Plibersek defends PM over ‘melons’ gaffe, opposition demands apology

What it is about

Who published it, and when

How it spread - 34 original reports, 5 reprints

1. Mon, 10 August 2026

   6 reports
   • afr.com04:20first to reportedited after publishing
     Plibersek defends PM over ‘melons’ gaffe, opposition demands apology

     previouslyTanya Plibersek defends Anthony Albanese over ‘melons’ comment regarding Sanae Takaichi

   • brisbanetimes.com.au05:00
     Opposition leader calls on PM to apologise for podcast remarks

     Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to apologise to his Japanese counterpart for comments made on an infamous podcast episode.

   • ABC News (Australia)07:01edited after publishing
     Coalition calls on Albanese to apologise to Japan's PM over melon gesture

     The Australian prime minister has landed in hot water over a gesture involving two melons, which his office insists was not referring to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's body.

   • theconversation.com07:15
     View from The Hill: Albanese tried to be ‘hip’, only to let diplomacy slip

     A diplomatic gesture from Japan was meant to strengthen ties, but Anthony Albanese’s joke has instead raised questions about taste, respect and political judgement.

   • Anadolu Agency (AA)11:34
     Australian opposition demands Albanese apology over ‘melon’ joke about Japan premier

     Opposition figures call comments ‘insulting’ and ‘inappropriate’ after former Australian envoy to Japan says they showed ignorance of gift's diplomatic significance

   • ABC News (Australia)21:09edited after publishing
     Live: Government targets vulnerable species for bird flu vaccines

     previouslyLive: PM's melon gaffe has been misinterpreted: Gallagher

     Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has announced the federal government will be moving to vaccinate birds in captivity over the coming days and weeks against the H5 strain of bird flu. Follow live.

2. Tue, 11 August 2026

   10 reports
   • afr.com05:02edited after publishing
     Larrikinism is not Albanese’s melon problem; hypocrisy is

     previouslyAnthony Albanese’s melon podcast comments about Japan’s leader reveal a hypocrisy in political standards

   • gleninnesexaminer.com.au05:07
     No apology necessary over Japanese melon gibe: Albanese

     Anthony Albanese has denied he needs to formally apologise to his Japanese counterpart over controversial podcast comments over...

     2 reprints

     • areanews.com.au11 Aug, 05:07their copy
     • northerndailyleader.com.au11 Aug, 05:07their copy
   • The Guardian World06:49
     Australia’s prime minister refuses to apologise to Japanese counterpart over melon gaffe

     Anthony Albanese faces criticism after appearing to joke on a podcast about a gift of melons from Sanae Takaichi The Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has rejected calls to apologise to Japan’s prime minister over a joke he made about melons on a satirical podcast, amid a media frenzy and accusations of sexual innuendo. Government MPs have defended the prime minister as criticism mounted over last month’s remarks, branded by the Coalition opposition as “grubby”. The assistant...

   • South China Morning Post07:10
     Albanese refuses to say sorry for ‘insulting’ melon joke about Takaichi

     Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sidestepped calls to apologise on Tuesday after a clip emerged of him engaging in crude banter about a gift from his Japanese counterpart. Albanese had already faced a backlash and apologised over comments made during an interview last month with the Bush Deep podcast in which he said he would “shag” singer Kylie Minogue. But separate comments during that interview in which he joked about a gift from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during her...

   • BBC News World07:55
     Australia PM under fire for remarks on Japanese counterpart's melon gifts

     An ex-Japanese envoy said the "sexist" comments "betrayed the close bond" between the countries.

   • Euronews08:32
     Australia's PM Anthony Albanese under fire for 'melons' gag about Japanese leader

     Asked whether he would say sorry for his "disrespectful behaviour" in parliament on Tuesday, the Australian leader said: "I reject the assertion in the question."

   • Index.hr (Croatia)09:46
     Australski premijer pod kritikama zbog šale. "Imam par dinja"

     AUSTRALSKI premijer Albanese odbija ispriku zbog šala o japanskoj kolegici u podcastu, unatoč oštrim kritikama oporbe za neprimjereno ponašanje.

