IMO you should try to pick one in the Canon or Nikon range if possible.
Sadly these days especially in your price range, the choice is so damn big that it is hard to give a suggestion. You should go to the store and take the cameras in your hands to see also wich you prefer lookwise.
The important stuff is a decent optical zoom of course. Also a rotating LCD monitor can be VERY handy. The possibility to add filters can be usefull (polarizer), same goes for macro lenses, you never know. For that money I doubt there is one wich doesn't have the "hole" to attach it to a tripod, but always check.
Also, the more MP, the better (-> more cropping resizing options in case of a wrong framing in the first place).
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