U2 claims that the postponement of their world tour was due to "routing" difficulties, not a family illness as originally reported by Rolling Stone.

In a posting on U2's official website, U2 manager Paul McGuinness makes no mention of an illness, and instead says "we've postponed the announcement of the tour because the routing is still being worked on. As soon as we get everything confirmed in the coming weeks, we'll let you know."

The tour, in support of the Irish rocker's latest album "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb," was set to kick off in Miami on March 1. The full schedule of the global trek was to be announced sometime this month.

Meanwhile, U2 fan site @U2, citing a "reliable source," says the band will now kick off the tour on March 28 in Los Angeles. Most dates that were planned for the month of March are being rescheduled, including a rumoured late-March Toronto stop at the Air Canada Centre, which has now been postponed until September.

U2 did confirm that they intend to play the Grammy Awards on February 13, and will be in attendance for its induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 14th in New York.