On October 7th, Johnny & Associates Inc. announced that two NEWS members, Yamashita Tomohisa and Nishikido Ryo, withdrew from the group on the same day. Yamashita will pursue his solo activities, and Nishikido will focus on his activities in Kanjani∞. Consequently, NEWS will continue their activities with four members: Koyama Keiichiro, Kato Shigeaki, Masuda Takahisa, and Tegoshi Yuya.
