Vijay Iyer could have spent his life delving into the mysteries of quantum mechanics after graduating from Yale University with a combined major in math and physics. While earning a Ph.D. in the cognitive science of music from University of California, Berkeley, however, Iyer felt a stronger tug toward the musician’s life. So instead pursuing mathematics or music theory, he’s adding Michael Jackson to his modern jazz repertoire.

Music, calligraphy, conversations and poetry merge in Vikram Seth's new anthology of poetry, "The Rivered Earth", an eclectic journey into the heart of rhythmic lyricism that the writer of "The Golden Gate" - a novel in verse - is known for.

PepsiCo Inc (PEP.N) revamped its global structure on Monday in a move that deepens its management bench and could pave the way for an eventual successor to Chief Executive Indra Nooyi. The company named John Compton, currently CEO of its Americas Foods division, to the newly created position of president of PepsiCo. It also named Brian Cornell, a PepsiCo alum who most recently ran the Sam's Club unit of Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai appealed for calm on Wednesday after officials said at least six people were shot dead and dozens wounded in protests over the burning of copies of the Koran, Islam's holy book, at NATO's main base in the country. The U.S. embassy said its staff were in "lockdown" and travel had been suspended as thousands of people expressed fury over the burning, in protests that flared for a second day in several cities.

Soumitra Dutta, a professor of business and technology, has been appointed dean of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. His appointment will be effective July 1, the university announced Jan. 9.

Priyanka Gandhi joined the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, injecting sparkle into a tightly fought race and overshadowing her brother Rahul, heir-apparent of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Vivacious and bearing a striking resemblance to her grandmother and former prime minister Indira Gandhi - who was known as "India's iron lady" - 40-year-old Priyanka has until now stayed mostly in the wings of the political fray.

Mitt Romney was poised to take a big step toward the Republican U.S. presidential nomination on Tuesday by capturing New Hampshire, hoping to ride out last-minute attacks labeling him a corporate raider who enjoyed firing workers.