Passengers travelling to Malta, Corfu and Ibiza are among those affected by delays at Manchester Airport today (Sunday, August 30).

The biggest delay currently identified is on easyJet flight U22273 to Malta.

The flight had been scheduled to leave Manchester at 5.35am but its departure was pushed back to around 7am – a delay of approximately one hour and 25 minutes.

The flight is expected to arrive in Malta at around 11.01am local time.

Jet2 passengers travelling to Corfu are also facing a wait this morning.

Flight LS1707 had been due to depart Manchester Airport at 7.20am but is currently expected to leave at around 8am.

That represents a delay of approximately 40 minutes.

The flight is expected to arrive in Corfu at around 12.59pm local time.

Meanwhile, Jet2 flight LS825 to Ibiza has also been delayed.

The service was scheduled to leave Manchester at 6.35am but its estimated departure time has moved to around 7.10am – approximately 35 minutes later than planned.

It is currently expected to arrive in Ibiza at around 10.35am local time.

Other flights are experiencing smaller delays, including Air France flight AF1269 to Paris, which was around 10 minutes behind schedule.

Passengers travelling from Manchester Airport today are advised to check the latest information from their airline and the airport before travelling, as departure times can change throughout the day.

NEW YORK (AP) — As the U.S. and Israel relentlessly bombed Iran in the opening days of war, the most dramatic predictions of the conflict’s toll were unsparing: surging oil prices, worldwide recession and economic catastrophe.

But six months into the conflict, the direst predictions haven’t come true even if no corner of the world’s economy has been untouched.

“So far, the global economy has pulled off the financial equivalent of a ‘Mission Impossible’ scene,” said Michael Ashley Schulman, an investment strategist with Cerity Partners.

Here’s a look at how the global economy has weathered the war, and who have been the winners and losers:

Winner: Investors who didn’t panic

Stock markets hate uncertainty, and the decision by the U.S. and Israel to attack Iran on Feb. 28 delivered heaps of it. Columns of smoke rose from Tehran, frantic Iranians clogged roadways trying to escape, and mounting deaths, including of children, made headlines. It was enough for any investor to feel squeamish.

Oil prices surged and Wall Street began a retreat that would begin five consecutive losing weeks. The Dow and Nasdaq entered corrections. The S&P 500 had its worst month since 2022.

But a major turnaround has unfolded since the market bottomed in late March. The Dow has gained nearly 19%, the S&P is up almost 22% and the Nasdaq has surged 27%. If those gains survive the waning months of 2026, all three indexes would post their fourth consecutive year of gains.

The International Monetary Fund, in a July report, said the economy was “being shaped by two major forces, pushing in opposite directions.” The war has strained growth, but enthusiasm over artificial intelligence has offset the drag.

Main Street may be paying more for fuel, food and travel. But Wall Street, so far, is shrugging it off.

Loser: Anyone on the move

The war’s most obvious economic consequence has been its impact on oil. With tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a crawl, the price of Brent crude climbed from a prewar close of about $72 a barrel to as high as nearly $120. Although prices have eased, they are still up about 20% from before the war.

Oil’s price affects everything from crayons to cosmetics, but it hits anyone on the move especially hard.

Jet fuel is expected to cost, on average, 70% more than in 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association. Airlines, in turn, have raised ticket costs, hiked baggage fees and slapped on fuel surcharges while slashing flights or backing off from plans for added routes. Lufthansa Group, for one, cut 20,000 short-haul flights. Spirit Airlines, though troubled for years, evaporated.

“The likelihood that fuel surcharges are going to be rolled back and airfares are going to be brought down is very low over the next few months,” said Brett House, a Columbia University economist. “There is less choice for consumers and less competition between airlines, and therefore, less pressure to rein in fare increases.”

Winner: The case for clean power

With tankers at a standstill and fuel prices climbing, the war strengthened a clean-power sales pitch.

Sales of electric vehicles hit records in some parts of the world. In Singapore, year-over-year growth of EVs reached 110%. In New Zealand, the figure hit 180%. And in Colombia, EVs notched a 300% increase.

Worldwide, EVs are projected to account for 29% of total vehicle sales in 2026, according to an International Energy Agency outlook, up from 25% last year. That growth is even more impressive considering the world’s two biggest economies, the United States and China, saw declining demand for EVs.

Countries that were particularly reliant on Persian Gulf oil have been spurred to action. In Southeast Asia, leaders have rolled out more use of renewable energy and researched deploying nuclear power. In Africa, countries have looked to expand domestic refining and accelerated the installation of solar panels.

