Gates praises British for foreign aid

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said Britons should be proud their country has pledged to raise its foreign aid donations in line with U.N. targets. The billionaire businessman said the contributions are having a positive impact on the world's poorest people, Britain's Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday. The British government has come under harsh criticism for its pledge to raise the country's foreign aid budget to $16.5 billion in 2014-15. "I think it is a great example that is influencing lots of other countries," Gates said of the pledge. "The aid budget is only a few percent of the overall budget although that adds up to significant numbers when you talk about malarial bed nets or AIDS drugs to keep people alive." Gates was in London for the launch of an anti-poverty initiative. He said his biggest issue with the upcoming U.S. presidential election is whether the winner will "maintain aid generosity."