In Egypt, an interim president was sworn in on Thursday, less than a day after President Mohammed Morsy was ousted by the military following mass protests against him. Morsy, of the Muslim Brotherhood, was elected a year ago following Egypt’s 2011 revolution, and took steps to consolidate power in his hands. Adly Mansour, President of Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court, will serve as acting president until a new president is elected; it is not known when elections will take place. Morsy and Muslim Brotherhood supporters accused the military of stealing the revolution.

Israel has not officially responded to Mohammed Morsy’s removal from office, though some officials worry that instability in Egypt could lead to a vacuum in the Sinai which could be exploited to carry out terror attacks in Israel. Former IDF Chief of Staff Gaby Ashkenazy said Morsy’s ouster does not pose an immediate threat to Israel, since the Egyptian army will be more concerned with domestic issues, though the situation is still volatile.

Natural gas has already been discovered in Israeli waters. Despite technical difficulties and plummeting shares, former IDF Chief of Staff Gaby Ashkenazy is confident that the company he currently chairs, Shemen Oil and Gas Resources Ltd., will find oil. Workers from ten different countries, including Israel, are busy looking for it at the Yam 3 drilling station off the coast of Ashdod.

And finally: a group of Israeli schoolchildren has adopted a school in Nairobi, Kenya. The Israeli children began corresponding with Kenyan pen-pals a year ago as an English assignment. A warm friendship developed between the children in the two schools, and the Israeli children initiated a deeper connection, providing the Kenyan school with writing materials, food and presents. The special connection has deepened ties between the two countries; Israel’s Ambassador in Kenya visited the school in Nairobi, and Kenya’s Ambassador in Israel visited the Israeli school.

Jerusalem Online wishes our American viewers a Happy 4th of July!