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NEW YORK — “Breaking Bad,” the American drama about a chemistry teacher who turns to manufacturing methamphetamine, has been ranked the best television series of the 21st century in a poll of more than 500 industry figures conducted by The New York Times. The newspaper asked actors, showrunners, craftspeople, executives and others in the television business to name up to 10 of the best series that premiered on or after Jan. 1, 2000. It received 516 ballots. Voters included actors Elisabeth Moss

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka's Parliament on Friday approved a constitutional amendment raising the retirement age of senior judges, passing a measure opposition parties and lawyers had opposed for weeks, arguing it could weaken judicial independence. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution passed 158 to 63, clearing the two-thirds majority required for constitutional changes. A companion measure, the Judicature (Amendment) Bill, passed by the same margin. The amendment raises the retirement

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — On Sept. 22, the leaders of Sri Lanka’s main Tamil political party wrote to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake asking for an urgent meeting on a single subject: the case of Sivarasa Anojan, a 26-year-old Sri Lankan worker facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia over a Facebook comment about the Prophet Muhammad. The party did not release the letter. Two days later, Sivagnanam Shritharan, one of the party's most senior lawmakers, released a separate letter of his own. Signed

COLOMBO: China's new ambassador to Sri Lanka, Wei Huaxiang, said on Wednesday that the 1952 Rubber-Rice Pact was "a valuable historical legacy for China and Sri Lanka" and should guide relations between the two countries as they prepare to mark 70 years of diplomatic ties next year. "China stands ready to work with Sri Lanka to continue carrying forward the spirit of independence, self-reliance, solidarity and mutual assistance enshrined in the Rubber-Rice Pact," Mr. Wei said at a reception a

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — India has told a Sri Lankan opposition lawmaker that it could act to help Sivarasa Anojan, a Sri Lankan migrant worker sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, once the Sri Lankan government formally approaches Saudi authorities and makes a request on his behalf. Santosh Jha, India’s high commissioner to Sri Lanka, conveyed that position during a meeting with Mano Ganesan, the leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance, according to Mr. Ganesan. Under the position Mr. Jha describe