No 9581, Friday, 10 Jul 09, Sankalak

Zoomed through another excellent and well constructed set of clues.
ACROSS
1 - Painful condition caused by cold in ramshackle hill cabin (9) - CHILBLAIN*
5 - Morning ritual cut short for a divine drink (5) - {AM}RIT(-ual)
8 - Let no ape be mistaken for another mammal (8) - ANTELOPE*
9 - Saif is upset over business failure (6) - FIAS*{CO}
11 - Somewhat less important musical key (5) - MINOR [DD]
12 - Wealthy one buying shares for quick profit escorts first of elders to German House (9) - R{E}ICH{STAG}
13 - Spirit, a drop of alcohol swallowed by evil spirit (6) - D{A}EMON
14 - A memorial to peacekeepers getting back in short time (8) - MO{NU<-}MENT NU (Nations United) is how United Nations is abbreviated in Spanish speaking countries. We used it on our unit vehicles while with the UN in Mozambique.
16 - The preferred entrance for candidates with pull (4-4) - BACK DOOR [CD]
18 - A struggle for doctor, wearing a jacket (6) - CO{MB}AT
22 - Something added by quiet writer in a proverb (9) - A{P}{PEN}DAGE
23 - I leave an apparition in anger (5) - WRA(-i)TH
24 - Loud, empty talk — the stuff of balloons? (3,3) - HOT AIR [DD]
25 - Such a missile is fired in flight (3-2-3) - AIR-TO-AIR [CD]
26 - Prison camp featured in Solzhenitsyn’s work (5) - GULAG [CD]
27 - Treason is wrong — that is a positive statement (9) - ASSERTION*
DOWN
1 - Enchanted by daily, medico lost 50 per cent (7) - {CHAR}MED(-ico)
2 - Passionate in the past, for example (7) - IN{TENSE}
3 - Taking formal steps as a social activity! (8,7) - BALLROOM DANCING [CD]
4 - Hope to confuse nameless Persian (6) - ASPIRE(-n)*
5 - One not in his element, like a swimmer denied oxygen (1, 4, 3, 2, 5) - A FISH OUT OF WATER [CD]
6 - Decoration for a girl, one who checks tickets on train (7) - ROSE{TTE}
7 - It is considered an idea (7) - THOUGHT [DD]
10 - Intolerant person with strong views gets a large collection of books (5) - BIG{OT}
15 - The kind of treatment a king would get from a viceroy always (5) - ROYAL [T]
16 - A wrestler’s hold made famous by Khrushchev? (4,3) - BEARHUG [CD]
17 - First-rate seat of government (7) - CAPITAL [DD]
19 - In India, one Tamil poet (7) - BHARAT{I}
20 - A city to hearten rebels (7) - TEHERAN*
21 - A category of creatures including one showing exceptional ability (6) - GEN{I}US