Scott Lehmann, a supply chain expert at Sphera, an operational intelligence firm, counts 26 countries and regions that have announced clean energy and electrification measures in response to the war.

“The crisis is forcing investment faster than any policy framework would have,” he said.

Loser: The fight against hunger

For the privileged, the costs brought by war may barely be a blip. For the poorest, it’s a different story.

With the Gulf not just a leader in global oil production, but also of fertilizer, the war has dealt a blow to farmers. Just as many were making decisions about their crops, fertilizer prices soared, peaking in April at 44% higher than before the war, according to the World Bank’s price index.

In response, some farmers trimmed their fertilizer use, potentially imperiling next year’s harvests. “If you’re reducing your fertilizer usage right now, it’s in a way borrowing against next year’s soil health,” said Arif Gasilov, a natural resources expert with the Gasilov Group consultancy.

The United Nations World Food Programme has warned that tens of millions could be pushed into hunger. In testimony this week, its acting executive director, Carl Skau, said the “suffocation of fertilizer exports” had hit Asia and Africa hard. Higher transportation costs hindered the WFP’s own humanitarian efforts, too.

“An oil tanker anchored in the Strait of Hormuz can mean one less meal a day for a child in Sudan,” Skau said. “When oil prices go up, so does the price of flour, rice and vegetables.”

Winner: The Trumps’ businesses

The war has already cost the U.S. tens of billions of dollars and caused thousands in Iranian casualties. It has shaved an estimated hundreds of billions of dollars from projected global output.

But the family of the man at the center of it all, President Donald Trump, has been among the beneficiaries.

Military contractor Powerus, about to be taken public by Eric and Donald Trump Jr., won an Air Force contract worth as much as $90 million to supply interceptors to shoot down Iranian drones. Similarly, the private equity firm 1789 Capital Management, which Don Jr. joined days after his father’s reelection, owns stakes in several other military contractors profiting from the war. One of them, Anduril, won U.S. approval for up to $2 billion in sales of drone interceptors to Kuwait. A second, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is providing satellite service to guide U.S. drones against Iran. And a third — rocket maker Firehawk Defense — won Pentagon contracts for propellants and warheads to replenish dwindling U.S. supplies.

A spokeswoman for 1789 Capital, Alexa Henning, said Don Jr. wasn’t involved in the decision to put money in those companies, so there is no “nefarious connection.”

The president himself has done well, too.

His investment portfolio run by outside managers has scooped up shares of U.S. military suppliers helped by the war, including Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman. Democrats released a report this week saying Trump’s holdings in oil and gas stocks have soared by as much as $15.5 million.

A White House spokeswoman, Anna Kelly, insisted “there are no conflicts of interest” and that “President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public.”

Even as Trump’s personal finances have benefited, his political fortunes are another question. The conflict has been unpopular and could weigh on voters as midterm elections near.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press reporters Mae Anderson, Cathy Bussewitz and Bernard Condon in New York; Paul Wiseman in Washington; Wyatte Grantham-Philips in Chicago; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Alexa St. John in Detroit; Allan Olingo in Nairobi, Kenya; Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong; and Anton L. Delgado in Bangkok.

By NOOR QURASHI, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 10:25 BST, 30 August 2026 | Updated: 10:26 BST, 30 August 2026

Police have launched a murder investigation after an elderly woman was found dead in a Liverpool park.

Officers were called to Stanley Park on Friday afternoon following reports of a body discovered in a walled garden area.

The woman, who is yet to be identified, was believed to be in her 70s, of small build, with strawberry blonde hair.

She was wearing a ‘distinctive pink T-shirt’ when she was found dead shortly before 5.30pm by a member of the public.

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Police confirmed an investigation is ongoing and CCTV, witness and forensic enquiries are being carried out. 

A post-mortem has also taken place – though the results are said to have been withheld for investigative reasons.

Preliminary enquiries suggest the woman’s body could have been in the park for a number of weeks, police said.

Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson added: ‘We understand that this will be distressing and worrying for people to hear and I want the local community to be reassured that we are doing everything in our powers to find the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice.

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Officers were called to Stanley Park on Friday afternoon following reports of a body discovered in a walled garden area. Forensics are pictured here at the scene

Police confirmed an investigation is ongoing and CCTV, witness and forensic enquiries are being carried out

‘We have carried out a number of lines of enquiry, including examining any missing people reports in the Merseyside and wider area, but at this stage we have not been able to identify the woman and would ask for the public’s help by coming forward with any information.

