No 14213, Friday 28 Jun 2024, Avtaar

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY

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ACROSS

1   Foreign worker in Indian political group arrested by state (2,4) AU PAIR {A{UPA}IR}

5   Fell, like Archer? (4,4) BOWL OVER {BOW LOVER}

9   Christmas clothing section stocking knight's headgear (8) YARMULKE {Y{ARM}UL{K}E}

10 Case of engineer ducking training for duty (6) EXCISE {EXerCISE}

11 Doctor sends man away for resources (4,3,5)  WAYS AND MEANS*

13 Ice-cold expression? (4) BRRR [CD]

14 Company honcho in Delhi on vacation, joined by minister (8) DIRECTOR {DelhI}{RECTOR}

17 Spooner's discarded stinking bird (8) REDSHANK (~ shed rank to redshank)

18 Carol abused - one left (4) NOEL {ONE*}{L}

20 Liked relaxing outside a particular place with hills, dales and water bodies (4,8) LAKE DISTRICT {L{A}KEDI*}{STRICT}

23 American agents catching accountant's bloomer (6) ACACIA {A}{C{AC}IA}

24 Casual help in need steals book (4-4) LAID-BACK {L{AID}ACK} over {B}

25 Judges back old German service on the radio (8) ASSESSES {ASS}{(~ss}ESSES}

26 Trapping of people inside ends in fighting with one troublemaker starting to attack leader of Opposition (6) GHERAO {f...nG}{witH}{onE}{t...eR}{At...k}{Op...n}

DOWN

2   Periodically stamp out escalating poisonous growth (4) UPAS {StAmP+oUt<=}

3   Avtaar's unfinished task - cutting supplies for groups that destroy food (4,5) ARMY WORMS {MY}{WORk} in {ARMS}

4   Races run by English Amateur Society (6) RELAYS {R}{E}{LAY}{S}

5   Bears led kittens around for idle enjoyment (4,3,8) BEER AND SKITTLES*

6   They swing with force, avoiding those stopping the ball (8) WIELDERS {W}{fIELDERS}

7   Ounce jumped at the precise moment (2,3) ON CUE*

8   Ike's introduction in episode with new hero is amazing (10) EISENHOWER {Ep...e}{NEW+HERO+IS}*

12 Slippery character in European country, close to politicians, works on his own (10) FREELANCES {FR{EEL}ANCE}{p...nS}

15 Criminals counter cop (9) CONSTABLE {CONS}{TABLE}

16 Recycling of plastic outside American cities like Lincoln and Phoenix (8) CAPITALS {C{A}PITALS*}

19 Bent on skipping Disney movie (6) LIKING {LIon KING}

21 Host discussed Einstein's ratio of energy to speed of light (5) EMCEE {E/C = MC(~emcee) from E=M*C*C}

22 Official record of proceedings from Alcatraz, nicked every now and then (4) ACTA {AlCaTrAz}

Reference List

Indian political group = UPA, Christmas = YULE, Engineer = ER, Left = L, American = A, Accountant = AC, Book = B, Old German service = SS, English = E, Society = S, With = W, Force = F