No 14654, Tuesday 02 Dec 2025, Avtaar

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 solve, if not solved by 1 PM.

ACROSS

1   On the ropes, struggling after losing set, possibly this one can't win (2-5) NO-HOPER {ON+tHE+ROPes}*

5   A seafarer carrying case of pitch that is used for paving (7) ASPHALT {A}{S{PitcH}ALT}

10 Is Diana about to withhold benefits? (4) AIDS [T<=]

11 White House, say, backs probing enigmatic scholar over a missing pupil (10) SCHOOLGIRL {IGLOO<=} in {SCHoLaR}

12 Foamy cosmetic obtained from sulphur filling source of meandering English river (6) MOUSSE {S} in {Me...g}{OUSE}

13 Problem with bank's agenda (2-2,4) TO-DO LIST {TO DO}{LIST}

14 Estuary and desert having bounds separated (9) E?T?A?G?D ()

16 Expel members of college staff (5) EGEST [T]

17 Judge's work during break, essentially (5) OPINE {OP}{IN}{brEak}

19 Sticker's put out "See Palo Alto on vacation" (9) SELLOTAPE {SEE+PALO+aLTo} This was originally a brand name. On vacation would mean {AltO}?

23 With it, cryptic setter gets attention (8) INTEREST {IN}{SETTER}*

24 Where you may find head of peacekeepers free from being barred (6) UNSTOP {TOP}<=>{UNS}

26 Lady shouting head off making false pitch (10) MISSELLING {MISS}{yELLING}

27 A cross-section outlining Avtaar's vertebra (4) AXIS {A}{X}{I}{S}

28 Court doing volte-face holding a set of hangings (7) DRAPERY {YARD<=} over {PER}

29 Cut chicken roast without stuffing brought back in serving table (7) TROLLEY {YELLOw}{RoasT}<=

DOWN

2   Moon is oddly obscuring core of sun, portending bad luck (7) OMINOUS {MOON+IS}* over {sUn}

3   Raised well outside a small island that provides relief when troubled (5) OASIS {SO<=} over {A}{S}{I}

4   One who enjoys eating a lot ignoring fellow nationalist from Japan, say (7) EASTERN {fEASTER}{N}

6   Unusual to enter reserved second-class (6) SHODDY {SH{ODD}Y}

7   Call attention to Spooner's fiction "Crown" (9) HIGHLIGHT (~lie height to highlight)

8   Primates look to climb, starting to swing (7) LORISES {LO}{RISE}{Sw..g}

9   Transforming theoretic construct on light particles, principally relating to an effect of Einstein (13) PHOTOELECTRIC {THEORETIC+Co...t+On+Li..t+Pa...s}* Semi&lit

15 Vicious turner spun, taking away focus of batters who end up losing (7-2) RUNNERS-UP {tURNERS+SPUN}*

18 Column featuring note on a new type of basket (7) PANNIER {P{N}IER} over {A}{N}

20 Gruel on plastic couch (7) LOUNGER*

21 Word turning up in the SIM or phone (7) PROMISE [T<=]

22 Merchant's letter from Athens to avoid cheat (6) SELLER chiSELLER

25 Narrow places where people go to buy cycles (5) SMALL (+s)SMALL(-s)

Reference List

Seafarer = SALT, Over = O, Work = OP, With it = IN, Section = S, Well = SO, Small = S, Island = I, fellow = F, Nationalist = N, Look = LO, Note = N, New = N