No 2781, Sunday 09 Mar 2014

ACROSS
1   Cloudless section distinct (5-3) CLEAR-CUT {CLEAR}-{CUT}
5   A copper confronting servants demonstrates intuition (6) ACUMEN {A}{CU}{MEN}
9   Preserved meat - sailor's to complain (4,4) SALT BEEF {SALT} {BEEF}
10 Iran, an amazing magical land (6) NARNIA* Never read any of these books nor have I watched any of the movies.
12 Story swallowed by an immigrant (5) ALIEN {A{LIE}N}
13 Force someone to move from vault, gallons having been imbibed (9) FROGMARCH {FRO{G}M}{ARCH}
14 Singer Billie's producer, one on a tour? (7-5) HOLIDAY-MAKER {HOLIDAY}-{MAKER}
18 Fight ring in nursery rhyme (4,4,4) DING DONG BELL {DING DONG} {BELL}
21 Work of little merit in vessel, British tanker (9) POTBOILER {POT}{B}{OILER}
23 United at home against last in league (2,3) IN ONE {IN} {ON}{E}
24 Diamonds put by carton in fridge compartment (6) ICEBOX {ICE}{BOX}
25 Learned to repeat after foremost of lecturers (8) LITERATE {L}{ITERATE}
26 Approached miserly editor (6) NEARED {NEAR}{ED}
27 Sweatier in resort, so to speak (2,2,4) AS IT WERE*

DOWN
1   One about to leave republic to top the bill with another (2-4) CO-STAR CO-STARica
2   Cake Alice baked right (6) ECLAIR {ALICE*}{R}
3   Much associated with this outlaw (5,4) ROBIN HOOD [CD]
4   Surely incorrect to include companion, but easy to understand (4-8) USER-FRIENDLY {USER-{FRIEND}LY*}
6   Church member's appeal (5) CHARM {CH}{ARM}
7   Male duck exposes poisonous plant (8) MANDRAKE {MAN}{DRAKE}

8   You'll find my charges low! (8) NEATHERD [CD]
11 Fruit began to go off in trucks (12) LOGANBERRIES {LO{BEGAN*}RRIES}

15 Girl in factory, one on little money (9) MILLICENT {MILL}{1}{CENT}
16 A party overcomes tricky point in formal selection of candidate? (8) ADOPTION {A}{DO}{POINT*}
17 Song about a lamia, ultimately an object of loathing (8) ANATHEMA {AN{A}THEM}{A}
19 Shortly extra beer will bring confidence (6) MORALE {MORe}{ALE}
20 Very bad cut on base of spine (6) SEVERE {SEVER}{E}
22 Clean bracing air round region (5) OZONE {O}{ZONE}