Yemen conflict has killed nearly 400 kids

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The conflict in Yemen has killed nearly 400 children since the end of March, and a similar number of children have been recruited by armed groups. That’s according to a new report by the U.N. children’s agency. This is UNICEF’s first such alert on Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Shiite Houthi rebels since late March. The report says that as of a week ago, 398 children have been killed, 377 have been recruited to fight and 1.3 million have fled their homes. Human rights groups have expressed concern that both sides are violating the laws of war and not doing enough to protect civilians. Amnesty International has called on the U.N. to create a commission of inquiry to investigate alleged war crimes.

Mobile money product relaunched in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A telecommunications company has relaunched a money-transfer system in Haiti that lets people get easier access to cash through their cellphones. Digicel says its rebranded “Mon Cash” service has a place in impoverished Haiti, a country where only about 16 percent of the people have bank accounts. The telecom says the new mobile money product gives customers the ability to make domestic money transfers, pay bills and perform other basic transactions with their cellphones. In a Tuesday statement, Digicel says the relaunched effort has more vendors and a much broader reach than a previous one called “ TchoTcho.” Opening an account is free and people need only a valid government ID to register. Mobile money-transfer systems are also popular in countries such as Kenya, Uganda and the Philippines.