No 13644, Thursday 25 Aug 2022, Hypatia

Solution to 4A 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   Recruit scoundrel with stranger (5) CADET {CAD}{ET}

4   Old-timer's party at Japanese capital? (5) ?O?E? (Addendum - DOYEN {DO}{YEN} - See comments)

11 Country assembling nuke outside borders of Russia and central China (7) UKRAINE {UK{Ru..iA}{chIna}NE*}

12 A bit of spite essentially, in slander (7) ASPERSE {A}{Sp..e}{PER SE}

13 Hint of trait in genes (5) TINGE [T]

14 Scientist in confusion about object with velocity (9) MENDELEEV {M{END}ELEE}{V}

15 Ordinary man, made blunders saving home address on the net (6,4) DOMAIN NAME {O+MAN+MADE}* over {IN}

17 Rubbing Sita's palms (4) ITAS*

19 Attire basically stylish and rather intricate (4) SARI Acrostic

21 Gangster and criminal gladly drink, working 24 hours (3,3,4) ALL DAY LONG {AL}{LDAYL{ON}G*}

25 "Bug journalists", said Spooner dear (9) PRICELESS (~ lice press to priceless)

27 Cleric in Britain plugging American machine (5) ABBOT {A}{B{B}OT}

28 A thespian's debut is in that place! (7) THEATRE {THE{A}{Th...n}RE} &lit

29 Bird flu shot makes boy right (7) ROOSTER (-b+r)ROOSTER

30 Starts to adjust seat and nicely adopts yoga pose (5) ASANA Acrostic

31 English poet covers facial hair (5) BEARD {B{E}ARD}

DOWN

2   Perhaps SMS friend in the morning (7) ACRONYM {A{CRONY}M}

3   Electronic sink repels mice producing plague, say (8) EPIDEMIC {E}{DIP<=}{MICE*}

5   Broadcast request to follow Big bird (6) OSPREY  {(~pray}PREY}<=>{OS}

6   Sincere listener at shelter (7) EARNEST {EAR}{NEST}

7   Fitted diamonds below luxurious hotel room (6) SUITED {D}<=>{SUITE}

8   Last minaret to be built near lake (8) TERMINAL {MINARET*}{L}

9   Oddly play and succeed without independent stake (4) PAWN {PlAy}{WiN}

10 Incomplete joke about the first lady's perfect butler (6) JEEVES {JE{EVE}St}

16 Ascertained mudras echo dancing with ecstasy (4,4) MADE SURE {MUDRAS+E}*{E}

18 Home Secretary transplants this tree there (8) SYCAMORE {hOMe+SECretARY}* [CA]

19 Fruit picked up from above, for instance (6) SAPOTA {ATOP}{AS}<=

20 Travellers intercepted by active thieves (7) RAIDERS {R{A}IDERS}

22 Spacecraft runs with piece checked by men (7) ORBITER {O{R}{BITE}R}

23 Crocs from mountain swamped by methane, for one (6) GATORS {GA{TOR}S}

24 Not an old scientist (6) NEWTON {TON}* [RA]

26 Remove lid from drainage vessel (4) EWER sEWER

Reference List

Stranger = ET, Party = DO, Velocity = V, Ordinary = O, Home = IN, Gangster = AL, Britain = B, American = A, Machine = BOT, Boy = B, Right = R, English = E, Electronic = E, Big = OS, Diamonds = D, Lake = L, Independent = I, Echo = E, Ecstasy = E, Active = A, Runs = R, Men = OR