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‘We know she is a white woman, aged in her 70s, approximately 5ft 2in tall, of small build with strawberry blonde hair.

‘When she was found she was wearing a distinctive cerise pink Nike T-shirt.’

Ms Wilson said she ‘would also ask any walkers or dog walkers who have been in the park, and specifically the area of the walled garden, in recent days or weeks’ to come forward as soon as possible if they had seen or heard anyone acting suspiciously.

Earlier today, crime scene detectives in white suits were busy around the blue forensic tent with uniformed officers patrolling the perimeter. Three gates around the scene were taped off.

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Bobby Potts, 80, was walking his dog, Alf, past Stanley Park this morning. 

He said: ‘I walk my dog every day in this park, and it’s a good place. Most of the people coming in know each other. It’s a long time since something like this happened here. You see stuff like this on the telly, but it’s getting a bit close to home here.’

Patrick Burns, 41, has lived on Anfield Road for 15 years. His home faces the edge of the park where the woman’s body was found.

A police cordon remains in place tonight inside the park. The entrance to Stanley Park in Liverpool is pictured (file image)

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He said: ‘It’s scary. You don’t expect it to happen on your doorstep. It’s a real shock.’

Another Anfield Road resident added: ‘It’s terrible. It’s a nice park, with kids playing football in the week. Whoever it is, it’s a real shame for it to happen, and a terrible shock too.’

A police cordon remains in place tonight inside the park and a mobile police station will also be in the vicinity of the park from tomorrow, Sunday, August 30.

Anyone with information has been advised to contact the Merseyside Police social media desk using X or Facebook @MerPolCC. 

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Information can also be reported via the website or by calling 101 quoting reference 26000706383 – alternatively, the independent charity Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The man killed at a Christian festival in West Sussex on Friday has been named by his church as Robert Guanco, 41.

He was a pastor at Jesus the Living Water Church in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

Six other people were injured at the event by a falling sign at the Big Church Festival, near Steyning, four of whom were taken to hospital for treatment.

In a statement, his church said: “Pastor Robert was a faithful servant of God, a loving husband to Isay, a devoted and caring father to Ellie, and a blessing to so many people whose lives he touched. His life, his faith, his love, and his service to God will never be forgotten.”

On a fundraising page for the pastor’s family, pastor Norman Ponce from Jesus the Living Water Worldwide Church, said Guanco was a “faithful servant of God”.

“What was meant to be a time of worship, fellowship, and celebration became an unimaginable tragedy,” he added.

Ponce said Guanco was a “beloved son, cherished brother, loving husband” and “great father”.

“He was also a good friend, mentor, and a blessing to so many people whose lives he touched,” Ponce said.

“His life reflected humility, faith, love, compassion, and service.

“Through his ministry, kindness, prayers, and encouragement, he touched many lives.”

The Big Church Festival, which describes itself as the UK’s biggest Christian festival, was founded in 2009.

The event at Wiston Park began on Friday and was due to continue until Sunday, but a decision was made by organisers to cancel the remainder of the event after the incident.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said she was “sad and shocked” to hear about the fatal incident.

Dame Sarah Mullally said: “I pray for his family, friends and loved ones as they grieve. I pray for those receiving treatment, and the healthcare workers looking after them.

“And I pray too for the other festival goers, staff and event organisers as they come to terms with these tragic events.”

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, external, X, external, and Instagram, external and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk , external or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham remain active as the summer window heats up ahead of its closure in a few days time. The Premier League champions are set to discover if their pursuit of Julian Alvarez has been successful amid reports of Atletico Madrid setting a deadline to bring the saga to an end. Habeeb Ogunneye and Andria Bartishvili are poised to follow James Scanlon and Igor Tyjon in becoming Arsenal players, while Gabriel Martinelli should complete his move to Al-Hilal.

United host Ipswich Town at Old Trafford in eight-and-a-half hours, but before then, there is plenty of transfer news to cover ahead of deadline day on September 1.

Much of the speculation surrounds outgoings rather than incomings at this stage, with James Scanlon already joining Arsenal and multiple players due to exit over the next few days. Habeeb Ogunneye has already announced his own departure and is expected to join his former academy team-mate at the Premier League champions.

Joshua Zirkzee and Toby Collyer are also due to secure exits. Amad and Marcus Rashford are also reportedly the subject of interest.

