No.11306, Saturday 31 Jan 15, Spinner

A variety of clue types in both clues and answers from Spinner in a typically neat puzzle.

ACROSS
1 A country of war and destruction (6) RWANDA [WAR AND]*
4 Naughty actor is standing by ultimately comic procession formed by taking tops off (8) ACROSTIC [ACTOR IS]* + comiC
10 Analyze Generation Next’s first expert (7) VETERAN [analyze=VET + generation=ERA + Next]
11 Tea, a red liquid? Farce! (7) CHARADE [tea=CHA + A + RED*]
12 Tips from reputed engineer constructing ship’s seat (8) RECLINER [Reputed Engineer Constructing + ship=LINER]
13 Exterminator’s successful soldier (6) HITMAN [successful=HIT + soldier=MAN]
15 Mitigates by giving away hundred to charity (4) ALMS [mitigates=cALMS]
17 Poor inmate sat like a flower with no feminity (9) STAMINATE [INMATE SAT]*
20 The elderly ultimately vote in rigged op-ed poll (3,6) OLD PEOPLE [votE inside OP-ED POLL*]
21 Territory to the east, like Indonesia’s borders (4) ASIA [like=AS + IndonesiA]
24 Obtained original scotch behind Indian bars (6) INGOTS [INdian + obtained=GOT + Scotch]
25 Trains be ordered as support for a flight (8) BANISTER [TRAINS BE]*
28 Yesteryear boxer bound by commitment to couple (7) DUALITY [boxer=ALI inside commitment=DUTY]
29 Partly Asian ragman rearranged jumbled letters (7) ANAGRAM [Asian + RAGMAN*]
30 Endorsing officers have new book to sign (8) NOTARIES [New + book=OT + sign=ARIES]
31 Conquered exhausted, leaderless men (6) BEATEN [exhausted=BEAT + mEN]

DOWN
1 Loss of forever saluted characters (8) REVERSAL [T]
2 Unruly cat in funny act (5) ANTIC [CAT IN]*
3 Every other idle area will go off track (6) DERAIL [iDlE aReA wIlL]
5 Sundial initially leverages absent rooster (4) COCK [sundial=ClOCK]
6 Food’s after chief officers’ speeches (8) ORATIONS [Officer + food=RATION + S]
7 Operators on the same side? (9) TEAMMATES [CD]
8 Rinses vessels with lemon extract, primarily (6) CLEANS [vessels=CANS outside Lemon Extract]
9 Charge after ground rent is fitting (9) INSERTION [RENT IS* + charge=ION]
14 Learners interrupting a master’s dance with doubt (5,1,3) SMELL A RAT [learners=LL inside A MASTER*]
16 Unite with worker after initial meeting becoming hostile (9) MALIGNANT [Meeting + unite=ALIGN + worker=ANT]
18 Eye level is more erratic (8) SPOTTIER [eye=SPOT + level=TIER]
19 They milk the extremely endowed cheerful people (8) DAIRYMEN [endoweD + cheerful=AIRY + people=MEN]
22 Yardman essentially covered in leather and centrally buried (6) HIDDEN [yarDman inside leather=HIDE + aNd]
23 Penalty taking, a basic lesson in the end (6) FINALE [penalty=FINE outside A + Lesson]
26 Exhibit a Rotaract member card (5) TAROT [T]
27 Some soothingly resonating instrument (4) LYRE [T]