No 14399, Wednesday 05 February 2025, Saral

Solution to 16A 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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

8   Comprehensive blog is managed by a student (6) GLOBAL {BLOG*}{A}{L}

9   Museum in Russia rejecting master's endowment (8) HERITAGE HERmITAGE

11 Grave worker following one mass near Rio, say (9) IMPORTANT {ANT}<=>{1}{M}{PORT}

12 Changed diets and courses (5) TIDES*

13 Client is with associate fighting and unyielding (9) INELASTIC {CLIENT+IS+A}*

16 Feast time, welcoming Australian prince (5) A?A?E (Addendum - AGAPE {AG{A}{P}E} - See comments)

17 Girl with extraordinarily simple look (7) GLIMPSE {G}{SIMPLE*}

19 Large uniform tailor finally repairs for soldier (7) REGULAR {LARGE+U+t...oR}*

21 Singer adjusting tone, a piece of rhythm (5) TENOR {TONE*}{Rh...m}

22 Ordeal of poor emigrant filled with hatred primarily (9) NIGHTMARE {NIG{Ha...d}TMARE*}

24 Bird leaving large island tree (5) PECAN PEliCAN

25 Playing drama in front of sick, old creature (9) ARMADILLO {DRAMA*}{ILL}{O}

27 Struggle of criminal to move rapidly outside college (8) CONFLICT {CON}{FLI{C}T}

28 Fat cat pushed back small first class miniature tree (6) BONSAI {NOB<=}{S}{A1}

DOWN

1   Stirring up, double gin containing Italian vermouth (8) IGNITING {GIN*}{IT}{GIN*}

2   Lovers left inside carriage? (6) COUPLE {COUP{L}E}

3   Market square (4) FAIR [DD]

4   Basically dangerous, wrong bet, put you in this? (4) DEBT {Da...s}{BET*} Semi&lit

5   Crazy daughter is given a lesson describing rule (10) DISTRAUGHT {D}{IS}{T{R}AUGHT}

6   No-nonsense attitude of party against firm (8) HARDBALL {BALL}<=>{HARD}

7   Tenant without the home at last (6) LESSEE {LESS}{thE}{homE}

10 Tailless cat sitting on the temple (8) PANTHEON {PANTHEr}{ON}

14 Clearly a fee included in claim (10) APPARENTLY {APP{A}{RENT}LY}

15 As per Spooner security arrived in bridge, perhaps (4,4) CARD GAME (~ guard came to card game)

18 Upright and kind at heart with no money (8) INNOCENT {kINd}{NO}{CENT}

20 Eloquence of Herriot, possibly charming at first (8) RHETORIC {HERRIOT*}{Ch...g}

21 Set up books with special picture above themes (6) TOPICS {OT<=} with {S}<=>{PIC}

23 Finally book of maps with bar (2,4) AT LAST {ATLAS}{T}

25 Cars manoeuvering curves (4) ARCS*

26 Spirit brought up destruction (4) DOOM<=

Reference List

Student = L, Master = M, Mass = M, Associate = A, Australian = A, Prince = P, Girl = G, Uniform = U, Large = L, Island = I, Old = O, College = C, Small = S, Italian Vermouth = IT, Left = L, Daughter = D, Rule = R, Books = OT(Old Testament), Special = S, Bar = T