European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday, September 16, that Canada has been invited to become its first associate member, a new status within the EU about which details are unknown.

This is part of a search for new partnerships with Canada in key sectors, such as technology, critical raw materials, energy and defense, critical minerals, and AI, the EC President said during her 2026 State of the Union address in Strasbourg.

Von der Leyen told MEPs and international guests: “We share an ocean, a set of values, and a way of seeing the world. And now we are going to build our shared future as well,” referring to Canada and its offer of new status.

Canada is not part of the European Union, “but it shares the same values ​​as the EU, such as human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, essential criteria for becoming a member state.”

M.Pino

Source: euronews

(Reference image source: Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash)

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La entrada Canada could become the European Union’s first associate member apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Venezuela will seek technical cooperation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in a project for the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

According to the Minister for Science and Technology, Yván Gil, the objective is to “incorporate the use of nuclear technology and knowledge for peaceful purposes in the inspection of infrastructure, the health sector and industrial processes.”

According to the announcement, engineers from the Venezuelan Technological Scientific Pole and the Presidential Commission for the Evaluation of Habitability of Infrastructure received training in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) for the “review of structures after seismic events.

The use of ionizing radiation in NDT tests seeks to determine possible internal failures and properties of the materials without compromising their usefulness.”

During the END tests, the integrity, properties and defects of materials are analyzed without altering or damaging their functionality or physical-chemical properties, which reaffirms the “peaceful use of nuclear technology and ionizing radiation as fundamental pillars for the analysis of critical structures,” indicated Gil on his Telegram channel.

Representatives of the Technical Cooperation Division for Latin America and the Caribbean of the IAEA analyzed the need to strengthen academic and scientific training in medical applications, research and microbiological sterilization.

In addition, “international delegates and national authorities reviewed the provision of technical supplies for the country’s health network and the security protocols required for the handling of radioactive material.”

M.Pino

Source: bitacoraeconomica

(Reference image source: Lukáš Lehotský on Unsplash)

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La entrada Venezuela evaluates use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes apareció primero en Bitfinance.

In Caracas or any other city in Venezuela, in New York, Madrid, or Beijing, Bancamiga simplifies the daily financial lives of its customers with the Bancamiga Mastercard Debit Card, a card designed to provide convenience, travel support, and business flexibility.

The card allows you to make payments at points of sale inside and outside of Venezuela, withdrawals at international ATMs, and online purchases quickly and easily.

Available in various versions—Classic, Business, Black, Kids, Padel, Soul Flavors, Gamer, and special editions—it features NFC (contactless) technology and is tokenized in Bancamiga Suite, making it possible to pay simply by tapping the card or your mobile phone against the point of sale.

Ironclad security for digital purchases

When operating online, protecting your funds is a priority. Bancamiga has incorporated advanced tools such as the Virtual Lock and ID Check technology, a real-time authentication mechanism using a code generated by the Bancamiga Suite application. This protocol, internationally recognized in more than 120 countries, prevents fraud and safeguards user information in every electronic transaction.

Entertainment, savings, and business advantages

In addition to facilitating payments for streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, and Spotify, the card provides access to promotions at partner merchants in the country.

For the corporate segment, the Business version opens the door to the global Mastercard Easy Savings Specials platform, with direct benefits in key areas for business growth: cloud infrastructure, productivity, digital marketing, logistics, office tools, and human talent development.

How to apply?

Obtaining the Bancamiga Mastercard Debit Card is a quick and easy process. Users can apply through www.bancamiga.com, find more details on their social media channels (@bancamiga), or visit any of the bank’s 51 branches nationwide.

Information and image courtesy of Bancamiga Banco Universal

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La entrada Bancamiga Mastercard debit card: Global reach, digital security, and tailored benefits apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The CatCARD platform, developed by Phoenix3k, is the Venezuelan banking system’s newest partner, aiming to centralize the issuance and monitoring of debit, credit, and prepaid cards, as well as achieve a single digital infrastructure.

“This new technology integrates with the company’s existing services, such as the CatSW switching system and the CatPAY mobile payment platform, with the goal of reducing operational fragmentation within financial institutions and accelerating the launch of new financial products.”