By KATHERINE LAWTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Published: 09:46 BST, 30 August 2026 | Updated: 09:53 BST, 30 August 2026

A ‘devoted’ father and pastor was killed when a sign fell on him during high winds at a Christian music festival. 

Robert Guanco, 41, died when the huge wooden archway gave way at the Big Church Festival, held on the Wiston Estate near Steyning in West Sussex, on Friday. 

Another six people were injured with four rushed to hospital for treatment. 

Mr Guanco, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was Pastor at Jesus the Living Water Church in his local area. 

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The church said in a statement: ‘Pastor Robert was a faithful servant of God, a loving husband to Isay, a devoted and caring father to Ellie, and a blessing to so many people whose lives he touched.

‘His life, his faith, his love, and his service to God will never be forgotten.’

Police are now examining whether or not the structure was properly secured before it collapsed. 

Fred Abbott, from Morden, south London, was sat just yards away with his young family when a ‘strong gust of wind’ toppled the sign. The father of four then rushed over to help save those crushed underneath.

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Robert Guanco, 41, died when a huge wooden archway gave way at the Big Church Festival in West Sussex on Friday 

A sign that read ‘Everything’s Unmissable’ fell at the Big Church Festival on Friday

Fred Abbott, from Morden, south London, was sat metres away with his young family when a ‘strong gust of wind’ is believed to have toppled the sign

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An aerial view of campers at the festival, which was due to be attended by around 40,000 people 

‘We were by Tom’s Stage in the Field of Fun, about 20 metres away from where this massive wooden sign was,’ Mr Abbott said. 

‘We heard this massive crack and bang, and me and my friend ran over. There were around 30 to 50 people, including me and my friend, picking up this sign. It read: “Everything’s Unmissable”.’

Still ‘shaken’ from the incident, the project manager added: ‘There were five people on the floor and not moving.

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‘I had to walk away because there was a man on the floor and he was bleeding from his head and from his mouth.’

Emergency services were called to Big Church Festival at around 3.38pm on Friday.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard McDonagh, of Sussex Police, previously said: ‘This is a tragic incident and our thoughts go out to the man’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.

‘I recognise the immense distress this will have caused people at the festival, and we are working with a number of partners as we seek to establish exactly what happened.

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‘We’re urging anyone with information to come forward.’

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon when a train hit a van.

British Transport Police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene and two train passengers were treated for minor injuries.

MORE: Man dead after train strikes van in Burscough

In an update this morning, rail operator Northern said: “Due to emergency services dealing with an incident between Wigan Wallgate and Southport the line is blocked

“Services running to and from these stations will be delayed or cancelled. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.”

Emergency services at the scene on Saturday (Image: Phil Taylor)

A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: “We were called to a level crossing in Burscough, West Lancashire following reports at 3.18pm today (29 August) that a train had struck a van. Paramedics and the fire service also attended.

“One person was in the van and sadly a man was pronounced dead at the scene. Two people who were passengers on the train received treatment for minor injuries. The incident is not being treated as suspicious.

“Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what happened, any witnesses who haven’t already spoken to police are asked to text BTP on 61016 quoting the reference 373 of 29 August.”

The train operator has shared a list of alternative routes passengers can take at no further cost until the disruption is resolved.

Bee Network buses between Wigan and Appley Bridge on the 635 bus. Merseyrail services between Southport and Liverpool Central. Merseyrail services between Ormskirk and Liverpool Central and Merseyrail services between Headbolt Lane and Liverpool Central.

A heroic teacher saved the lives of more than 1,600 children in the Nepal floods after their school was washed away by a landslide. 

Rajendra Dawadi, the principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli secondary school in the Trishuli valley of north-central Nepal, received a phone call from his friend on Wednesday morning telling him the village five miles upstream had been taken by the river. 

Nine hundred children had already arrived at the school, while 700 more were on their way on foot and by bus. 

He was then warned by a parent that the water was rising fast towards the school, which stood 200ft above the river. 

It came amid devastating landslides and flash floods which struck Nepal on Wednesday, leaving 734 people dead and 2,498 missing. Authorities warned of possible fresh flooding today and urged residents in affected districts to remain on high alert. 

Two teenagers, a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy, are among 33 British nationals believed to be unaccounted for. 

Knowing his school was in trouble, Mr Dawadi, 47, quickly began calling the drivers of the buses on their way – managing to get through to all but one – and ordered them to turn back. 

