No 11914, Thursday 26 Jan 2017, Sunnet

REPUBLIC 
DAY 
GREETINGS

ACROSS
1   Refuse to rub engineer at first (6) REBUFF {RE}{BUFF}
4   Ill-treated scab nods & flees (8) ABSCONDS*
10 Perhaps Iberian writer in university is exempted from usual arrangement (9) PENINSULA {PEN}{IN}{USuAL}*
11 Return article to former chess champion of province in South Africa (5) NATAL {AN<=}{TAL}
12 Advertise a flame (5) BLAZE [DD]
13 Before team takes books to chairman (9) PRESIDENT {PRE}{SIDE}{NT}
14 Policeman's dark side is lighter (7) IGNITER {IG}{NITE}{R}
16 Stream turning near daughter's garden (4) YARD {RAY<=}{D}
19 Standard tire (4) FLAG [DD]
21 This one arrives well before time (7) PREEMIE [CD]
24 Nearly try to hold a horse coach (9) CHARABANC {CH{ARAB}ANCe}

25 Use river's right (5) EXERT {EXE}{RT}
26 American's period of employment (5) USAGE {US}{AGE}
27 Foolish Henry and another boy roasted (4-5) HALF-BAKED {H}{ALF}-{BAKED}
28 Iterates about an exposition (8) TREATISE*
29 Assigns a guard to Bob (6) AWARDS {A}{WARD}{S}

DOWN
1   13 leads this old person around a bar (8) REPUBLIC {RE{PUB}LIC}
2   Pack old coin in a large kerchief (8) BANDANNA {BAND}{ANNA}
3   Pound dishonest trader (5) FENCE [DD]
5   Female supporter's real courage (7) BRAVERY {BRA}{VERY}
6   Improperly coercing English caretaker (9) CONCIERGE {COERCING}*{E}
7   Teachers taking back prize spice (6) NUTMEG {NUT}{GEM<=}

8   Greeting it with an instrument (6) SALUTE {SA}{LUTE}
9   Wire sweater (6) JUMPER [DD]
15 Call a man to charge collector (4,5) TOLL AGENT {TOLL} {A}{GENT}
17 Bade Mark to become a leader (8) AMBEDKAR*

18 Energy surges in chains of amino acids (8) PEPTIDES {PEP}{TIDES}
20 Bites and cuts captured knight (7) GNASHES {G{N}ASHES}
21 Relish trouble (6) PICKLE [DD]
22 Discharge bill and leave (6) ACQUIT {AC}{QUIT}
23 Exhibit dock bridges in the modern age (6) PARADE {PAR{AD}E}
25 Bowler mostly bends this (5) ELBOW BOWLEr* &lit

GRID