The Who’s Zak Starkey is back in the band after reports earlier this week he’d been sacked.

A statement on the band’s official social media pages written by guitarist Pete Townshend said “communication issues” had been “aired happily” and Starkey was “not being asked to step down”.

Townshend also acknowledged the situation “blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen”, concluding “it’s over” and acknowledged his part in “the confusion”.

Titled, “News Flash! Who Backs Zak,” the long statement said Starkey was “not being asked to step down from The Who”.

It said: “There have been some communication issues, personal and private on all sides, that needed to be dealt with, and these have been aired happily.

“Roger and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral line-up and he has readily agreed.”

The rock and roll row followed the band’s Teenage Cancer Trust shows in March.

Townsend’s statement went on: “I take responsibility for some of the confusion. Our TCT shows at the Royal Albert Hall were a little tricky for me.

“I thought that four and a half weeks would be enough time to recover completely from having a complete knee replacement. (Why did I ever think I could land on my knees?) Wrong!

“Maybe we didn’t put enough time into sound checks, giving us problems on stage. The sound in the centre of the stage is always the most difficult to work with.”

So what went wrong?

Going on to highlight the specifics of what went wrong, Townshend added: “Roger did nothing wrong but fiddle with his in-ear monitors. Zak made a few mistakes and he has apologised. Albeit with a rubber duck drummer.

“We are a family, this blew up very quickly and got too much oxygen. It’s over. We move forward now with optimism and fire in our bellies.”

A review of one gig, published in the Metro, suggested frontman Roger Daltrey – who launched the annual gig series for the charity in 2000 – had been “frustrated” with the drumming during some tracks.

Townsend also said he owed drummer Scott Devours “an apology” for not “crushing the rumour” that he would be replacing Starkey in the Who line-up.

Devours is supporting Roger Daltrey on his solo tour, which kicked off this weekend.

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Starkey – who is the son of The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr – reposted Townshend’s statement, with the message: “V grateful to be a part of the Who family Thanks Roger and Pete xx”.

The 59-year-old drummer previously said he was “surprised and saddened” by news of his sacking.

He’s been with The Who for nearly three decades, after joining in 1996 for their Quadrophenia tour.

Starkey also drums for supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos – along with fellow musicians Shaun Ryder and Bez from Happy Mondays, and Andy Bell of Ride and Oasis – and has previously played with Oasis, Lightning Seeds and Johnny Marr.

Pope Francis has made his first significant public appearance since he left hospital, greeting cheering crowds from the popemobile.

He blessed the thousands of faithful gathered to celebrate Easter Sunday at the Vatican.

The 88-year-old pontiff appeared frail as he was wheeled out onto the balcony over the entrance of St Peter’s Basilica, before being driven in the popemobile through the crowds of faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square.

He was met with cheers, applause and chants of “Viva il Papa” – meaning long live the Pope.

It is his longest stint out in public since he spent five weeks in hospital being treated for double pneumonia.

“Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” Pope Francis managed to say, before an aide read the rest of his annual Urbi et Orbi blessing and speech, which called for an end to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

“May the risen Christ grant Ukraine, devastated by war, his Easter gift of peace, and encourage all parties involved to pursue efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace,” the message said.

“In this Jubilee year, may Easter also be a fitting occasion for the liberation of prisoners of war and political prisoners!”

Crowds then stretched out their hands and filmed as the Pope was driven past in the special vehicle.

The popemobile stopped a number of times in order for the pontiff to bless babies and small children, appearing to also give them gifts.

Before the public appearance, the Pope “exchanged good wishes” with US vice president JD Vance during a private audience at the Vatican.

Mr Vance, who is in Rome with his family, also met with Pope Francis on Saturday, where the Vatican said there had been “an exchange of opinions” over international conflicts, migrants and prisoners.

The Pope has only appeared in public a handful of times since returning to the Vatican on 23 March.

Leading up to Easter, he skipped the solemn services of Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Before Sunday, his biggest outing had been a visit to Rome’s central prison to spend Holy Thursday with inmates.

He also missed the Easter Sunday open-air mass, which was led instead by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the retired archpriest of St Peter’s Basilica.

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Despite cutting down his workload, the Pope was able to meet King Charles and Queen Camilla during the British monarch’s four-day state visit to Italy at the beginning of April.

Charles and Camilla’s 20-minute meeting with the Pope included an exchange of gifts and the pontiff wishing them a happy 20th wedding anniversary.

Anti-Trump protests took place across America on Saturday, with demonstrators decrying the administration’s immigration crackdown and mass firings at government agencies. 

Events ranged from small local marches to a rally in front of the White House and a demonstration at a Massachusetts commemoration of the start of the Revolutionary War 250 years ago.

Thomas Bassford, 80, was at the battle reenactment with his two grandsons, as well as his partner and daughter.

He said: “This is a very perilous time in America for liberty. I wanted the boys to learn about the origins of this country and that sometimes we have to fight for freedom.”

At events across the country, people carried banners with slogans including “Trump fascist regime must go now!”, “No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state,” and “Fight fiercely, Harvard, fight,” referencing the university’s recent refusal to hand over much of its control to the government.

Some signs name-checked Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorian citizen living in Maryland, who the Justice Department admits was mistakenly deported to his home country.

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People waved US flags, some of them held upside down to signal distress. In San Francisco, hundreds of people spelt out “Impeach & Remove” on a beach, also with an inverted US flag.

People walked through downtown Anchorage in Alaska with handmade signs listing reasons why they were demonstrating, including one that read: “No sign is BIG enough to list ALL of the reasons I’m here!”

Protests also took place outside Tesla car dealerships against the role Elon Musk ahas played in downsizing the federal government as de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The protests come just two weeks after similar nationwide demonstrations.

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Organisers are opposing what they call Mr Trump’s civil rights violations and constitutional violations, including efforts to deport scores of immigrants and to scale back the federal government by firing thousands of government workers and effectively shuttering entire agencies.

The Trump administration, among other things, has moved to shutter Social Security Administration field offices, cut funding for government health programs and scale back protections for transgender people.