No 14888, Wednesday 02 Sep 2026, Avtaar

Solution to 5A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Returning vehicle inspectors recalled final instalment of monetary aid (7) SUBSIDY {BUS<=}{DIS<=}{m...rY}

5   Stretch of land almost entirely neighbouring ravine (7)  ?O?P?S? 

10 Women wear this amidst anniversaries (4) SARI [HIPS]

11 Couple heading off settler broadcast messages through flight (3,7) AIR LETTERS {pAIR}{SETTLER}*

12 Old women charged by soldier for some Glaswegian meat (6) HAGGIS {HAGS} over {GI}

13 In Shanghai on vacation, drinking controversial hot energy drink made from fruits (8) SMOOTHIE {Sh...aI} over {MOOT}{H} with {E}

14 Around Australia, extremely hot whale heaves every now and then, suffering in sweltering conditions (4,5) HEAT WAVES {A} in {HoT+WhAlEs+hEaVeS}*

16 Rough, old-fashioned diamonds replaced with crown of 27 (5) ROWDY (-d+r)ROWDY

17 Sensational Avtaar - lively grids (5) GAMEY {GA{ME}Y}

19 Crude behaviour from a couple of locals joining leaders in India slamming masses (9) BARBARISM {BAR}{BAR}{In...a}{Sl...g}{Ma...s}

23 Learned people in Kuwait are tilting towards the West (8) LITERATI [T<=] 

24 Stands slimy fellows when wife's gone (6) EASELS wEASELS

26 Attire of the Bali male in novel (10) HABILIMENT {THE+BALI+M+IN}*

27 Vermilion from game "Bleeding heart" (4) RUBY [DD] (Addendum  RUgBY - See comments)

28 Nothing about leaving the new clinic modernised is part of scientific practice (7) TECHNIC {THE+N+ClinIC}*

29 One gossiping page wanting toy (7)  RATTLER pRATTLER

DOWN

2   Blind character from Athens turned up a piece of fine workmanship (7) UNAWARE {NU<=}{A}{WARE}

3   Resistance-free cord in fiddle (5) STING STrING

4   Posters in river leading to ancient body of saline water (4,3) DEAD SEA {DE{ADS}E}{An...t}

6   Wild cat fur from old piece of land outside church (6) OCELOT  {O}{LOT} over {CE}

7   Set up empty pit with fire out for piece of confectionery (5,4) PETIT FOUR {PiT+FIRE+OUT}*

8   Packed together, English riders struggled (7) SERRIED {E+RIDERS}*

9   Question about topless indecent fabric cut from below (5-8)  CROSS EXAMINED {aCROSS}{EX}{MINED} Anno not clear (Addendum - {C}{gROSS}  with {DENIM}{AXE}<= - See comments}

15 Following that hard trailing article on humour (9) THEREWITH {H}<=>{THE}{RE}{WIT}

18 Add zest to batting in a match (7) ANIMATE {IN+A}*{MATE}

20 Taking out large beet leaf mixed in stock of meat (4,3) BEEF TEA {BEET+lEAF}*

21 Easy clue is, perhaps, this simple basically and not very verbose (7) SOLUBLE {Si...y}{vOLUBLE} Something is wrong in this clue See comments

22 Elk from a crater in Western India (6) WAPITI {W}{A}{PIT}{I}

25 Parade prop (5) STRUT [DD]

Reference List

Soldier = GI, Hot = H, Energy = E, Australia = A, Diamonds = D, Wife = W, Male = M, New = N, Page = P, Resistance = R, Old = O, Church = CE, English = E, About = C, Hard = H, On = RE, Large = L, Very = V, Western = W, India = I

No 14887, Tuesday 01 Sep 2026, Karaoke

Solution to 6D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Unintentional action in Persian Gulf essentially at war with Israel Defence Forces (8,4) FREUDIAN SLIP {PERSIAN+gULf+IDF}*

9   Mock trials at frequent intervals for some edible pods (5) OKRAS {mOcK+tRiAlS}

10 Outlaws stashing ill-gotten money? Certainly not (2,2,5) BY NO MEANS {B{MONEY*}ANS}

11 East Pak remains around border region (7) KASHMIR {paK}{ASH}{RIM<=}

12 One who is challenged at mineral springs with disorder (7) SPASTIC {SPAS}{TIC}

13 Armed combat ultimately turned on (6) THORNY {c...aT}{HORNY}

14 Boy in cab supplying frothy milk for kids (8) BABYCINO*

17 Turn out space traveller and regret (4,4) COME TRUE {COMET}{RUE} 

19 It is caustic when heads are rolled in "money down" (6) POTASH {sPOT cASH}

22 Justify previous policy about income-tax initially (7) EXPLAIN {EX}{PLA{In...x}N}

24 Pall-bearer mourning at the end near watercourse carrying last rite (7)  GRIEVER {m...nG}{RI{ritE}VER}

25 Slashes advertisement without final budget and achieves nothing (4,2,3) CUTS NO ICE {CUTS}{NOtICE}

26 Admit adult, no girl, right? (3,2) OWN UP grOWN UP

27 Brat needs old school for calculus (12)  BLADDERSTONE {BRAT+NEEDS+OLD+S}*

DOWN

1   India and others in shape for an intense response (9) FIRESTORM {F{I}{REST}ORM}

2   Inventor of photographic film from America shot on vacation in style in retreat (7) EASTMAN {A}{ShoT} in {NAME<=} 

3   Perhaps Rob did spend time in prison (2,4) DO BIRD* 

4   His mind goes blank when adult cinemas are abandoned (8) AMNESIAC {A}{CINEMAS}*

5   Reportedly a few tie the knot without resistance and argument (7) SUMMARY {(~some)SUM}{MArRY}

6   Main line on a mine lost current, unfortunate! (5) I?A?T ()

7   Playing cricket once with West mainly was something very difficult (6,7)  ROCKET SCIENCE {CRICKET+ONCE+wESt}*

8   Hasty prophecy maybe for treatment of mental illness (13) PSYCHOTHERAPY*

15 Home loan ahead of time (2,7) IN ADVANCE {IN}{ADVANCE}

16 Tollgate kept in shambles after intrusion of essential security (8) TURNPIKE {KEPT+IN}* over {secURity}

18 Be prepared to handle, core business captured by rogue trade (7) TRAINED {b..IN..s} in {TRADE}*

20 It flows essentially from coin melted with oxide primarily (7) ORINOCO {fROm+COIN}*{Ox..e}

21 She preys on easy-goers near square (6) OGRESS {GOERS}*{S}

23 Part of flower is soft, extremely elegant and lovely primarily (5) PETAL {P}{El...nT}{And}{Lo...y}

Reference List

Previous = EX, Girl = G, Right = R, School = S, India = I, America = A, Adult = A, Resistance = R, Home = IN, Square = S, Soft = P