If I've learned anything while writing my first blast, it’s that you should be thankful for your freedoms.

Over the weekend, protests occurred in Cairo that quickly turned from what was supposed to be a peaceful, “sit-in,” to extreme and  violent. 24 people were killed and 200 were injured when Coptic Christians, who make up about 10% of the population of Egypt, gathered with select other’s to protest the burning of a church in the Southern province of Aswan.

By Evangeline Han

Junior reporter

Youth Journalism International
MELAKA, Malaysia – The thousands of Malaysians who turned up for this afternoon’s Bersih 2.0 rally are returning home now. They were gassed, chased and beaten by the police, and at least 1,400 of them were arrested.

Hackers have crippled al-Qaeda’s network, the Senate will have a shortened July 4th weekend, Britain is experiencing huge strikes over pensions, and more than 1,000 are hurt after Egyptian police clash with youth.  Also, a group of Senators have sent a letter urging the DOJ to review the validity of voter photo id laws: http://bit.ly/iVgUdb. [...]

(Jerusalem) - Israeli authorities should conduct a criminal investigation into Israeli forces' shootings of protesters who tried to cross into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on June 5, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. The investigation should examine whether regulations permit soldiers to open fire at protesters who pose no imminent threat to them, Human Rights Watch said.
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By Mahsa Maleki, Syria Country Specialist