The Simpsons stick around for two more years

Also, Sam Smith sees vocal-cord specialist, Walking Dead star charged with drink driving, U2 in New York for special Tonight Show episode, Van Gogh painting sells for $66m, and drummer Rudd being shunned by AC/DC bandmates.

The Simpsons. FOX via AP

American TV network Fox has renewed The Simpsons for two more seasons. It reinforces the animated sitcom's status as the longest-running scripted series in prime-time US TV history – the new seasons bring its run up to 28 seasons and 625 episodes. "I've outlasted Letterman, Jon Stewart and McDreamy, because I have something they don't – a costly 200-donut-a-day addiction," Homer was quoted as saying in the announcement on Monday. The Simpsons debuted in December 1989. David Letterman's 33-year run as host of Late Night ends on May 20, and Stewart will bow out of The Daily Show on August 6 after 16 years. "McDreamy" was the nickname of fictional surgeon Derek Shepherd, played by Patrick Dempsey, who was killed off on Grey's Anatomy last month. – AFP

Singer Smith sees vocal-cord specialist

Sam Smith visited a specialist for vocal-cord problems on Tuesday after cancelling more tour dates. The 22-year-old British singer, who was the big winner at this year's Grammy Awards, pulled out of shows tonight and tomorrow in Tokyo and Manila. The I'm Not the Only One and Stay With Me singer had earlier cut short a tour of Australia after doctors noticed a haemorrhage on his vocal cords after a concert in Sydney. "Very upset about Japan and Manila dates," Smith wrote on Instagram, calling the situation "horrid". He said that he was flying from Australia to Los Angeles "to see a specialist to see what to do". – AFP

Walking Dead star charged with drink driving

An actor who plays a troubled priest on the AMC zombie drama The Walking Dead is facing drink-driving, reckless-­driving and drugs charges after allegedly being caught speeding. Police said Seth Gilliam, 46, who plays Father Gabriel Stokes, was stopped shortly after 2am on Sunday in Georgia, not far from the set where much of the TV horror series is filmed. Gilliam told police he had three beers and a shot of alcohol. Police said they also found marijuana inside the vehicle. – AP

U2 in New York for special Tonight Show episode

New Yorkers have been running into Bono and his Irish bandmates all over the city this week. The group has been filming scenes for an appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tomorrow night, on which they will be the only guests. Lucky subway riders at Grand Central Terminal stumbled across the band performing Angel of Harlem on a platform on Monday. Bono and Fallon were also seen riding bikes as part of a sketch poking fun at Bono's real-life bicycle crash in New York's Central Park a few months ago, which resulted in injuries that forced the band to cancel a scheduled week-long Tonight engagement. – AP

Van Gogh painting sells for $66m

A Vincent Van Gogh painting fetched more than US$66 million (Dh242.4m) at an auction in New York on Tuesday, the most paid for a work by the Dutch post-impressionist artist since 1998. Sotheby's said Les Alyscamps, which depicts autumnal trees, had been expected to sell for about $40m but an Asian collector paid $66.3m after an intense bidding war among five potential buyers. Another big seller was a Water Lilies painting by French impressionist Claude Monet, which sold for $54m, well above Sotheby's valuation of $30m to $45m. The highest price paid for a Van Gogh was $82.5m in 1990 for his Portrait of Dr Gachet, also in New York. – AFP

Drummer Rudd being shunned by AC/DC bandmates

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd says his bandmates are ignoring him after he was charged with threatening to kill and drugs offences, despite the ­Australian saying that he wanted to join the band’s world tour. The 60-year-old made a surprise guilty plea to the charges at the opening of his trial in New Zealand last month, and in his first public comments since his arrest, admitted he had made a mistake. “I’ve seen the error of my ways and it’s onward and upwards from here. It was a mistake, we all make mistakes,” he told Australia’s Channel Nine on Tuesday. Rudd was arrested in ­September. In recent appearances, the band featured Chris Slade on drums and he is ­playing on their Rock or Bust world tour, which kicked off this week in Europe. Rudd said he was “fit and ready to go” and his current bail conditions would ­allow him to join the tour, but the band was giving him the cold shoulder. He is due back in court on June 26 for sentencing. Rudd initially faced another charge of “attempting to procure murder”, but it was dropped because of insufficient evidence. – AFP