Bulgarians bid farewell to Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgarians lined the streets of Sofia on Saturday to bid farewell to the late Orthodox Patriarch Neophyte. The spiritual leader of Bulgaria’s Orthodox Christians died on Wednesday at the age of 78 after a long illness. Neophyte, who became patriarch in 2013, was the first elected head of the Bulgarian church after … Read more

Political neophyte Stefanos Kasselakis elected new leader of Greece’s main opposition Syriza party

ATHENS, Greece — A 35-year-old businessman without prior political experience was elected Sunday to lead Greece’s main opposition bloc, the left-wing Syriza party. Stefanos Kasselakis defeated Effie Achtsioglou, a 38-year-old lawmaker and former labor minister, in a runoff contest. Three other candidates had been eliminated in an earlier first round. With the votes still being … Read more