Aug 12, 2026 – 6.56pmAnthony Albanese has told the Japanese he was not being lewd when joking about the sacred crown melons presented to him by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, but his ongoing denials are causing disquiet among Labor colleagues who privately admit the public does not believe him.As Albanese continued to refuse opposition demands to apologise or directly deal with the melons controversy, the Japanese government released its first public statement, noting it had been assured by the Australian government that the prime minister’s podcast comments in July were misrepresented.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles