No 14520, Wednesday 25 Jun 2025, Avtaar

FOR ATTENTION OF ALL VISITORS TO THE BLOG

I am reopening the blog so that anyone can access it, however from 7 PM on Thursday 26 Jun onwards, I will again be restricting access to the blog permanently and only custom readers will be able to access the blog. 

Those who want access to the blog as custom readers may therefore send me an e-mail at deepakgita@gmail.com and I will approve the same. Those who have already done so need not do so again.

I have been forced to change the settings as one person refused to adhere to the rules of the blog despite being advised on many occasions. Once the blog is restricted to custom readers as it was for the past few days last week, I will have the administrative power to remove anyone who does not follow the rules.

Solution to 23D 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

1   Amateur cuts, opening both sides of the belly (7) VENTRAL {VENT}{R}{A}{L}

5   Hue and cry about the end of casual love affair (7) CLAMOUR {C}{c...aL}{AMOUR}

9   Bull run - support reversing - having crossed central point (7) RHUBARB {R}{BRA<=} over {HUB}

10 "Computer file is corrupted", associate stated (4,3) DATA SET {A+STATED}*

11 Rush to hire help for extra payment (9) SURCHARGE  {SUR{CHAR}GE}

12 Bailiff constantly recalled arresting leader in Exeter (5) REEVE {EV{Ex...r}ER<=}

13 Cavity in heavenly object's retracted (5) SINUS {SUN IS}<=

15 Will's assistant finally sent abroad, having trained (9) TESTAMENT {a...nT}{ES{TAME}NT*}

17 Victory with a service turning the other way (4,5) VICE VERSA {V}{A+SERVICE}*

19 Hello! Bored by working, dear? (5) HONEY {H{ON}EY}

22 Senior socialist revolutionary following final of the league (5) ELDER {RED<=}<=>{thE}{L}

23 Supplement to suppress cocaine craving (9) ADDICTION {ADDI{C}TION}

25 Trapping snail in gigantic nets (7) NAILING [T]

26 Fashionable belt with ring featured in commercial online (1,2,4) A LA MODE {A{LAM}{O}D}{E}

27 Romans sculpted Sicily's terminal in work of stone (7) MASONRY {ROMANS}*{s...lY}

28 Destinies fulfilled - sealed by locking of lips (7) KISMETS {KIS{MET}S}

DOWN

1   Group of bugs survives, unexpectedly evading the introduction of vaccine (7) VIRUSES SURvIVES*

2   Books about international organisation operating to support launch of research for quantum particle (7) NEUTRON N{EU}T}{Re...h}{ON}

3   Hit book banned by Gulf (5) REACH bREACH

4   Sign on hill describing earth's saviour (9) LIBERATOR {LIB{E}RA}{TOR}

5   Bum died in jail (5) CADGE {CA{D}GE}

6   Father changed clothing, carpet and effects (9) AFTERMATH {AFTER{MAT}H*}

7   Blue film-set holding up old boys (7) OBSCENE {SCENE}<=>{OB}

8   Engineers deal with seclusion (7) RETREAT {RE}{TREAT}

14 Royal emblem featuring forgotten head of Europe (9) SOVEREIGN {S{OVER}{E}IGN}

16 Don't go near ribbon store, says Spooner (5,4) STAND BACK (~band stack to stand back)

17 Country fellow sent up after Avtaar stops scan (7) VIETNAM {MAN}<=>{V{I}ET}

18 Blackguard passes tea carriers (7) CADDIES {CAD}{DIES}

20 Few supporting topseed's offensive (7) NOISOME {SOME}<=>{NO 1}

21 Americans in tug visit retreats (7) YANKEES {YANK}{SEE<=}

23 Young lady, one left abandoned in American city - is fuming (5) A?G?Y (Addendum - ANGRY {GiRl} in {A}{NY} - See comments)

24 Chic college girl (5) CLASS {C}{LASS}

Reference List

Amateur= A, About = C, Run = R, Support = BRA, Associate = A, Help = CHAR, Victory = V, League = L, Cocaine = C, Commercial = AD, Online = E, Books = NT(New Testament), Book = B, Earth = E, Died = D, Old boys = OB, Engineers = RE(Royal Engineers), Left = L, American = A, College = C