   • Der Spiegel (Germany)10:32edited after publishing
     Australien: Anthony Albanese wegen Witzen über Ministerpräsidentin von Japan in der Kritik

     URL changednow www.spiegel.de/ausland/australien-anthony-albanese-wegen-witzen-ueber-japans-ministerpraesidentin-takaichi-in-der-kritik-a-b378cbc9-5048-4bd9-89dd-c120f78d77b8#ref=rss

     In einem Podcast hat Australiens Regierungschef über die »Melonen« der japanischen Ministerpräsidentin gescherzt. Nicht nur die Opposition sieht darin Sexismus, auch aus Japan kommen Vorwürfe. Albanese sieht sich missverstanden.

   • independent.co.uk11:28
     Australian PM urged to apologise over joke about melons gifted by Japan’s Takaichi

     Anthony Albanese appeared to gesture in front of his chest while talking about the gift on a podcast last month

   • ABC News (Australia)21:00edited after publishing
     Live: Coalition demands AFP look into leaked melon gaffe correspondence

     previouslyLive: Coalition demands AFP look at leaked melon gaffe correspondence

     The federal opposition has written to federal police urging them to investigate an apparent leak of correspondence between Japan and Australia over the prime minister's melon gaffe. Follow live.

3. Wed, 12 August 2026

   7 reports
   • ABC News (Australia)00:15
     Labor ministers stand by Albanese's 'melon' gesture, as AFP asked to step in

     Federal police are being asked to investigate how a confidential Japanese memo about the prime minister's "melons" gesture made it into Australian newspapers, as Labor ministers express annoyance over repeated questioning about whether the prime minister made a crude joke.

   • muswellbrookchronicle.com.au01:57
     PM baulks at rivals' apology demands for 'melon' gaffe

     The coalition is calling for an apology and wants federal police to investigate the leaking of a note...

     1 reprint

     • sconeadvocate.com.au12 Aug, 01:57their copy
   • ABC News (Australia)03:04edited after publishing
     Furore over melons joke forces Japan into drama it wanted to avoid

     previouslyFurore over Albanese's melons joke could force Japan into drama it wanted to avoid

     For a month the Japanese government has studiously remained quiet on Anthony Albanese's melons "joke". But the media frenzy in Australia has forced it to respond.

   • The Guardian World08:18
     Japanese ambassador to Australia downplays Albanese melon gaffe as Taylor claims PM has ‘stuffed up’

     Coalition demands police investigate apparent leaking of diplomatic cable to newspaper but Labor calls it a ‘silly political stunt’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Japanese ambassador has downplayed Anthony Albanese’s comments about a gift of melons from Sanae Takaichi, saying Tokyo had been reassured by the Australian government that the prime minister “did not make the comments in the way that has been...

   • Channel News Asia09:24
     Japan brushes off Australian PM Albanese's melon drama

     "We have been informed by the Australian side that Prime Minister Albanese did not make the comments in the way that has been reported," said a Japanese government statement.

   • Anadolu Agency (AA)17:24
     Japan plays down controversy over Australian premier’s ‘melon’ gesture

     Tokyo says it sees no ill intent in Australian premier’s remarks as opposition pushes for police investigation into leak of Japanese government memo

   • ABC News (Australia)19:00edited after publishing
     Six months into the job, Taylor is taking a detour

     previouslyAngus Taylor plays a risky game in trying to capitalise on melon saga

     Behind the scenes, Angus Taylor and Anthony Albanese have been engaged in a rare level of cooperation this week but in public the opposition leader is using the melon saga to mount an all-out assault on the prime minister's character.

4. Thu, 13 August 2026

   1 report
   • Japan Times02:06
     Canberra says no ill intent in prime minister’s remark on Takaichi’s gift

     Takaichi gave Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese high-quality melons from Shizuoka Prefecture at their dinner during her visit to Australia in May.

5. Fri, 14 August 2026

   2 reports
   • The Guardian World00:58
     Australia has been galvanised by ‘melon-gate’. So what is the luxury fruit at the centre of the PM’s controversy?

     Shizuoka Crown melons are part of an important cultural gifting practice in Japan, where they are hand-patted by growers to achieve an even shape and texture The melons at the centre of a national imbroglio involving the Australian prime minister have the sweetness of a watermelon, the snap of a honeydew and the perfume of a peach, according to fruit sellers. Anthony Albanese maintains he has nothing to apologise for, after a joke he made regarding a gift he received from Japan’s prime...

