No 14922, Tuesday 13 Oct 2026, Vidwan

Solution to 11A 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

8   Recent changes after removal of pressure, reportedly for housing of the illegals (9,6) DETENTION CENTRE {RECENT}*<=>{(~de tension)DETENTION} 

9   Help with a licit smuggling in future (10) FACILITATE {F{A+LICIT}*ATE}

10 Approached leader retreating to the top (4) ACME (-c)A(+c)CME Retreating or going forward?

11 Will might influence size (8) ?T?E?G?H ()

13 Nation hides force away from the borders (6) INLAND fINLAND

14 England's local troller manipulated voters list (9,4) ELECTORAL ROLL {E+LOCAL+TROLLER}*

17 Plateau to pianissimo beholding perfect state (6) UTOPIA [T]

18 It's basically most open kind of relative discrimination (8) NEPOTISM {ITS+Most+OPEN}*

21 Organised first leaderless agitation (4) STIR fIRST*

22 A new sister at spy agency, the heartless harbinger (10) ANNUNCIATE {A}{N}{NUN}{CIA}{ThE}

24 Economic crisis that is back, involves media controlled by Mafia boss chasing capital (5,10) GREAT DEPRESSION {IE<=} over {PRESS} in {DON} after {GREAT}

DOWN

1   Leave males to rest around supermarket (10,5) DEPARTMENT STORE {DEPART}{MEN}{TO+REST}*

2   People beheaded in evil city (6) VENICE {V{mEN}ICE}

3   Run small time gang (6) STRING {S}{T}{RING} 

4   Until now lacked right piece of furniture (4) SOFA {SO FAr}

5   Pain of nail splitting of fruits like strawberries (8) ACHENIAL {ACHE}{NAIL*}

6   Popular name developed oil printing method (8) INTAGLIO {IN}{TAG}{OIL*}

7   Edge into Channel Islands and sail aggressively in race to outlaw (15) CRIMINALISATION  {C{RIM}I}{N{SAIL*}ATION}

12 Flier exporting Island drug (5) HERON HEROiN

15 Worthless, timeless, most honest name of sky (8) EMPYREAN {EMPtY}{REAl}{N}

16 Toy bear holding a California chest for beverage leaves (3,5) TEA CADDY {TE{A}{CA}DDY}

19 Think of power, think without weight (6) PONDER {P}{wONDER}

20 Lust! This controls right on time! (6) THIRST {THI{R}S}{T}

23 Severus severed head and part of neck (4) NAPE sNAPE

Reference List

Force = F, England = E, New = N, Small = S, Time = T, Right = R, Popular = IN, Island = I, Time = T, Name = N, Power = P, Weight = W

No 14921, Monday 132 Oct 2026, Vidwan

Artwork by Prasanna

Solution to 13D 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

8   British National limit for Spooner's sleep (6) CATNAP (~nat cap to cat nap}

9   Laugh out loud! Almost high, father gets sticky candy! (8) LOLLIPOP {LOL}{LIt}{POP}

10 Alien about alien phase or something similar (2,6) ET CETERA {ET}{C}{ET}{ERA}

11 Talk about retaining the French country house (6) CHALET {CHA{LE}T}

12 Intense part of pride! Epiphany! (4) DEEP [T]

13 Macho guys having no power before love! No wonder! (10) PHENOMENON {HE MEN} over {NO} follows {P} then {O}{N}

14 Talk about India's Himalayan tree (7) CONIFER {CON{I}FER}

15 Weak, heartless and say vile wish (7) FANTASY {FAiNT}{SAY*}

17 Praise fellow to obtain unlimited dates (10) FELICITATE {F}{ELICIT}{dATEs}

18 Pay attention to main killer eliminating sons (4) HARK sHARK Why son in plural?

19 Pick well regularly within group (6) SELECT {S{wElL}ECT}

20 Train going around hot and popular country (8) THAILAND {T{H}AIL}{AND} Train/Tail? What's the role of Popular?

22 Emergency provision for Spooner's dangerous quartet (4,4) FIRE DOOR (~dire four to fire door)

23 Loses sleep over work in constituencies (6) SWEATS {S{W}EATS}

DOWN

1   Standard article on regressive units of heredity is describing reproduction without fertilisation (15) PARTHENOGENESIS {PAR}{THE}{{ON<=}{GENES}{IS}

2   One who explains without exhibition and advertising and one competed over support for poor (15) UNDERPRIVILEGED {expoUNDER}{PR}{1}{VI{LEG}ED}

3   Not the first omission by section of Church (4) APSE lAPSE

4   Wise burying a hatchet (7) CLEAVER {CLE{A}VER}

5   Voters somehow tolerate EC! (10) ELECTORATE*

6   I retraced the log rolling mouthpiece that prevents lip stains (9,6) CIGARETTTE HOLDER*

7   Pull head back with the one short string wound for support (5,2,8) TOWER OF STRENGTH {TOW}{FORE<=}{THE+STRiNG}*

13 Clues regularly ignored in love forecast (10) P?E?I?T?O? (Addendum - PREDICTION PREDIleCTION - See comments)

16 Large insect occasionally bearing light (7) LANTERN {L}{ANT}{bEaRiNg}

21 Further exposed fake love (4) ALSO {fALSe}{O}

Reference List

Alien = ET, About = C, The in French = LE, Power = P, No = N, India = I, Fellow = F, Sons = S, Hot = H, Work = W, Standard = PAR, Advertising = PR, Support = LEG, Large = L