,» Trump shot back at a reporter Thursday at his second Cabinet meeting of 2026. «You know what? Because I’m president of the United States.»

«And because of the fact that I’m president of the United States, I did a mail-in ballot for elections that took place in Florida because I felt I should be here instead of being in the beautiful sunshine.»

The reporter noted Trump was at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, before the Palm Beach County election held Tuesday for a state senator and a state representative.

REPUBLICANS, TRUMP RUN INTO SENATE ROADBLOCK ON VOTER ID BILL

«That’s right, and I decided that I was going to vote by mail-in ballot because I couldn’t be there,» Trump said, adding, «I had a lot of different things» going on.

Trump was at Mar-a-Lago for the weekend, in Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday for a forum on crime, and then back in Washington, D.C., for the rest of the week, including delivering a speech to the National Republican Congressional Committee on Wednesday night.

Still, Trump proudly reminded the reporter, he is not being hypocritical in rebuking mail-in ballot fraud while voting by mail.

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON CALLS FOR GOP TO ‘NATIONALIZE’ VOTING AS CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS BALK

President Donald Trump pulled no punches at his second Cabinet meeting of 2026, calling Iran ‘lousy fighters’ and questioning who is leading the country with so many voices speaking from the shadows against peace. (Jim WATSON / AFP)

«You know, we have exceptions for mail-in ballots,» Trump said. «You do know that, right? So if you’re away, you have an exception. If you’re in the military, we have an exception. If you’re on a business trip, we have an exception. If you’re disabled, we have an exception. And if you’re ill, if you’re not feeling good.

«So I was away mostly in Washington, D.C., so I used a mail-in ballot.»

Trump rebuked voting by mail as «mail-in cheating» at his Memphis stop.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM ENFORCING MAIL-IN VOTING RULES IN EXECUTIVE ORDER

«I call it mail-in cheating, and we got to do something about it all,» Trump said. «And it’s part of Homeland Security.»

Trump said Sunday his fellow Republicans should not reach an agreement on funding the Department of ​Homeland Security until Democrats in Congress approve a bill — the SAVE America Act — that requires people registering to vote to provide proof of U.S. citizenship.

FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN PARTS OF TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER ON CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION FOR VOTER REGISTRATION

Trump also pushed for Democrat approval of other items he wants added to the bill, including banning transgender women from women’s sports, outlawing «transgender mutilation of our children» and restricting mail-in ballots except in cases of illness, disability, military service or travel.

«As President Trump has said, the SAVE America Act has commonsense exceptions for Americans to use mail-in ballots for illness, disability, military, or travel – but universal mail-in voting should not be allowed because it’s highly susceptible to fraud,» White House spokesperson Olivia Wales wrote in an email earlier this week.

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It was not the first time Trump has voted by mail. He voted by absentee ballot in the 2018 midterm elections, a White House spokesperson said at the time. Trump had requested an absentee ballot but decided to vote in person in 2020.

Reuters contributed to this report.

U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine are being tied to Kyiv ceding the eastern Donbas region to Russia as part of a potential peace deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Reuters in an interview published Thursday.

«The Americans are prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas,» Zelenskyy said, describing a proposal he warned could undermine both Ukraine’s defenses and broader European security.

But a U.S. official, speaking on background, told Fox News Digital the claim is false.

Zelenskyy’s comments point to growing pressure from President Donald Trump to reach a swift end to the war, now in its fourth year following Russia’s 2022 invasion. 

ZELENSKYY SAYS PEACE DEAL IS CLOSE AFTER TRUMP MEETING BUT TERRITORY REMAINS STICKING POINT

Zelenskyy suggested the administration’s approach is influenced in part by competing global crises, including the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

«The Middle East definitely has an impact on President Trump,» Zelenskyy said. «President Trump, unfortunately, in my opinion, still chooses a strategy of putting more pressure on the Ukrainian side.»

Talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine have taken place in Abu Dhabi and Geneva in 2026, but key issues remain unresolved, including how Ukraine’s future security would be guaranteed and who would fund its long-term defense.

Zelenskyy warned that abandoning Donbas would hand Russia heavily fortified Ukrainian defensive lines, weakening Kyiv’s position and potentially enabling future aggression.

«I would very much like the American side to understand that the eastern part of our country is part of our security guarantees,» he said.

ZELENSKYY CLAIMS TRUMP SAID US WILL CONSIDER GIVING UKRAINE DECADES OF SECURITY GUARANTEES

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that abandoning Donbas would hand Russia heavily fortified Ukrainian defensive lines.  (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has long insisted that full control of Donbas is central to Moscow’s war aims. While Russian forces have made gains, analysts cited by Reuters say progress has been slow, and capturing the remaining territory could take significant time and manpower.

Zelenskyy also warned that Moscow is betting Washington will lose interest if negotiations stall. 

«Russia is counting on the fact that the United States will not have the strength or patience to bring this to an end,» he said.

Despite tensions over negotiations, Zelenskyy thanked the Trump administration for continuing deliveries of Patriot missile defense systems, which Ukraine relies on to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. 

«Deliveries to us were not stopped. I’m very grateful to President Trump, and to his team,» he said, while adding that supplies remain insufficient.

In parallel with the diplomatic push, Zelenskyy signaled a broader strategy to expand Ukraine’s role as a security provider, particularly in the Middle East, where countries are seeking solutions to large-scale drone and missile threats.

UKRAINE PEACE TALKS PRODUCTIVE AS EX-GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SAYS COUNTRY RETHINKING ‘UNCOMPROMISING’ STANCE

A cemetery worker prepares a burial vault at military cemetery outside of the city of Dnipro, Ukraine, May 25, 2023. (Seth Herald/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

«The United States has reached out to us regarding their bases in Middle Eastern countries,» Zelenskyy wrote on X Thursday, adding that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait have also approached Ukraine.

He said Ukrainian teams are already on the ground sharing operational experience, particularly in countering mass drone attacks. 

«No matter how many Patriots, THAADs, or other air defense systems are in the Middle East, that alone is not enough,» he wrote. «There are modern interceptors designed to counter heavy drone strikes.»

Zelenskyy also indicated Ukraine is exploring defense trade arrangements, offering to sell surplus systems and expertise while seeking access to air defense missiles it currently lacks. 

«Funding is the scarcest resource today,» he wrote, noting Ukraine’s defense industry is operating at roughly half capacity and needs additional financing to scale drone production.

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Ukraine is exploring defense trade arrangements, the country’s president said.  (Iryna Rybakova/Press Service of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Reuters)

In separate posts tied to an address at a Joint Expeditionary Force summit, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine’s battlefield experience could play a broader role in European and global security.

«We have this experience. … Let’s bring all of this together even more,» he wrote, calling for deeper cooperation with European partners and warning that the continent must build its own capacity to produce air defense systems rather than rely on external suppliers.

Reuters contributed to this story.