No 14234, Tuesday 23 Jul 2024, Hypatia

Solution to 14A 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   Entertainers in company with Karaoke accessories (6) COMICS {CO}{MICS}

4   Like hot brown girl on a yoga course (8) ASHTANGA {AS}{H}{TAN}{G}{A}

9   One taking interest in setting benchmark? Not essentially (6) BANKER BENchmARK*

10 Characters in print and embossing are together (2,6) IN TANDEM [T]

11 Knew bear can make fresh trail (5,3,6) BREAK NEW GROUND {KNEW+BEAR}* [RA]

13 Prank involving pet is funny and clean (10) ANTISEPTIC {ANT{PET+IS}*IC}

14 Go around strikes (4) ?T?B (Addendum - STAB<= - See comments)

16 Steps leading down in Ganges had a temple originally (4) GHAT Acrostic Semi&lit

18 Implied by mistake - sure, not odd! (10) UNDERSTOOD*

21 Like award inspiring mostly ailing scientist (14) ASTROPHYSICIST {AS TROPHY IS} over{SICk}  T from? Clue corrected see comments

21 Like award first inspiring mostly ailing scientist (14) ASTROPHYSICIST {AS}{TROPHY}{1ST} over{SICk} 

23 Accepted timeless custom to welcome friend in an Emirate (3,5) ABU DHABI {A}{HABIt} over {BUD}

24 Shrug in dance (6) BOLERO [DD]

25 Abandoned old dear with nothing in place of great wealth (2,6) EL DORADO {OLD+DEAR}*{0}

26 Current issue (6) STREAM [DD}

DOWN

1   Copper's to remain solid (4) CUBE {CU}{BE}

2   Shelter animals raised inside tower (7) MINARET [T<=]

3   Gap behind say, Spooner leading in church (8) CREVASSE {ASS}<=>{REV} in {CE}

5   Lyricists are bad viewers, per Spooner (11) SONGWRITERS (~wrong sighters to songwriters)

6   Spin around each beverage holder (3,3) TEA URN {T{EA}URN}

7   Working out with Bond? Certainly! (2,5) NO DOUBT {OUT+BOND}*

8   Criminal had me confined in a dreadful place (9) AHMEDABAD {HAD+ME}*{A}{BAD}

12 Check Biden getting confused with Putin and Harris, initially (3,2,3,3) NIP IN THE BUD {BIDEN+PUTIN+Ha...s}*

13 Government dividing city's tax revenue ultimately to annoy (9) AGGRAVATE {AG{G}RA}{VAT}{r...nE}

15 Push toy roughly around little child to intimidate (5,3) PSYCH OUT {PUSH+TOY}* over {Ch..d}

17 Bowl over areas to understand limits (7) ASTOUND [T]

19 Crude mobs essentially perceived as noisy (7) OBSCENE {mOBs}{(~seen)SCENE}

20 Royal abandons sibling in trouble (6) BOTHER BrOTHER

22 Despicable creature of either gender (4) WORM [DD] (Correction {W OR M} - See comments)

Reference List

Company = CO, Hot = H, Girl = G, Time = T, Church = CE, Each = EA, Government = G, Royal = R