The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 9, Sunday 22 Jun 2025, Arden

ACROSS

9   Aunty in trouble withe investment contract (7) ANNUITY* 

10 Tough to hold out - nothing inside? Sounding uncertain (7) HOODLUM {HO{O}DL*}{UM}

11 Obstructs containers (7) HAMPERS [DD]

12 Polish figure crossing the line of no return (7) RUBICON {RUB}{ICON}

13 Country came out - no stopping aid going west (9) MACEDONIA {CAME}*{AI{NO}D<=}

15 High rent all around - it's a source of irritation (5) THORN {T{H}ORN}

16 Some lad abandoned the maiden (7) DAMOSEL*

19 Zany, zany get a flower (7) YANGTZE*

20 Warriors name in German admission (5) NINJA {N}{IN}{JA}

21 Makes fun of outputs - not out, but that's OK (2,2,5) UP TO SNUFF {FUN+OF+outPUTS}*

25 Showing interest in special race, so refuse (7) SCORIAE {I} in {RACE+SO}*

26 Call within a month to capital (7) ABIDJAN {A}{BID}{JAN} Former capital

28 Vulgarian - trust a crook to keep quiet (7) UPSTART {TRUST+A}* over {P}

29 Some come back and get selected - it's heavenly (7) CELESTE [T<=]

DOWN

1   Growing tuber on the border creates disturbance (6) MAYHEM {YAM<=}{HEM}

2   Coming around is incomprehensible (6) GNOMIC* Is this definition correct?

3   Award for play (4) GIVE [DD]

4   Compound featuring setter's very big home (6) MYOSIN {MY}{OS}{IN}

5   Drug dealer's fast to contain damage (8) PHARMACY {P{HARM}ACY}

6   Groom workers to get hold of a top team of fighters (10) COMBATANTS {COMB}{ANTS} over {A}{Team}

7   Need to stop fight for a state of oblivion (8) BLACKOUT {B{LACK}OUT}

8   Nice men appointed by English Cardinal (8) EMINENCE {NICE+MEN}*{E}

14 Book on Indian political party's rise - talk about accepting a constant input (3,7) DAS KAPITAL {SAD<=}{KA{PI}TAL*}

16 Victim of a natural disaster is around, moving (8) DINOSAUR* 

17 Big animal entertains volunteer group, becomes much smaller (8) MONGOOSE {MO{NGO}OSE}

18 Award winner delayed importing fertiliser (8) LAUREATE {LA{UREA}TE}

22 Leadership change - country in a daze (6) TRANCE (-f+t)TRANCE

23 Only under central fund - that's not fair (6) UNJUST {JUST}<=>{fUNd}

24 Plant experience - news trickling in (6) FENNEL {FE{N}{N}EL}

27 Invested legitimately, banks doing nothing (4) IDLY {In...eD}{Le...lY}

Reference List

High = H, Name = N, Yes in German = JA, Interest = I, Quiet = P, Very big = OS, Home = IN, English = E, Constant = PI, Volunteer group = NGO, New = N