No 14100, Saturday 17 Feb 2024, Afterdark

ACROSS

1   Source in soldiers' training field... (7,6) ASSAULT COURSE {SOURCE}* [RA]

10 ...surrendered as per heartless order in a bizarre decision primarily (9) ABDICATED {DICtATE} in {A}{Bi...e}{De...n}

11 One taking cover from a mammal... (5) COATI {1}<=>{COAT}

12 ... allowed at Florida Keys, say (5) ISLET {IS LET}

13 Close school at Spain, talented one is expelled (9) SECRETIVE {S}{E}{CREaTIVE}

14 Rechristen king at England? Amen everywhere (6) RENAME {R}{E}{AMEN*}

16 Unusual to let go of female for some rum that's diluted (5) RUNNY {-f+r)RUNNY

19 Marriage on 1/1/1 ending early (5) UNION {ON}<=>{UN}{1}{1}

20 Avoid fish fed with some yeast having phosphorus (6) BYPASS {B{Ye..t}{P}ASS}

25 Use of money for a certain purpose for fringe characters to develop knocked often (4-5) RING-FENCE {FRINGE}*{kNoCkEd}

26 Singer seen in promos sabotaged shows in retribution (5) BASSO [T<=]

27 Difficult to blend... (5) CROSS [DD]

28 ...all fats, kale tips possibly with petiole (9) LEAFSTALK {ALL+FATS+KalE}*

29 Only our fine to set free? No way (3,2,4,4) NOT ON YOUR LIFE*

DOWN

2   Relegate team position (8) SIDELINE {SIDE}{LINE}

3   A small young horse with tip of tail clipped at racecourse (5) ASCOT {A}{S}{COlT}

4   Current and old top songs on television primarily (6) LATEST {LATE}{So..s}{Te...n}

5   Hermes's staff beat up accused stealing some umbricelli (8) CADUCEUS {ACCUSED}* over {Um...i}

6   In Delhi, chacha and aunt frequently left yard in a soiled manner (9) UNCLEANLY {UNCLE}{AuNt}{L}{Y}

7   Delirious to leave London district stable (6) STATIC ecSTATIC

8   Auditor with the help of last vendor got salmon eggs (6) CAVIAR {CA}{VIA}{v...oR}

9   Wanted new idea to win first match (5) AIMED {AI{Ma..h}ED*}

15 Announcement by man & wife on losing weight before Easter essentially by order (9) MANIFESTO {MAN}{wIFE}{eaSTer}{O}

17 Make light of daughter's personal hobby (8) DOWNPLAY {D}{OWN}{PLAY}

18 Say, Sir John to lose control almost on employees (8) FALSTAFF {FALl}{STAFF}

21 Weird there's nothing good in spot (6) SPOOKY {SP{O}{OK}Y}

22 Fraud seen in that rickshaw... (5) TRICK [T]

23 ...completely in tatters primarily with glasses covering tension (2,4) IN TOTO {IN}{Ta...s}{O{T}O}

24 Fantastic lake right near university in a place in Ladakh (6) LEKARU {LAKE*}{R}{U} Something wrong here.as there is no such word or place. The place in Ladakh is just KARU

26 Herb is basically bawling like a lady (5) BASIL {Ba...g}{AS}{1}{L}

Reference List

School = S, Spain = E, King = R, England = E, Female = F, Small = S, Left =- L, Yard = Y, Weight = W, Order = O, Daughter = D, Glasses = OO, Tension = T, Right = R, University = U, Lady = L