An aerial view of the destruction along the Trishuli River corridor. The school is circled in red

What the school used to look like, before it was completely destroyed in the Nepal floods 

The water had already started entering the school grounds when he spotted the last bus, which he told to turn around. ‘It got to the other side just as the bridge collapsed,’ he told The Times. 

He then turned his focus to the children inside the school, who had realised they were in danger. 

‘One girl had a panic attack, so we put her on the back of a motorbike. The rest I sent uphill on foot, then followed,’ the teacher said. 

The terrified children ran up the hill, where they took shelter under a bodhi tree. 

Mr Dawadi’s quick thinking saved 1,643 children and all but one member of staff. 

Santos Pariyar, 32, a social history teacher who was new at the school, had come in early that day to teach extra classes and was washed away by the floods. 

The chunk of ice and rock understood to have snapped off and triggered the flash floods was estimated by Daniel Shugar – a geomorphologist at the University of Calgary – to have had an area of nearly 50 acres. 

It plunged 1,200 metres down the north face of Langtang Lirung peak into the upper gorge of the Lhende Khola river, near Tibet’s border with Nepal.    

Authorities in Nepal warned of possible fresh flooding today after water levels rose in the Bhotekoshi River.

Flood warning notices were sent to people’s phones this morning as rescue crews worked to clear a major highway connecting Kathmandu to one of the areas worst hit by Wednesday’s catastrophic floods.

In the town of Galchhi, a group of residents sought higher ground on a nearby bridge and watched as the river swept through. 

The combined toll in Nepal and Tibet rose to 750 people dead and more than 3,000 missing after the latest updates today. 

Nepal’s disaster agency said the death toll had climbed to 734 with 2,498 people missing, while Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing, including more than 100 Nepalis and people from over 12 countries.

The latest warnings came after Chinese authorities informed their Nepalese counterparts of increased water flow upstream. 

But residents of the flood-hit villages said they were struggling to make sense of near-constant alarms they have received since the initial floods.

Resident Govind Shreshta said: ‘Sometimes they say a flood is coming, then we have to run again to higher ground, even at night. There is also rain.

‘It’s really difficult for me. I have a 72-year-old father and 70-year-old mom. I must carry them and I am exhausted.’ 

Damaged homes in Trishuli Bazar following the flash flood, in Nuwakot district, Nepal 

Mr Dawadi is pictured, right, outside the school before tragedy struck 

Devi Ghat town was torn to shreds by the floods, with livestock left rotting on top of the mud

Devi Ghat was devastated by the floods which killed hundreds of people and left thousands missing

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Dramatic footage showed the moment hikers witnessed a giant glacier collapse in the Himalayas

The video, filmed by a Chinese tour guide in Tibet, shows huge chunks of ice breaking away from a ridge on Langtang Lirung peak, on the Nepali side of the border

Large concrete and smaller suspension bridges were destroyed, leaving communities on the other side of the river with less easy access.

Prithvi Highway is a crucial supply route for food, fuel and other goods entering Kathmandu from other parts of the country. 

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today that his country will send a specialized disaster search-and-rescue team to Nepal to assist with relief efforts and help evacuate Malaysians affected by the disaster. Malaysia has also pledged $1million in financial aid to Nepal. 

Last night, dramatic footage showed the moment hikers witnessed the giant glacier collapse in the Himalayas, triggering the catastrophic flash floods and mudslides. 

The video, filmed by a Chinese tour guide in Tibet, shows huge chunks of ice breaking away from a ridge on Langtang Lirung peak, on the Nepali side of the border.

Hikers reported hearing a huge crack before ice, rock and debris plunged into the valley below, sending an enormous cloud of dust billowing into the air.

The glacier collapse triggered a landslide which formed a lake in the valley below, before a torrent of water and debris surged through the mountain river system towards the Gyirong border crossing.

A second video shows debris racing down the mountainside immediately in the aftermath of the collapse, marking the beginning of the disaster that would devastate communities downstream.

Kent Jones’s carefully wrought film Late Fame offers a wry eulogy for vanished bohemia and a deft meditation on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous dictum that “there are no second acts in American lives”.

Almost half a century ago, Ed Saxberger (Willem Dafoe) was a minor figure on the New York poetry scene. But as Ed himself acknowledges: “I had my moment. It passed.”

The decades since the publication of his solitary volume of verse, Way Past Go, have passed in utter obscurity. So returning home one wintry evening, Ed is surprised to be met by Myers (Edmund Donovan, enjoyably vampiric), a twentysomething stranger who hails him as a forgotten literary genius and an avatar of “Old Downtown” New York.

