Asia News Wrap: Philippine president orders Cabinet to resign, and more

Here are a few stories from around Asia you may have missed this week.

Philippine president orders Cabinet resignation after election setback

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the resignation of his entire Cabinet, just over a week after disappointing midterm election results. 

"This is not business as usual," Marcos said in a statement on Thursday. "The people have spoken, and they expect results – not politics, not excuses.”

Though framed as a managerial reset, the mass resignation order follows the May 12 midterm polls, which signaled shifting political loyalties amid Marcos's deepening feud with Vice President Sara Duterte. Several Senate candidates endorsed by the president were defeated, while Duterte-backed figures and independent opposition candidates made unexpected gains, revealing cracks within the ruling coalition.

The results have raised concerns about Marcos's weakening mandate as he enters the final three years of his term, which ends in 2028.

China completes world's first IoT satellite constellation

China launched the final four satellites of its global Internet of Things (IoT) constellation on Monday, completing the first phase of the project.

The commercial sea-based launch was carried out by Chinese private space firm Galactic Energy, which deployed the satellites using a CERES-1S Y5 carrier rocket at 3:38 p.m. from waters off Shandong Province in east China.

The satellites are part of "Tianqi," China's first low Earth orbit IoT communication constellation. The initial phase includes a total of 37 satellites.

Japan's agriculture minister resigns over controversial rice remark

Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Taku Eto resigned on Wednesday following public and political backlash over remarks he made about rice, adding to the challenges facing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's embattled government.

Eto came under fire after media reports revealed comments he made at a political fundraising party on Sunday, where he said he had "never had to buy rice" thanks to gifts from supporters.

The remark sparked widespread criticism from voters, who are already frustrated by record-high rice prices caused by a poor harvest and surging demand driven by a tourism boom.

Fans in Malaysia crowd zoo to bid farewell to pandas

As the giant panda pair Xing Xing and Liang Liang – formerly known as Fu Wa and Feng Yi in China – returned to China on Sunday, dozens of people gathered at Zoo Negara near Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to bid them farewell.

The pair had arrived in Malaysia in May 2014 to mark the 40th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations. Upon settling in, they were given new names: Fu Wa became Xing Xing, meaning "prosperity," while Feng Yi was renamed Liang Liang, meaning "pretty."

Zoo Negara will upgrade its facilities in preparation for two new pandas, expected to arrive from China in August.

Bengaluru inundated after heavy rains in India

Heavy rain left India's glitzy IT hub, Bengaluru, waterlogged and disrupted daily life. The India Meteorological Department issued a yellow alert for the city on Monday.

The flooding was blamed on continuous rainfall over a 48-hour period. Numerous trees were uprooted and vehicles broke down in the inundated streets, worsening traffic congestion in a city already notorious for its jams.

(Cover: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gestures while speaking during the presentation of newly enacted laws to stakeholders at Malacanang Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines, May 22, 2025. /CFP)