The Latest Breaking News from the British Council

British Council ‘may have to to close in 60 countries’ amid cuts to aid budget

Exclusive: Council has been asked to submit plans for the same funding or a cut of 2% ahead of spending review

The Guardian - UK · Jun 8, 2025

Ministers accused of being ‘asleep at the wheel’ over UK’s soft power around the world

Government’s own advisers warn of funding crisis for BBC World Service, British Council and universities

The Guardian - UK · Jun 7, 2025

As US retreats, is there a ‘soft power’ opportunity for UK?

Ministers see urgency of west’s declining influence, but funding for institutions such as BBC World Service is tight

The Guardian - UK · Jun 7, 2025

Alastair Niven obituary

Scholar and literary administrator who nurtured the talent of many writers from Africa, Asia and the Commonwealth

The Guardian - UK · Apr 10, 2025

British Council accused of forcing gig economy teachers into ‘feeding frenzy’ for work

With regular teaching hours unavailable, agency tutors must compete for lessons

The Guardian - UK · Mar 15, 2025

Cuts to UK vaccine funding could lead to ‘huge numbers’ of child deaths overseas

Exclusive: Hundreds of thousands of world’s poorest children could die if aid programme slashed, experts warn

The Guardian - UK · Feb 28, 2025

‘Artists should let the cat out of the bag’: Lubaina Himid to represent Britain at 2026 Venice Biennale

She was once forced to exhibit in a corridor by the ICA toilet. Now the 70-year-old artist is going to the ‘Olympics of art’ where she has ‘all sorts of things to say about Britain’s history and the British pavilion itself’

The Guardian - UK · Feb 24, 2025

Return of Trump may boost number of overseas university students in UK – report

The US may lose some of its lustre for international students due to the change of leadership in the White House, the British Council has said.

The Independent UK · Feb 21, 2025

How the British Council changed my life

Letter: Lenka Hudakova says the British Council kickstarted her lifelong pursuit of and passion for all things British

The Guardian - UK · Feb 9, 2025

The Guardian view on the British Council: cherish and preserve

Editorial: Financial struggles dating back to the pandemic are imperilling the future of a bastion of soft power. The government should find a way to help

The Guardian - UK · Jan 28, 2025