No 14110, Thursday 29 Feb 2024, Saral

Welcome to SARAL our new THC setter. Bouquets and Brickbats welcome.

Solution to 17D 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

8   Resolve rifts in the beginning (5) FIRST*

9   Ill-famed Ohio university riots on? Terrible (9) NOTORIOUS {O+U+RIOTS+ON}*

10 Letters from vendor seeking support (7) ENDORSE [T]

11 Observe from a tunnel (7) EXAMINE {EX}{A}{MINE}

12 Samples of ground spices checked by staff (9) SPECIMENS {SPECI{MEN}S*}

14 Suggested rewriting name with title essentially (5) MEANT {NAME*}{tiTle}

15 Keep notice dividing plot, say near lake (7) CITADEL {AD} in {(~site)CITE}{L}

18 Presents meetings covering extremities of operation (7) DONATES {D{Op...oN}ATES}

19 It's me arranging articles (5) ITEMS*

20 Shift coach missing international game (9) TRANSPORT {TRAiN}{SPORT}

24 King in fury beheaded soldiers (7) EMPEROR {tEMPER}{OR}

25 Sailor buys objects (7) TARGETS {TAR}{GETS}

27 Police officer in park probing area (9) INSPECTOR {IN}{S{P}ECTOR}

28 Most mock at English marks (5) SCORE {SCORn}{E}

DOWN

1   Submits cases without introduction (6) OFFERS cOFFERS

2   Newly-wed crossing grand arch (6) BRIDGE {BRID{G}E}

3   Move prison (4) STIR [DD]

4   Anxious son rejecting ice-cream, say (8) STRESSED {S}{DESSERT<=}

5   Queen with team about to enter camps for therapies (10) TREATMENTS {T{RE}{TEAM*}ENTS} (Correction - {T{R}{TEAM*}ENTS} - See comments)

6   Ruling party getting short time worker (8) DOMINANT {DO}{MIN}{ANT}

7   Mule carrying excellent, old fire-proof material (8) ASBESTOS {AS{BEST}{O}S}

9   Relative in French city going around eateries primarily (5) NIECE {NI{Ea...s}CE}

13 Rust inside abandoned factories (10) INDUSTRIES*

15 Institute restrained by erratic absurd rules (8) CRITERIA {I} in {ERRATIC}*

16 Encroachment in health resort breaking lock (8) TRESPASS {TRE{SPA}SS}

17 Free time for boy? Can read and write (8) L?T?R?T? (Addendum - LITERATE LI(+t-b)TERATE - See comments)

21 Change early theory now and then (5) ALTER {eArLy+ThEoRy}

22 Cat's eyelid covered by round lump (6) OCELOT {Eye} in {O}{CLOT}

23 Steals byzantine ornament (6) TASSEL*

26 Danger of reckless skier losing point (4) RISK SKIeR*

Reference List

Ohio = O, University = U, From = EX, Notice = AD, Lake = L, International = I, Soldiers = OR, Sailor = TAR, Park = P, English = E, Grand = G, Son = S, Queen = R, Party = DO, Time = T, Boy = B, Old = O, Point = E