No 13877, Monday 29 May 2023, Avtaar

Solution to 21D 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.

Open for anyone to answer, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   Winds in the outskirts of Zaire - Polish youngster heading for safety (7) ZEPHYRS {Za.rE}{Po..sH}{Yo...eR}{Sa...y}

5   Courses of drug overdoses (7) METHODS {METH}{ODS}

10 Indian island's providing refuge to British bird (4) IBIS {I}{B}{I'S}

11 Fine wordplay by Avtaar with definition on the right, included in this cryptic (10) PUNISHMENT {PUN} with {ME}{d...oN} in {THIS}*

12 Diamond pattern in the middle of Holy Grail reflecting energy (6) ARGYLE {hoLY+GRAil}<={E}

13 Best time to slip out of public prayer in church (8) OVERCOME {OVERt}{C{OM}E}

14 Yield is poor? Have focus (9) VOUCHSAFE*

16 Order review of detectives visiting discharged extremist (5) EDICT {CID}<= in {Ex...sT}

17 In the morning son follows live broadcasts (5) BEAMS {AM}{S}<=>{BE}

19 Where soldiers battle, fighting almost innately for suppressing onset of adversaries (5,4) FRONT LINE {INNaTELy+FOR}* Semi&lit

23 With ice-pack, husband normalised pulse (8) CHICKPEA {ICE+PACK+H}*

24 River in US state, near the sea (6) MARINE {MA{R}INE}

26 Consumptive, loose culture around Britain starts to affect refugees (10) TUBERCULAR {CULTURE}* over {B} and {Af...t}{Re...s}

27 Partners charged with fine remained alert (4) WOKE {W}{OK}{E}

28 Scoundrel is held captive by Maoist in Kerala (7) STINKER [T]

29 Mother and young boy caught in official delay at the borders (3,4) OLD LADY {LAD} in {Of...aL}{De.aY}

DOWN

2   Obstruct some coming back to grab meals (7) EMBARGO [T<=]

3   Thick, hot atmosphere shrouds university (5) HUSKY {H}{SKY} over {U}

4   Curb on journalists (7) REPRESS {RE}{PRESS}

6   One taking time out from festival gets more relaxed (6) EASIER EAS(-t+1)IER

7   Bloodthirsty Joker beheaded in concealed, uninhabited atoll (9) HOMICIDAL {H{cOMIC}ID}{At.lL}

8   Go-getting inspector caught entertaining retrograde lots (7) DYNAMIC {DI}{C} over {MANY<=}

9   Chief of section quits peacekeepers' commission because Board is not agreeable (13) UNCOMFORTABLE {UNsCOM{FOR}{TABLE}

15 Tell all about old head of Middle Eastern dynasty consuming ecstasy (4,5) COME CLEAN {C}{O}{Mi...e}{E}{CL{E}AN}

18 Tax case of umpires taken over by former bowler, say (7) EXHAUST {Um...eS} in {EX}{HAT}

20 In Rome, X maybe irrational, unreal and, ultimately, random (7) NUMERAL {UNREAL+r...oM}*

21 North Dakota chains dealing with winter sports equipment designed to keep one from falling (7) N?N?K?D (Addendum - NONSKID {N{ON}{SKI}D})

22 Short bet, primarily in exchange for coins (6) SPECIE {SPEC}{In}{Ex...e}

25 Scrap on the base of the large spiked wheel (5) ROWEL {ROW}{E}{L}

Reference List

Drug = METH, Indian = I, Island's = I'S, British = B, Energy = E, Time = T, Prayer = OM, Church = CE, Son = S, Live = BE, Husband = H, River = R, Partners = W,E, Hot = H, University = U, On = RE, Old = O, Eastern = E, Ecstasy = E, Former = EX, Base = E, Large = L