Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected repeated calls to apologize to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over offensive and disrespectful comments he made on a comedy podcast in early July regarding an exchange at the leaders’ recent meeting. Albanese appeared to gesture in front of his chest while discussing a gift of Japanese melons that Takaichi had given him. Advertisement “I would like to ask Prime Minister Albanese to think about the efforts of Japanese melon farmers and to continue eating sweet and juicy Japanese melons throughout his term,” Yamagami said. Foreign Minister Penny Wong defended the prime minister, saying Albanese had been clear that he did not intend for his remarks to be interpreted in the way opposition lawmakers have characterized them. “The prime minister has been clear that he did not mean for those comments to be interpreted in the way they have been by those opposite,” Wong said.