Daily Recap: Science — 15 July 2026

Science and technology news today is really a story about control of critical infrastructure, from airwaves and archives to sea lanes and space. Nigeria has set December 2028 as the final deadline for switching off analogue television, completing a long-promised move to digital broadcasting while positioning newly freed spectrum as a valuable national asset. In South Africa, Amazon says it will bring its satellite internet service, Amazon Leo, to market in 2027, underscoring how connectivity battles are shifting skyward as companies compete to reach underserved regions. At the same time, a £1.8 million effort to digitise roughly 700,000 plant and insect specimens points to a quieter but important transformation: making biodiversity data far more accessible for research and conservation. Looming over all of it, though, are sharper struggles over power and information, from investor lawsuits around a major U.S. media merger to Iran’s threats to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.

Top Science stories

• Paramount investors sue David and Larry Ellison over alleged Trump side deal tied to WB Discovery takeover (5 sources)
• Nigeria sets December 2028 deadline for final analogue TV switch-off (5 sources)
• £1.8m project to digitise about 700,000 plant and insect specimens (4 sources)
• FBI Adds Nitish Kaushal to Most Wanted List in Case Linked to Bhagwanpuria Gang (4 sources)
• Amazon plans to launch satellite internet service Amazon Leo in South Africa in 2027 (4 sources)
• Iran vows to keep Strait of Hormuz closed, threatens wider shipping curbs amid US blockade (4 sources)
• Scotland issues warning of very high wildfire risk and urges public vigilance (3 sources)
• Teen fans rally to stop Sydney community hall demolition for a new footpath (3 sources)

Read the full daily recap on NewSumm →