No 13154, Tuesday 26 Jan 2021, Arden

REPUBLIC DAY GREETINGS

Solution to 9D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS

1   Doubts are back, ideas follow (6,8) SECOND THOUGHTS {SECOND}{THOUGHTS}

10 Runs away with the last tender (5) NURSE {RUNS*}{thE}

11 Thousands on the run to get highest bid (5,4) GRAND SLAM {GRANDS}{LAM}

12 Fancy tusker losing heart to girl (7) ELEGANT ELE(-ph+g)GANT

13 Relationship after half an hour with a Shakespearean character (7) HORATIO {RATIO}<=>{HOur}

14 Compound featured in a cowboy movie essentially (5) ESTER wESTERn

16 With less American money invested, you get strength (9) LUSTINESS {L{US}{TIN}ESS}

19 Poetry — she used some magical words (3,6) HEY PRESTO*

20 Laud for participating in the next Olympics (5) EXTOL [T]

22 Accommodation by the meadow is extremely sparse (7) LEANEST {LEA}{NEST}

25 Correspondent, he follows directions (7) NEWSMAN {N}{E}{W}{S}{MAN}

27 One following Mira Shah perhaps is a sage (9) MAHARISHI {MIRA+SHAH}*{1}

28 Meal hasn’t started, it’s confidential (5) INNER dINNER

29 Breaking news! Writing in other words is a natural phenomenon! (8,6) NORTHERN LIGHTS {N{O{R}THER}N}{LIGHTS}

DOWN

2   Zealously created ten layers (9) EARNESTLY*

3   Work time entertainment (5) OPERA {OP}{ERA}

4   One may be also known by another name, not a drug (9) DIGITALIS {DIGIT}{ALIaS} 

5   Warm husband is a moor (5) HEATH {HEAT}{H}

6   Endure abuse, protect tree when attacked (5,4) UNDER FIRE {UNDER{FIR}E*}

7   Fancy hotel for a serf (5) HELOT*

8   Tally day’s order (7) SUMMONS {SUM}{MON'S}

9   Girl hugging her old flame, is it appropriate? (6) ?N?E?E (Addendum - ANNEXE {ANN{EX}E} - See comments)

15 Some elements are in the back with Thorium (4,5) RARE EARTH {R{ARE}EAR}{TH}

17 Bounty will reveal the Reverend’s bird (9) SPOONBILL (~boon spill to spoonbill)

18 It serves ten items with a flourish (9) ESTAMINET {TEN+ITEMS+A}*

19 Layer over 50% of the sporting event — they have a large following (7) HOLYMEN {H{OLYMpics}EN}

21 Ships engine parts (6) LINERS [DD]

23 Hate a scientist? (5) ABHOR {A}{BHOR} The scientist is spelt as BOHR

24 American among others picked up — a stunner (5) TASER {RES{A}T<=}

26 Squeeze, essentially arm in arm (5) WRING {W{aRm}ING}

Reference List

Thousand = GRAND, Girl = G, Money = TIN, News = N, Writing = R, Words = LIGHTS, Work = OP, Husband = H, American = A, Old flame = EX