No 12705, Thursday 15 Aug 2019, Neyartha

INDEPENDENCE DAY GREETINGS

ACROSS
1   Language trouble eases after the entry of the American uncle (8) ASSAMESE {AS{SAM}ESE*}
5   Challenge the goal (6) OBJECT [DD]
9   All of the inert compound found inside an English city (8) ENTIRELY {E{INERT*}LY}
10 Ancient Romans conveying where it originally was (2,4) IN SITU [CD]
11 Male sheep reportedly with a base at a meteorological observation post (7,7) WEATHER STATION (~wether){WEATHER}{STATION}
14 Language spoken in the large and noisy party with no limits (5) HINDI sHINDIg
16 Grovelling with soiled livery in the pig pen (9) SERVILITY {S{LIVERY*}TY}
17 Job location (9) SITUATION [DD]
19 Set off to find a good leader for the navy of an African country (5) BEGIN BE(-n+g)GIN
20 Animal on the ark with seeds for some trees (5,9) HORSE CHESTNUTS {HORSE}{CHESTNUTS}

23 Language of the abdicating king upsets the guru allowed to return at first (6) TELUGU {GUrU}* after {LET<=}
24 Measured the short Norse god with a prominent frame (8) FATHOMED {FA{THOr}MED}
25 English writer getting letters from Simpson's Ayers Rock address (6) SAYERS [T]
26 Formal apology in a clue? Pam solved it! (3,5) MEA CULPA*

DOWN
1   State of the leading actor visiting extended relatives (4) AVER Acrostic
2   Son climbs up with the sparkling white wine to the European composer (5) SATIE {(+s)SA(-s)TI}{E}
3   Language discovered by a sailor in a retreat between Massachusetts and Hawaii (7) MARATHI {MA}{TAR<=}{HI}
4   Metal worker to cook this after the Frenchman hiding behind the forest trees is caught (11) SILVERSMITH {SILVER}{S{M}ITH*}
6   Language enabling transformations is not new (7) BENGALI EnABLING*
7   Drawing out the thing embedded in the damaged ceiling (9) ELICITING {ELIC{IT}ING*}
8   Travelling time for the judge taking part in a medieval joust (10) TOURNEYING {-j+t)TOURNEYING
12 Tension influenced by weight could alter one's appearance (6,5) SPRING SCALE [CD?]
13 Pet shop has pivoted to supply some fertilizer components (10) PHOSPHATES*
15 Brown turns up with a partner to go around the old city, as might be expected (9) NATURALLY {TAN<=}{UR}{ALLY}
18 One settling a score with rage seen around the outskirts of Vellore (7) AVENGER {A{Ve...rE}NGER}
19 West Indian leaders ignored the brief bewitching representation of the sea floor (7) BENTHIC  BEwiTCHINg* New word for me

21 Language discovered by Tesla before reaching a capital city from the south (5) TAMIL {T}{LIMA<=}
22 Language of some podiatrists (4) ODIA [T]

Reference List
Navy = N, King = R, Son = S, Frenchman = M, New = N, Time = T, Judge = J

GRID