Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 28 August

In Tanzania, children as young as eight-years-old are working in small-scale gold mines, with grave risks to their health and even their lives. A major new report from HRW highlights the dangers with stunning photos and video.
Key international actors, especially the World Bank, should help children transition from work in unlicensed mines to schooling. A current $55 million World Bank project to support the mining sector does not directly address child labor. Richard was only 11 years old when a mine pit collapsed on him while he was digging for gold. He barely escaped, but eventually had to return to the mines. In Saudi Arabia, the cabinet approved for the first time a ban on domestic violence against women. The new law is a big step forward for women's rights in the kingdom, provided it is properly enforced. In Liberia, the police frequently take the vendors’ goods, and sometimes even lock up individuals, demanding to be paid for the release of both. The subject of corruption is headline news even on the remarkable “chalkboard newspaper”, The Daily Talk, seen here:  It's essential the government address the rampant corruption before the drawdown of the UN mission later this year. From this morning:  Western-led military intervention against Syria appears increasingly likely in response to massive chemical weapons attacks last week. Reports claim air strikes could come "within days", though UN inspections on the ground continue. Human Rights Watch has said that any armed intervention should be judged by how well it protects all Syrian civilians from further atrocities.