   • ABC News (Australia)03:29
     PM denies knowing about 'shag, marry, date' podcast game

     Anthony Albanese also doubles down on his defence of gestures made while talking about a pair of melon's given to him by the Japanese prime minister.

6. Sat, 15 August 2026

   1 report
   • Il Fatto Quotidiano (Italy)07:05
     La battutaccia del premier australiano sui meloni giapponesi e il silenzio di Tokyo: quando la ragione di Stato pesa più della dignità

     Meloni e i continui inciampi diplomatici. Ovvero i due preziosi frutti regalati dalla prima ministra Takaichi Sanae al suo omologo australiano Anthony Albanese, stanno facendo più danni del pomo della discordia che diede inizio a una famosa e mitologica guerra. Il fatto risale a un paio di mesi fa quando Takaichi, recatasi in visita a […] L'articolo La battutaccia del premier australiano sui meloni giapponesi e il silenzio di Tokyo: quando la ragione di Stato pesa più della dignità proviene da...

7. Sun, 16 August 2026

   3 reports
   • perthnow.com.au03:09
     As PM tries to forget ‘Melongate’ scandal, Japan flies in

     The fallout over Anthony Albanese’s crass comments about the Japanese Prime Minister’s ‘melons’ continues.

   • The Guardian World04:44
     Japan’s defence minister heads to Australia to meet Marles in wake of melon-gate controversy

     Discussions to focus on Australia’s acquisition of Mogami-class frigates as Japan plays down Albanese’s podcast comments Japan’s defence minister will visit Canberra this week, the highest level engagement with Australia after controversy over Anthony Albanese’s comments about a gift of melons from prime minister Sanae Takaichi. The defence minister, Shinjiro Koizumi, will meet his counterpart and deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, on Tuesday, with discussions focused on Australia’s...

   • The Guardian World14:01
     Deepfake Anthony Albanese used in celebrity scams duping Australians out of $7.4m, Asic warns

     Australia’s corporate watchdog says PM is the figure most commonly used in deepfakes to promote phony investment opportunities Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast There has been a steep rise in scammers luring victims into phony investment opportunities using deepfakes of celebrities and politicians, Australia’s corporate watchdog has warned. And Anthony Albanese is the figure most commonly co-opted. Continue reading...

8. Mon, 17 August 2026

   2 reports
   • standard.net.au08:14
     'Grubby': Senate debates PM's melon-gate comments

     Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's comments on a podcast have continued to dominate parliamentary debate for a second week.

     1 reprint

     • westernadvocate.com.au17 Aug, 08:14their copy
   • sconeadvocate.com.au23:01
     Federal police to probe leaking of melon-gate memo

     URL changednow www.sconeadvocate.com.au/story/9332236/missiles-but-no-melons-canberra-hosts-japan-minister/

     The AFP will look into how correspondence between Japanese and Australian officials over the prime minister's podcast comments...

     1 reprint

     • merimbulanewsweekly.com.au17 Aug, 23:01their copy
9. Thu, 20 August 2026

   1 report
   • ABC News (Australia)21:05
     Live: PM says podcast appearance leading to Minogue, melons gaffes 'an error'

     The PM says his appearance on an episode of the Bush Deep podcast, which attracted criticism over his comments on Kylie Minogue and his melon gaffe, was "an error". Follow live.

10. Fri, 21 August 2026

    1 report
    • The Guardian World07:34edited after publishing ×2
      Hiker Lily Hooper remembered as someone ‘everyone liked’ – as it happened

      previouslyAustralia news live: Israel ambassador insists IDF strike that killed Zomi Frankcom a ‘reasonable mistake’; body of hiker Lily Hooper recovered from bush

      This blog is now closed Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Woman behind allegation of sexual assault linked to Sydney Swans reportedly says she wants ‘justice’ The woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted in a Melbourne hotel told the Herald Sun “all I care about is justice”. I don’t want money. All I care about is justice. I’m going to stand up for what is right. And I’m never going to let this happen to anyone else. Justice will be served. Continue reading...