Albanese and Bowen caught joking about phone storage and men’s health

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen were recorded joking about whether keeping a mobile phone in a trouser pocket could affect men’s sexual health. The exchange happened while they waited for a meeting at the COP31 headquarters in Antalya, Turkey, and matters because Bowen has a prominent role in the climate negotiations.

Albanese advised Bowen not to keep his phone near his heart; Bowen said he had stopped putting it in his trousers, prompting a crude exchange about his penis. An Albanese spokesperson said they were joking between meetings, while COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum said he had not heard the remarks. The summit brings together representatives from more than 190 countries; the article also recalls a separate controversy over Albanese’s comments about a gift of Japanese melons.