Short answers, pulled from the story.
The British Council was created in 1934 as the British Committee for Relations with Other Countries. It shortened its name to just the British Council in 1936 after four offices opened in Bucharest, Cairo, Lisbon, and Warsaw.
Paul Thompson serves as the chair while Scott McDonald acts as the chief executive of the organization. The headquarters are located in Stratford, London under the sponsorship of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Armed men attacked the office in Kabul on the 19th of August 2011 killing at least 12 people who were not British. All attackers died in counter-attacks by forces guarding the compound before the office relocated to the British Embassy compound.
The organization operates in more than 100 countries promoting knowledge of the UK and the English language. Its activities include running global IELTS tests and delivering Massive Open Online Courses to hundreds of thousands of learners.
Russia designated the British Council as an undesirable organisation in June 2025 suspending remaining activities following a history of tax disputes and diplomatic expulsions. This decision limits access for Russian citizens to IELTS certification which is required for emigration and study.