Ed Miliband appeared to be fighting a losing battle with sleep as Andy Burnham delivered his first major address to the United Nations General Assembly last night.
With the bright lights of the UN chamber trained on Britain's new Prime Minister, attention briefly shifted to the Foreign Secretary who appeared to be struggling to keep his eyes open.
Cameras panned to Mr Miliband in the vast New York hall as Mr Burnham approached the 20-minute mark of his speech, with the Foreign Secretary seemingly closing his eyes for moments at a time.
Perhaps it was jet lag.
Or perhaps, after a long day of meetings, diplomacy and speeches, even the most enthusiastic Foreign Secretary can occasionally find himself locked in a battle between international statesmanship and the need for a very large coffee.
And Mr Burnham's speech certainly gave his colleagues plenty to think about.
The Prime Minister used his first appearance before the UN General Assembly to call for countries to join forces over artificial intelligence, warning that the technology could bring enormous benefits but also create potentially serious risks if it is allowed to develop without adequate safeguards.
He argued that decisions about the future of AI should not simply be left to technology companies and insisted elected governments must have a role in setting the rules.
Andy Burnham addresses the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters on Tuesday
Ed Miliband seemingly tried to catch a break while the PM was speaking
The Government has been pushing for Britain to position itself as a bridge between the world's major AI powers, with Mr Burnham arguing that the UK has both the technological expertise and diplomatic relationships needed to help broker international agreement.
He has also announced a new AI and autonomy partnership with the United States, while Britain is preparing to make AI governance a major part of its agenda during its forthcoming G20 presidency.
But artificial intelligence was not the only threat occupying Mr Burnham's attention.
The Prime Minister also turned his fire on Moscow, accusing Russia of using disinformation to exploit divisions within Britain and amplify far-Right narratives.
He said there was evidence of attempts to interfere in the 2019 general election and accused hostile actors of trying to inflame tensions following violent and disturbing events in Britain.
The claims come amid wider warnings from European officials about Russian attempts to use disinformation, sabotage and other forms of so-called hybrid warfare to destabilise Western countries supporting Ukraine.
Mr Burnham told the international audience that Britain would not simply sit back while hostile states attempted to undermine its democracy.
He also invoked the Falkland Islands, warning that Britain would defend its territories where their right to remain British was challenged.
And despite standing in one of the world's most important international forums, the Prime Minister repeatedly brought the conversation back home.
He spoke about the cost of living, economic security and his plans for a new No 10 North operation in Manchester - a reminder that, for Mr Burnham, the road to the world stage still seems to run through Greater Manchester.
The speech formed part of a packed first UNGA appearance for the Prime Minister.
Earlier in the day he held his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump, with the two leaders discussing trade, energy, Ukraine, Iran and AI.
Trump subsequently described Mr Burnham as a 'natural businessperson' and said the relationship between Washington and London was better than it had been under the previous Prime Minister, while Mr Burnham said the two had built a 'good connection'.
The Prime Minister also met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a frenetic day of diplomacy in New York.
But while Mr Burnham was urging the world's leaders to confront the dangers posed by artificial intelligence, there was one very human problem unfolding behind him.
Mr Miliband appeared to be battling the sort of technological malfunction that requires no algorithm whatsoever: the irresistible urge to nod off.
Whether it was the five-hour time difference, the relentless schedule or simply the Foreign Secretary having one of those moments when his eyelids had other diplomatic priorities remains unclear.
- READ MORE: Putin has been dividing Britain by exploiting Brexit, Burnham claims
- READ MORE: Burnham urges world leaders to unite to keep AI from destroying humanity