No 13689, Wednesday 19 Oct 2022, Dr. X

Solution to 25A 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   Report in channel about health resort (8) DISPATCH {DI{SPA}TCH}

5   Loves to sleep endlessly after a party (6) ADORES {RESt}<=>{A}{DO}

10 Greek character enthralled by awesome gal (5) OMEGA [T]

11 Cling to a son becoming emotional (9) NOSTALGIC {CLING+TO+A+S}*

12 Author's most narrow-minded point (9) PENINSULA {PEN}{INSULAr}I

13 Require boundary...bowled out (5) ORDER bORDER

14 Rat race sadly leaves associate in depression (6) CRATER {RAT+RaCE}*

15 Undisclosed affair with maiden in rave (7) DORMANT {DO}{R{M}ANT}

18 News of India's top director involved in scandalous sting (7) TIDINGS {T{In..a}{D}INGS*}

20 Individual knocked back bit of vodka in party again (2,4) DE NOVO {ONE<=}{Vo..a} in {DO}

22 Immoralities ruin lives (5) EVILS*

24 Criminals thrash sailor endlessly in European port (9) CONSTANTA {CONS}{TAN}{TAr}

25 Beauty possessing essentially exquisite figure, almost provocative (9) B?L?I?O?E (Addendum - BELLICOSE {BELL{e..uIs..e}{COSt}E} - See comments)

26 Couple of amateurs tackling problem in Caribbean island (5) ARUBA {A}{RUB}{A}

27 Woman's gown is off kilter (6) KIRTLE*

28 Second peg gets annoying person most high (8) STEEPEST {S}{TEE}{PEST}

DOWN

1   Falls down dead on ascending trail (6) DROOPS {D}{SPOOR<=}

2   Fashion designer consuming drug, going ballistic (6,3) SEEING RED {DESIGNER}* over {E}

3   Once more get endlessly high and drink without consent (7,4,4) AGAINST ONES WILL {AGAIN}{STONEd}{SWILL}

4   Get the better of rook with queen and king (7) CONQUER {CON}{QU}{ER}

6   Sell a lot of big cats? (2,1,7,5) DO A ROARING TRADE [C&DD]

7   Unrelenting American soldier breaks free (5) RIGID {RI{GI}D}

8   Protection from rampant surge, city bars gatherings to begin with (8) SECURITY {SURgE+CITY}*

9   Orders reviewed, enters to execute revolting American assassin (6) OSWALD {D{LAWS<=}O<=}

16 Excitement in rave with nude model going wild (9) ADVENTURE {RAVE+NUDE+T}*

17 Youth enthralled by small boy on fine antelope (8) STEENBOK {S}{TEEN}{B}{OK}

19 Rebellious degenerates consuming ecstasy and cocaine in area (6) SECTOR {S{E}{C}TOR<=}

20 Most crowded dive, starting to suffocate in dump (7) DENSEST {DEN}{SE{Su...e}T}

21 Igneous rock belonging to bottom layer, primarily titaniferous (6) BASALT {BASAL}{Ti...s} Semi&lit

23 One left crushed by socialist backing loafer (5) IDLER {1}{RE{L}D<=}

Reference List

Party = DO, Son = S, Bowled = B, Associate = A, Maiden = M, Director = D, Amateur = A, Second = S, Peg = TEE, Dead = D, Drug = E, High = STONED, Rook = CON, Queen = QU, King = ER, Model = T, Small = S, Boy = B, Ecstasy = E, Cocaine = C, Left = L, Socialist = RED