CatCARD covers the entire card lifecycle, from initial creation to collections management, as well as chargeback administration and the issuance of virtual cards for commercial or corporate transactions.

The system offers:

• Security tools for transaction validation.
• Real-time fraud risk assessment.
• Authentication protocols with dynamic keys for electronic purchases.
• Automation of daily reconciliation processes for transactions against final settlements.
• Easy release of withholdings.
• Rapid generation of files for manufacturing physical cards according to industry requirements.

M.Pino

Source: globovision

(Reference image source: Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash)

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La entrada Venezuelan banking system incorporates Phoenix3k’s CatCARD platform to unify card management apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The social network Threads, owned by Meta, announced the activation of parental controls to allow parents to monitor their children’s browsing time.

The new controls will go live this week. In addition to monitoring teenagers’ online activity, parents or guardians will have the option to adjust privacy settings.

Adults will be able to set usage limits, as well as activate “sleep mode” to prevent connections at night.

Another feature that Meta will activate on the social network is managing who tags minors in posts.

M.Pino

With information from specialized technology media

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La entrada Meta launches parental controls to Threads apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The use of stablecoins in everyday payments in Latin America continues to increase. Digital currencies are a response to factors such as inflation, monetary weakness, financial volatility and difficult access to dollars.

In various LA countries “the so-called digital dollars are beginning to be used to pay, save and send money, beyond crypto trading.”

Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina set the trend in the region in terms of the adoption of payment systems based on “digital wallets, QR codes, cards”, as well as increasingly efficient and secure applications and platforms.

The currencies of these countries are converted to stablecoins such as USDT or USDC or cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.

Traditional banking users now see digital assets as an everyday means of payment, not as a means of investment. The growth in the use of stablecoins in Latin America is linked to “specific needs: protecting purchasing power, moving money between countries, accessing a more stable unit of account and making payments without always depending on the traditional banking system.” Added to this is sending money to relatives in other countries in the format of remittances.

M.Pino

Source: cripto247

(Reference image source: Kanchanara on Unsplash)

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La entrada The use of stablecoins for everyday payments is growing in Latin America apareció primero en Bitfinance.

Paraguayan opposition senator Ignacio Iramain recently proposed regulation of the development of artificial intelligence, pointing out that there are risks in the advancement of technology without regulation.

According to Iramain, technology “is being controlled by a few global actors, which deepens power inequalities at the international level.”

The strategy proposed by the senator contemplates five key axes:

1. Regulation by risk levels: Refers to the classification of AI systems according to their potential impact.
2. Prohibition of indiscriminate biometric surveillance.
3. Citizen right to transparency: Citizens let people know when a decision was made with AI assistance and can challenge it before a human authority.
4. Public registry of AI systems: Create an accessible registry of artificial intelligence systems in use.
5. Protection of digital sovereignty: Strengthen the national capacity for control over the implemented technologies.

M.Pino

Source: diariparaguayo

(Reference image source: Steve A Johnson on Unsplash)

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La entrada Paraguay Senate proposes legislation to control AI development apareció primero en Bitfinance.

An analysis conducted in late 2025 by ESET, a leading company in proactive threat detection, highlighted the evolution of ransomware (data kidnapping) as one of trends to watch closely in 2026. This first quarter of the year confirms its importance, and the cybersecurity company analyzes the most attacked industries, which countries were most affected, the situation in Latin America, and the incidence of each group.

Topics of paramount importance and interest to both experts and cautious users who follow these incidents.

According to the ransomware.live report, the three groups that dominated the first quarter of the year were Qilin, The Gentlemen, and Akira, which together accounted for almost 900 victims, representing more than 30% of the total attacks (approximately 2,200).

Qilin ransomware took first place with more than 400 attacks during the quarter. This ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) group, which also held this position last year, took the professionalization of cybercrime to a new level, so to speak, by providing legal counsel to its affiliates to strengthen their leverage during ransom negotiations.

