Britain will stop giving aid to 16 countries after a major review found that they were no longer in poverty. Too bad one of these countries isn’t India, who can afford a frigging space program, but are only too happy to continue taking aid…

Ministers face criticism for merely freezing funding for India – at £280 million a year for the next four years.

The international development secretary, Andrew Mitchell responded by saying that,

You have to operate where poverty is greatest. In India there are more poor people in three states than there are in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.

Countries getting the axe include Russia, Serbia, China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Moldova. Resources will instead be concentrated on 27 countries with the highest levels of poverty that account for three-quarters of the world’s maternal mortality and malaria deaths, such as Ghana and Afghanistan.

The aid review is long overdue as it seems countries have been freeloading for some time. Malawian aid remains reduced after a K2 billion (that’s Kwatcha) splurge on a presidential jet  in 2009. Some £3 million is being withheld from that lovely republic every year  for the next five years.

Interestingly, India is also reported to have an annual economic growth of 8.5%, and an annual military spend of £20bn. India also dishes out £1.25 billion on their fancy space programme.

[Source: ES & Guardian]