Ren Bishop is one of many American drivers who texts, tweets and talks on her cellphone while she's behind the wheel — and thinks it should be up to drivers to use their discretion when it comes to safety.

Though she admits thumbing her phone while driving is a bad habit, the University of Missouri student says drivers "are mature enough to understand when it is appropriate and when it is not."

Apple has launched its iTunes store in Brazil and 15 other Latin American countries, the company said Tuesday, making available for sale more than 20 million songs in a region where music piracy is rampant.

One top Brazilian music industry official said he thinks the launch of the online iTunes store, along with expectations that Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn will soon produce iPods, iPads and iPhones in Brazil, will put a dent in piracy in Brazil.

Greece is in crisis, but it was hard to tell at Athens fashion week, which showcased spring and summer collections for 2012.

"Keep Greek Fashion in Your Hearts," was the motto, a hard ask in a country on the verge of financial ruin. But the models on the catwalk and the glitterati on the red carpet did their part. Gowns shimmered, lipstick glistened. Pink cocktails flowed, courtesy of the sponsors.

Lindsay Lohan is due in court Wednesday to give a judge her first progress update under strict new probation requirements intended to keep close tabs on the troubled actress.

Lohan has been reporting regularly for work at the Los Angeles County morgue since being repeatedly threatened with a long jail sentence if she failed to complete the terms of her probation, which include community service and counseling sessions.

A Lebanese national who U.S. authorities say is the ringleader of a vast international drug smuggling ring with links to Hizbullah has been indicted on drug and money laundering charges after allegedly reaping more than $850 million in illicit profits.

The indictment was announced Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria against Ayman Joumaa, who is currently at large. It alleges he led a conspiracy that, among other activities, sold nearly 100 tons of Colombian cocaine to the Zetas drug cartel in Mexico between 2005 and 2007 that was ultimately smuggled into the United States. The conspiracy has run since at least 2004 and at times brought in as much as $200 million in a single month, according to court documents.

After months of putting his health at risk while playing with a chronic bowel disease, Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has been forced take an extended break from football to rest and recuperate.

The 27-year-old Scotland captain, who did not play between March and September with what United previously called a "virus," has been suffering from ulcerative colitis — an inflammatory bowel condition.

A $5.5 billion upgrade to the Global Positioning System moved a step closer to launch this week when a prototype arrived at a Lockheed Martin complex in Colorado to begin months of tests.

It's the guinea pig for a new generation of GPS satellites, called Block III, that's expected to make military and civilian receivers more accurate, powerful and reliable.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic have been named ITF World Champions for 2011.

Djokovic won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open in a stellar year in which took over as the top-ranked men's player, finishing with a 70-6 overall record.

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been voted the French player of the year by France Football magazine after scoring 32 goals in 56 matches for club and country in 2011.

Benzema, who scored crucial goals to help France qualify for next year's European Championship, won the magazine's vote ahead of Barcelona defender Eric Abidal and Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who was third.

Facebook is making it easier for people who express suicidal thoughts on the social networking site to get help.

A program launching Tuesday enables users to instantly connect with a crisis counselor from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline through Facebook's "chat" messaging system.