No 13638, Thursday 18 Aug 2022, Afterdark

Solution to 8D 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   Explosive day, say at capital of Belgium, mob went on a rampage (4,4) TIME BOMB {TIME}{Be...m}{MOB*}

5   Argues that leaders in Syria's capital rob all people surely (6) SCRAPS Acrostic

10 Dakar ought to control hooligan (5) ROUGH [T]

11 Fun! Koala rolling around Uruguay's capital city (9) NUKUALOFA {FUN+KOALA}* over {Ur...y}

12 Cycling show's done — Administration (9) OVERSIGHT {SIGHT}<=>{OVER}

13 Goals reset for capital city (5) LAGOS*

14 Fighter's backed by people in capital (6) MANILA {ALI<=}<=>{MAN}

15 Wagers that boy takes woman's place, one in Pondicherry say in a scuba diving costume (3,4) WET SUIT {(-b+w)WETS}{U{1}T}

18 Advantages of settling disputes after crossing capital of Thailand (7) UPSIDES DISPUtES*

20 Having company; with Eva, lady of the same age (6) COEVAL {CO}{EVA}{L}

22 Free Union leader; constant in news (5) UNPIN {Un..n}{N}{PI}{N}

24 Capital is awful, has detained priest (9) ISLAMABAD {IS}{BAD} over {LAMA}

25 On first of January, Peru's leader was ousted, dispatched to an American city, capital city (9) JERUSALEM {Ja...y}{pERU}{SALEM}

26 A game of chance; being dry in bathroom (5) LOTTO {LO{TT}O}

27 Britain is collecting gold, bit of some stored in capital (6) BISSAU {B}{IS}{AU} over {Some}

28 One breaks into building, forages for food (4,4)  FOIE GRAS{1} in {FORAGES}*

DOWN

1   Apathy at Tanzanian capital, poor suffering without right (6) TORPOR {Ta...n}{O{R}POR*}

2   River at central Denmark, nearby there are places with computer accessories (9) MOUSEPADS {denMark}{OUSE}{PADS}

3   Graduate has a home completed, puts some inscription in South Asian language (6,9) BAHASA INDONESIA {BA}{HAS}{A}{IN}{DONE}{S}{In...n}{A}

4   People get silver rating in capital city (7) MANAGUA {MAN}{AG}{UA}

6   Daily story, having some tea and oatmeal pudding in capital city (9,6) CHARLOTTE AMALIE {CHAR}{L{Tea+OATMEAL}*IE}

7   A wish to be with you (5) ALONG {A}{LONG}

8   Lack of boxes' infuriating, check out (8) S?A?S?T? 

9   Satire on bird mostly to lift, say (3,3) SKI TOW {SKIT}{OWl}

16 Banal tour organised in capital city (4-5) ULAN-BATOR* 

17 Sweetheart in inn after setback in a deceptive event (3-2,3) PUT-UP JOB {PU{PUT<=}{JO}B}

19 Silence on road is conditional to the Spanish retreat (6) STIFLE {ST}{IF}{EL<=}

20 Pass by old motorway with boy, almost in capital city (7) COLOMBO {COL}{O}{M}{BOy}

21 Losing grip, prodigious doctor turns offensive (6) ODIOUS prODigOUS

23 With one getting ahead, couple with son in capital city (5) PARIS {PA(-1)R(+1)I}{S}

Reference List

Boy = B, Woman = W, Lady = L, News = NN, Dry = TT, Britain = B, Right = R, Rating = UA, Sweetheart = JO, The in Spanish = EL, Pass = COL, Old = O, Motorway = M, Son = S