Myers introduces himself as the leader of a small group of nostalgic aesthetes who have rediscovered and taken inspiration from Ed’s slender, long out-of-print volume of Beat-ish verses. Sceptical yet flattered, Ed lets Myers prevail upon him to meet his band of self-styled analogue contrarians (snottily deprecating the digital influencers huddled over their smartphones at the next table).

His new pals press Ed to compose a new poem – his first in decades – as the star turn in an absurd faux-New Wave “happening” whose planning gives the film its light narrative framework. With his library of taped poets – T.S. Eliot, Wallace Stevens, Gary Snyder – for company, Ed doggedly pursues inspiration through the chilly Manhattan streets (atmospherically filmed by Wyatt Garfield).

Passing the designer boutiques and high-end restaurants of 21st-century SoHo, he seems a man out of time – a distant cousin perhaps of the night crawler Dafoe played in Paul Schrader’s Light Sleeper (1992). Even his booklined one-bedroom Lower East Side walkup feels like a holdover from a bygone era of affordable rents in cold-water apartments.

But that Patti Smith past is a distant country, and so it seems is Ed’s creative spark. The suggestive phrase “seasons collide” offers the germ of an idea, but his yellow legal pad remains obstinately blank. Come the big night, Ed can only offer to read a 45-year-old poem from Way Past Go – though as he points out to the disappointed Myers, as far as the audience is concerned it could just as well be brand new.

Long-vanished counterculture

Ed is in every scene of the film, so inevitably much depends on Willem Dafoe’s performance – which happily is ideally cast and perfectly judged. Initially it feels a stretch that Dafoe’s edgy, charismatic screen persona could be submerged in the unremarkable routines of Ed’s life – his daily grind as a postal worker, toasted tuna sandwiches, rounds of pool at the local bar with his small coterie of blue-collar male friends.

But it’s precisely by playing off these expectations – and perhaps our awareness of his own long career as a fixture on the real downtown scene (a founder member of the avant garde Wooster Group theatre company) – that Dafoe comes to embody Ed’s distant boho past, his workaday present, and his unsuspected hunger for something more, all so credibly.

Another actor might also have had us worrying for Ed’s wellbeing or that this vulnerable older man might be exploited, knowingly or otherwise, by his callow new pals. But Dafoe’s feral mien, however subdued here, reassures us he’s no patsy. Ed sees as clearly as we do that these self-styled artistes are quintessential poseurs, rich kids lightly slumming on daddy’s dime in retro coffeehouses and loft apartments accessorised with $1,200 first editions of Naked Lunch.

None of them gives the slightest indication of any talent, or for that matter the application to pursue their chosen craft. (If they were for real, they’d be in Bushwick or Hoboken, not rubbing shoulders with the hedge fund managers in SoHo.)

They’re simply tripping on secondhand memories of a long-vanished counterculture to which Ed gives them vicarious access – even as he freely admits his acquaintance with legends like Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso was fleeting at best. For Ed, being part of an artistic coterie – however ersatz – after all this time is like whistling a half-forgotten tune, the pleasurable twitch of a phantom limb.

If anyone threatens to unmoor Ed it’s Grace (Greta Lee), the only woman in Myers’s band. Older than the others – though still many years Ed’s junior – she’s the group’s self-styled muse, channelling Louise Brooks, Marlene Dietrich and Audrey Hepburn in equal measure.

Ed gladly lets Grace – who’s motivated perhaps by an awareness that her own persona is precariously fabricated – seduce him into embracing his improbable shot at late-in-life celebrity, lubricated if needs be by the occasional fib. Ed even takes a meeting with a vapid literary agent to discuss the publication of his (non-existent) memoir. It’s in these passages of the film, as Ed testily rejects his decidedly unliterary working-class buddies, that we fear he may really be losing his compass. But will he fall for this chance of late-blooming fame?

Ultimately, Late Fame might be seen as a reflection on the profound unknowability of people. Myers’s real motivations and ambitions remain strangely opaque. Grace’s siren persona belies a much sadder reality.

Ed himself is estranged from his siblings, for reasons we never learn, and when he finally reads his (excellent) old poem publicly, it hints at a lost romance that may – or may not – have shaped the rest of his life. We can’t know, but Kent Jones has fashioned a film that invites us, engagingly and tenderly, to wonder.