No 13645, Friday 26 Aug 2022, Bruno

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS ON FRIDAYS ONLY

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ACROSS

1   City's open proclamation starts: boring jerks off right away! (6) SKOPJE {Open}{Pr...n} in {JErKS}*

4   Heaps of small pins (6) STACKS {S}{TACKS}

8   Against Democrat, Republican finally gives censure (7) CONDEMN {CON}{DEM}{r...aN}

9   Assortment of books disappeared from gentleman's collection (7) MELANGE {GEntLEMAN}*

11 Running three-zero for England so far (10) HERETOFORE {THREE*}{0}{TO}{FOR}{E}

12 On the way back, ran into Southern radical (4) STEM {MET}{S}<=

13 Explosive American dark art, essentially hidden (5) NITRE {NIT{aRt}E}

14 Limit a large town's content (8) CAPACITY {CAP}{A}{CITY}

16 Plan for Peru's capital also to be redesigned (8) PROPOSAL {PRO}{Peru}{ALSO*}

18 Better to replace carbon with phosphorus for exhaust (5) EXPEL EX(-c+p)PEL

20 Such ones don't come back — and others return (4) LATE ET AL=

21 Holding meeting at the back of post office and school (10) POSSESSION {SESSION}<=>{PO}{S}

23 A large region devoid of gravity damaged part of aircraft (7) AILERON {A+L+REgION}*

24 Spy agency shone a light on Artificial Intelligence's resurgence with armed services (7) MILITIA {MI}{LIT}{AI<=}

25 Even bean sapling can become main course (6) ENTREE {bEaN}{TREE}

26 Withdraw speeches — dues regularly remaining (6) SECEDE {SpEeChEs+DuEs}

DOWN

1   Without paying, took scarf (5) STOLE [DD]

2   Dishonourable discharge! Soldiers captured in photos essentially with rubbish (7) ODDMENT {phO{DD}{MEN}Tos}

3   Big planes, flying just over top of mountains, work up elevation, at the tip (5,4) JUMBO JETS {JUST*} over {Mo...s}{JOB<=}{El...n}

5   Message from people to everyone mainly (5) THEME {THEM}{Ev...e}

6   Old drink — a small amount to go around (7) CLASSIC {LASSI} in {CC}

7   Divided society — say's crazy! (9) SEGMENTAL {S}{EG}{MENTAL}

10 50 invaluable party representative leaders left, disenfranchised (9) VOICELESS {V}{0}{prICELESS}

13 Regulating gold in Vietnam's complicated (9) NORMATIVE {N{OR}MATIVE*}

15 Interpreter I teach's somewhat tense (9) PRETERITE [T]

17 Dislike supporting President nowadays (7) PRESENT {RESENT}<=>{P}

19 Inert proton — large and lacking mass (7) PASSIVE {P}{mASSIVE}

21 How to communicate? Mainly practice and more practice (5) PHONE {Pr...e}{HONE}

22 One way to have whiskey is with slice of olives? Good! (2,3) ON ICE {Ol...s}{NICE}

Reference List

Right = R, Small = S, Books = NT(New Testament), England = E, Southern = S, School = S, Large = L, Gravity = G, Spy agency = MI, Drink = LASSI, Society = S, Gold = OR, President = P, Proton = P, Mass = M