Second place, with almost 250 attacks, went to The Gentlemen. This RaaS group represents a new era: it is moving away from mass attacks to focus on tailored operations. A silent and far more dangerous model, according to ESET, that redefines the rules of the game with targeted and adaptive campaigns.

Akira completed this negative podium, with more than 200 attacks to its name, many in Latin America. Its spread was so widespread that it even put major cybersecurity agencies around the world on alert, including the FBI.

Regarding the industries most affected by ransomware during the first three months of 2026, ESET found the manufacturing, technology, and healthcare sectors to be the most impacted. Following closely behind were business services, construction, and financial services.

“What is clear is that cyber attackers do not choose their victims randomly, but rather seek out organizations where they can generate a strong impact or sense of urgency, whether due to the immediate need to have their systems available, because they cannot afford long operational downtime, or because they handle critical or sensitive information. Ransomware groups continue to focus on economic and reputational impact, targeting industries undergoing digitalization but demonstrating less maturity in cybersecurity,” says Mario Micucci, Cybersecurity Researcher at ESET Latin America.

Internationally, with more than 1,000 attacks recorded, the United States was the country most affected by ransomware during the first quarter of 2026. The countries that followed recorded only 100 attacks or fewer, such as Germany, Great Britain, and France. Canada completed the top five affected countries.

Regarding Latin America, Brazil (50 attacks) and Mexico (30) were the most affected countries, but incidents were also recorded in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, and the Dominican Republic

The first quarter of 2026 confirms the trend that ransomware is not a temporary or declining threat, but a consolidated and constantly evolving phenomenon. “The combination of highly active groups, new emerging actors, and increasingly targeted attacks demonstrates that the model remains profitable for cyber attackers. Looking ahead, the focus should be on how organizations can strengthen their prevention, detection, and response capabilities, especially in critical sectors and regions where cybersecurity maturity still has significant gaps,” concludes Micucci of ESET.

For more information on this topic, please visit: https://www.welivesecurity.com/es/ransomware/actividad-ransomware-primer-trimestre-2026/.

Additionally, for other useful preventative information, visit https://www.eset.com/ve/ in Venezuela, and follow them on social media @eset_ve, Instagram (@esetla), and Facebook (ESET).

With information and image reference ​​provided by ESET and Comstat Rowland

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La entrada Manufacturing, technology, and healthcare organizations: Industries most affected by ransomware in 2026 apareció primero en Bitfinance.

The meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, originally planned for March, will now take place in Beijing on May 14 and 15. The two leaders will discuss key issues such as trade, technology, security, and the Middle East conflict.

The two leaders met last October in South Korea. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, “the new date coincides with estimates that the Iran war could end within four to six weeks, although the Chinese government has called for an immediate cessation of attacks and warned that the conflict could spiral out of control.”

Another topic the leaders will discuss is “coordinating positions regarding the war in Ukraine, in an international context marked by geopolitical tensions and trade disputes.”

The US president considered the meeting “momentous” and indicated that he will later receive Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House.

M.Pino

Source: ensegundos

(Reference image source: Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra on Unsplash)

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La entrada Trump to meet with Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14 and 15 apareció primero en Bitfinance.

WhatsApp will launch accounts for pre-teens supervised by parents or guardians in the United States, in order to limit their calling and messaging experience for their safety.

The accounts for children under 13 on WhatsApp, which will be implemented globally in the coming months, will be supervised thanks to a new strict application setting and parental controls.

The platform has stated that “these accounts must be created and actively managed by parents or guardians and must remain linked to their own WhatsApp account, a messaging app owned by Meta. Parents will need the phone they purchased for their family member and their own device, side by side, to link their accounts.”

Once this step is completed, the parent or guardian will be able to “control the account and decide who can communicate with it and which groups it can join. These adults can also review message requests from unknown contacts and manage the account’s privacy settings.”

Security measures include end-to-end encryption of conversations. Furthermore, the new parental controls and settings are protected by a parental PIN on the managed device.

M.Pino

Source: ultimahora

(Reference image source: Swello on Unsplash)

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La entrada WhatsApp announces parent-managed accounts for children under 13 apareció primero en Bitfinance.