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'I have now, unjustly, not by my own doing, been tainted ... But if I am elected, I intend to do the best I can'Looking back over the last week, Ruth Padel doesn't mince her words. 'It's horrible,' she says. 'Derek Walcott is my colleague: I revere his work, and have written about him and learned from him. I had absolutely no wish to see him humiliated, and I'm very, very sorry he pulled out.'The campaign for the position of Oxford poetry professor, of which Padel was one of three candidates, this week turned abruptly from race into car crash. The five-year role, which carries the obligation to deliver 15 lectures, is decided through an election in which all members of Oxford University are eligible to vote. That election is being held today, but although the voting is still taking place, the result looks like a sure thing. Barring a last-minute surge of support for her remaining rival, the Indian poet Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, or Padel feeling compelled to stand down, she will be confi

Back in action after heart surgery, Robin Williams was in fine form at the premiere of 'Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.' Back in action after being sidelined for heart surgery, 'Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian ' star Robin Williams was in fine form at the film's premiere at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C., joking about his new lease on life! "Eight weeks ago when I came out of surgery I said, 'You know what I'm looking forward to? Smithsonian,'" he jokes. "It's good to be here." Co-stars Owen Wilson, Amy Adams and Hank Azaria had kind words to say about Robin being back on his feet and attending the premiere, as did Ben Stiller, who said, "He's an amazing guy and I'm very happy that he's here. I don't think anything can really keep him down."

So, what happens when the National Air and Space Museum clears out for the night? Why, the celebs come out, of course.

Almost all his life Jack Kerouac played a fantasy baseball game of his own invention, a hobby that even close friends and fellow-Beats never knew about.

This life of an Iraqi general helps make sense of the horrors of the past five years by illuminating the murderous quarter-century that preceded them.

"Summer Hours," in spite of its potentially dowdy subject matter, is packed nearly to bursting with rich meaning and deep implication.

Weekly International: RTL's version of U.K. show about child care -- The German version of U.K. format 'Baby Borrowers,' set to air next month on leading commercial broadcaster RTL, has triggered a storm of protest from politicians and children's physicians and psychologists, who argue that the show endangers toddlers' lives.

Reynolds Price recalls his early life as a writer and teacher, starting with his time as a student at Oxford in the 1950s.

Benjamin "Coach" Wade is one of the most controversial characters in "Survivor" history. Despite tall tales and an interesting life philosophy that rubbed many of his fellow castaways the wrong way, he made it to the final five. But last Thursday, after failing to win the Immunity Challenge, the tribe spoke and Coach had his torch snuffed out. ET: In watching the show back, do you think you were portrayed accurately? Coach Wade: I think that a small part of my personality was portrayed. I am a coach; I am intense; I am a motivator, but what you didn't see was my sensitive side. You didn't see me weeping for Tyson because he was a fallen noble warrior. You didn't see me bringing Taj to tears, getting her to emotionally connect with being out there. You didn't see me doing meditation with Debbie. You didn't see my dropping almost 60 pounds from start to finish, because I gave away my food, so everybody could have a lot and I would have none. You didn't see that part

Disjointed and seemingly abandoned bits of film and video find new life