Militant threat forces England out of world badminton championships

England have pulled out of the badminton world championships in Hyderabad, India, after the tournament reportedly received threats from a Pakistan-based Islamic militant group. Badminton England announced their decision yesterday, citing reports that Lashkar-e-Taiba were threatening to target the tournament, which begins Monday and is second only to the Olympics as the sport's leading event. "This was an incredibly tough decision and one we didn't take lightly," said the chief executive, Adrian Christy, who consulted with the British Foreign Office, British High Commission and local police. "We were not prepared to risk the safety of our players, coaches and staff in what we felt could have been a very volatile environment."