No 14840, Wednesday 08 Jul 2026, Vidwan

Solution to 1A 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   Follower of most wanted leader of Yemen (6) L?C?E?  

4   Pressure over young ones - small windows appearing on screens (3-3) POP-UPS {P}{O}{PUPS} 

8   Hot wind from Africa to Southern Italy, crossing miles over a Saharan state (7) SIROCCO (+si-m)SIROCCO

9   Allow to join again to study at a top US university (7) READMIT {READ}{MIT}

11 Indian governesses restricted a damage for Shia leaders (10) AYATOLLAHS {AY{A}{TOLL}AHS} 

12 Announced proper ceremony (4) RITE (~right)

13 Publicity fool, unleashes English to make sense (3,2) ADD UP {AD}{DUPe}

14 Gallant and fearless leader undone by rumour about First Lady (3,5) OLD WORLD {bOLD}{WOR{Lady}D}

16 Women are covering cold border violations by army men (3,5) WAR CRIME {W}{AR{C}{RIM}E} POS error

18 Colour copies, having original impressions flipped (5) SEPIA {A{Im...s}PES}<=

20 Time to perish or run (4) TROT {T}{ROT}

21 A cyber cell formed with potential future utility (10) RECYCLABLE*

23 Back to pressing bold and blunt point (7) OBTRUDE {T{B}O<=}{RUDE}

24 Secret desire! Most embarrassed! (7) COVERED {COVEt}{RED}

25 Fool with some secret ingredients (6) CRETIN [T]

26 Still hope endlessly (6) THOUGH THOUGHt

DOWN

1   Common folks in Los Angeles city consuming cocaine (5) LAITY {LA}{cITY}

2   Taken into team mission, possibly for decompositions (2-5) CO-OPTED {COOPTED+MISSION}=DECOMPOSITIONS [CA]

3   Sort of half blue, typical trees in Nilgiris (9) EUCALYPTI {blUE+TYPICAL}* 

5   W-W signs (5) OMENS wOMENS

6   High ground, with bit of ethical stand (7) UNDERGO {GROUND+Et...l}*

7   Hint - I can still play! (9) SCINTILLA*

10 Position of a knight in new cybernation (9) BARONETCY CYBERNATiOn* How is i deleted?

13 A form of carbon that is not needing oxygen to exist (9) ANAEROBIC {A+CARBON+IE}* Partial Indirect anagram

15 Holds itch, struggling to find a cleaning fabric (9) DISHCLOTH*

17 Cabal's exotic erotic energy (7) COTERIE {EROTIC}*{E}

19 Priest passed on gold at table (7) PLATEAU {P}{LATE}{AU}

21 Unlimited trade limit, oddly for bones (5) RADII {tRADe}{lImIt}

22 Screen church parasite (5) LEECH {LEE}{CH}

Reference List

Pressure = P, Over = O, Southern = S, Italy = I, Miles = M, Publicity = AD, Women = W, Cold = C, Time = T, Bold = B, Cocaine = C, New = N, Energy = E, Priest = P, Screen = LEE, Church = CH

No 14839, Tuesday 07 Jul 2026, Arden

Solution to 3D 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

6   One soon retrieves part of the loop (5) NOOSE [T<=]

7   Poorly dressed - carp about bum (8) FRUMPISH {F{RUMP}ISH}

10 Fellow traveller's income very good (7) COMRADE {COM{RAD}E}

11 She stops destruction with her spirit (7) BANSHEE {BAN{SHE}E}

12 Star's short reply to possessing weed (7) ANTARES {AN{TARE}S}

13 Act of anointing - do without force (7) UNCTION fUNCTION

14 Talk about separate section (11) COMPARTMENT {COM{PART}MENT}

19 Plant is clean, perhaps (7) SANICLE*

21 Subject of beer drinking girl - it comes with two cups (7) ALGEBRA {AL{G}E}{BRA}

23 Easy to read on holy book after doffing cap (7) LEGIBLE {LEG}{bIBLE} 

25 Maybe one got hard-hearted at work (2,3,2) ON THE GO {ONE+GOT+H}*

26 Alarmed about new municipal council member (8) ALDERMAN {ALARMED}*{N}

27 Burst forth and get pure extract in return (5) ERUPT [T<=]

DOWN

1   Make up for an alien in heavenly surroundings (8) COSMETIC {COSM{ET}IC}

2   Set right the salesman's attitude (6) REPAIR {REP}{AIR}

3   Eat dessert topping or bay rum? (10) ?F?E?S?A?E (Addendum - AFTERSHAVE {HAVE}<=>{AFTERS} - See comments)

4   Leaders never understand most basics, have no feeling (4) NUMB Acrostic

5   Another mishit results in thin strips (6) ISTHMI*

6   Approach outside court, honey (6) NECTAR {NE{CT}AR}

8   Long search to begin with confidence (7) PANACHE {ACHE}<=>{PAN}

9   Do live with a refusal (5) BEANO {BE}{A}{NO} 

13 Somewhat terrible pain - opt out (2,2,1,5) UP TO A POINT*

15 Fearsome animal casing the vehicle (7) MACABRE {MA{CAB}RE}

16 Shows board with gold cross (8) TABLEAUX {TABLE}{AU}{X}

17 Carol's school dress is appropriate (5) PSALM {P{S}ALM}

18 Raised pig without animal handler (6) MAHOUT {HAM<=}{OUT}

20 Upset horse in the middle of a river (6) NIGGLE {NI{GG}LE}

22 Complete after midnight - refuse to go in here (6) GUTTER {UTTER}<=>{niGht}

24 Manages to trim the top of trees (4) ELMS hELMS

Reference List

Force = F, Girl = G, Hard = H, New = N, Alien = ET, Court = CT, School = S, Horse = GG